Have you ever started to write a sentence in a card then completely lose your train of thought? It happens to me all the time. In fact it happened to me this weekend. I was signing a card for my friends wedding and for some reason I started a sentence with “after”. I’m still not sure where I meant to go with that. I do know that what I ended up writing might not have made much sense, I got myself all flustered. So Steph, if you’re reading this, I meant to say I love you and I’m so happy for you.
The wedding had me in a celebratory mood the following day. Celebrations to me mean cake, and the best cake I can think of is my mom’s famous chocolate cake. Family members have left their sick beds for a slice of that cake. I would to share the actual recipe with you, but my mom honestly can’t say what the recipe is. It’s been altered and modified so many times it only exists in her mind. I can tell you it’s chocolate cake spiked with Kahlua, with layers of ganache and whipped cream. I based this cake on that but made it my own. I used a chocolate genoise baked in a jelly roll pan, and filled it with chocolate mousse and whipped cream. I think chocolate can always use a little fruit, so I topped the cake with pomegranate seeds. And, of course, I spiked the cake layers with Kahlua.
Chocolate Mousse Cake with Pomegranate
For the Chocolate Genoise
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 4 tbsp butter
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a 15 by 10 inch jelly roll pan with parchment, then grease the parchment.
- Sift the flour and cocoa together. Set aside.
- Melt the butter. Set aside to cool.
- In a large heat proof bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together. Place the bowl over and pot with 1 inch of simmering water and whisk until the eggs reach a temperature of 130 F, about 4 minutes depending on the size of the bowl and pot. Remove the bowl from the heat. Using an electric mixer (hand held or standing) beat the eggs until the have tripled in volume are back to room temperature (about 10 minutes).
- Fold the flour into the eggs in three additions. Stir a spoonful of the batter into the butter, then fold the butter into the batter gently. The batter will deflate a little at this point.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet, then bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the center springs back when touched.
For the Chocolate Mousse
- 4 oz semi sweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 eggs separated
- 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
- Over a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter. Add the cinnamon once melted. Set aside to cool.
- Whisk the egg yolk till double in volume and the colour has lightened. Mix into melted chocolate. Refrigerate while whipping the egg whites.
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar to stiff peaks.
- Take a small amount of the egg whites and mix it into the chocolate to thin the chocolate, then fold the chocolate into the egg whites.
- Set aside.
- 1 cups35% cream
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
- Using an electric mixer, whip the cream until soft peaks. Add the sugar and continue whisking until stiff peaks form.
- 1 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup Kahlua
- 1 cups water
- In a saucepan bring sugar and water to boil. Remove from the heat, let cool, then add the Kahlua.
- Seeds from 1 pomegranate
- Slice the cake into three 5 by 10 inch slices. Place the bottom layer on the serving plate. Soak with 1/3 of the Kahlua syrup, then top with the chocolate mousse. Place another layer of cake on top of the chocolate mousse. Soak that layer with 1/2 of the remaining Kahlua syrup. Top that layer with half of the whipped cream. Place the final layer of cake on top of the whipped cream layer. Soak with remaining Kahlua syrup. Top with the remaining whipped cream, then decorate with the pomegranate seeds.
- Chill for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the cake to set.
What She's Having 
great recipe.
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Gorgeous! I love pomegranate, and this is a great way to include them!
Gorgeous! I love the combination! I love that you used two different frostings in both layers.
Gorgeous cake!! The pomegranate really adds a nice touch.
Beautiful! Love the burst of color from the pomegranate seeds.
And yes, I lose my train of thought all the time. :)
mmm chocolate, kahlua, and the pomegranate… great flavors! This sounds absolutely delicious!
Beautiful looking cake!
I love the coloring too
Wow this looks incredible, I love your pictures!! :)
A celebration indeed! I have always associated red with a joyous celebration. And for a wedding feast, red symbolizes passion. Passion shared by 2 individuals so overwhelming that they want to share forever together. Such is the color of pomegranate. So vibrant and bursting with flavor and color. After all, the fruit was named after a grenade, bursting with power (or so I thought!). Thanks for sharing your mom’s cake recipe…
Beautiful cake! The pom garnish looks so lovely.
Absolutely beautiful!
The pomegranate gives it such a nice pop of color! It looks delicious!
Umm yummmmm. Pomegranate seed are such a stunning red color!
Just stopped over from Tastespotting. Your site and photographs are beautiful–and this cake looks to-die-for. I always forget to add pomegranate to baking dishes.
Definitely will be adding this to my list of things to make!
You had me at chocolate mousse cake and then you went and added pomegranate seeds! Just wow!
Lynn I saw this on Tastespotting earlier and was blown away at how gorgeous it is. Truly stunning pics!
Thanks! It was hard getting them just right, but I had a lot of fun taking them.
I start to say things and get distracted mid-sentence all the time! My mind tenders to be going at full speed at the time and it jumps around too fast sometimes.
That’s a beautiful cake – I know it’s a bit early, but it makes me think it would be perfect for Christmas…
The healthy pomegranate makes it totally okay to have two slices, right? :)
I forget what I’m doing all the time! My favorite is when you run to the market, spend $50 and come home without the one thing you actually ran out for! Maybe spiking your cake with Kalhua is the secret…
Just gorgeous.
Lovely Lynn! Nicely composed shots and that cake looks bloody delicious.
Stunning cake! I love the pom garnish!
Great recipe .. I love chocolate and this cake … The pomegranate makes it to be wauw :-)
I can’t believe i am only reading this now…the words were clear, and i know! Back at ya :)
All your pictures are so beautiful, and the recipes look divine. This is something you are so good at and love, couldn’t ask for anything more for you (and your lucky readers!).