Well there had to be a first, right? A first recipe for French Fridays with Dorie that didn’t work out quite as expected. I mean, it didn’t taste bad – in fact it tasted amazing. It just didn’t do what it was supposed to and didn’t look like it did in the book.
Still, it was a perfect day for baking and I thoroughly enjoyed myself making (and tasting!) this!
(with apologies to Dorie. Your book is looking very well-loved!)
The recipe in question is Michel Rostang’s double chocolate mousse cake and I was not the only one who had a few issues with it, as you can see from the P&Q page (where you can also see the picture of what it’s supposed to look like). Can I just say here how much I love that Dorie herself chimed in on the questions. She also contacted me asking what issues I was having when I tweeted about my cake not looking right. Thank you Dorie, for caring! The cake itself is a gorgeous chocolate mousse – 1/3 of which you bake in the oven, then you either have the option to top the chilled base with the remainder of the mousse and serve it cold, or bake the rest of the mousse on top and either serve it warm or chilled. It’s a great recipe and the mousse is divine.
The recipe calls for the cake to be baked in a springform pan minus the base, on parchment. I had a little bit of the mixture leak out of the bottom, so next time I would use the pan with the base in.
My major problem was with the height of the cake – it looked nothing like it was supposed to, though I used the right sized springform pan – next time I would just go for a much smaller (or individual) pan.
This was the first layer out of the oven and chilled, also shrunk away from the edges of the springform pan. To add the rest of the mousse and bake the second layer, I had to make a circle of parchment paper around the cake to hold the mousse in.
Then when it came out of the oven, the 2 different layers were barely distinguishable…
The first time I served it, I took it to a friends’ and we ate it at room temperature. It was wonderful, just flat.
With the leftovers, I cut them into tiny bite-sized rounds – they looked much more chic..
Would I make this again? Yes, absolutely (in a smaller tin), because for me the proof in the pudding cake is in the taste. And there was nothing wrong with the taste of this – it’s rich but light at the same time – pretty much your perfect chocolate dessert!
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You had me at double chocolate!
I love the way you made the mini-cakes…brava!!!! You took an average looking cake to a showstopper!!!
Well thanks so much!
Have to say, the work crowd in the canteen had no issues with the “flatness”. Tasted awesome!
Hey – I hope you are not trading your treats….
I love how you present them! This would make a meal complete.
My cake rose up but it was still ugly as all get-out … Your solution to cut them into little circles is genius! Looks so cute and as you say – chic.
Yours looked lovely, I still say!
oh, i’m sure it tastes wonderful even though it didn’t look as it did in the book. the minis are more chic, but we all want to eat the big size =)
Well with the minis you can have more because they are so little, right? 😉
How cool that Dorie contacted you? It’s worth having a problematic recipe, I think. Also? Out of the bowl would work for me! (I’m brave that way about the eggs.)
You know, I said that to my mum too – and will be making it again, as a simple mousse.
Only you could call it barely distinguishable and then take that and make it so gorgeous and delicious , Love the little rounds-great idea .
Oh thanks so much but when you look at the pic in the book, you would understand… I was happy with the taste, that’s what matters!
Oh boy! I don’t know why you blog (as asked by you on twitter) but I know I’d gladly open my front door and let you in, especially if you were carrying this! It looks fabulous.
Yes they seemed to be popular with those who ate them!
Love the little rounds! 🙂
the cake looks really good- loved the way u cut them…gotta say, it sure looks chic 😉
Mardi, cutting the cake into the little rounds wsa such an inspired idea! They look delectable. I agree, taste was incredible, the puffiness just didn’t happen! So cool that Dorie is responding to questions. On another note, salted my duck breasts last night and they are getting hung tonight! So excited to see how they turn out. Thanks for the inspiration to join CharchutePalooza!
SO excited that you joined Charcutepalooza! And so much fun to cook along with you in FFWD!
Hmm…interesting. Meant to make this but then got confused in my head re: the FFWD schedule and thought we were baking this next week. Now I’ll have to try this soon and see if I’ll have the same difficulties as everyone else.
Still, great job!!
I would love to see how it works for you, everyone had such different results…
I love the fact that when you reached out for help, no other than Dorie Greenspan herself came to your rescue. How cool is that? I wound up having the same issues with a thin cake too. Such a great idea you had in cutting them into little rounds. Your correct, they do look very chic. Great idea and great pictures 🙂
Dorie is wonderful like that. Looks like we were all in the same boat this week…
You are right that they do look very chic! Flat or not, I’m sure they tasted wonderful. Love the photo of the pretty snow!
Oh the snow is pretty but I have already had enough and we have months of it to come 🙁
I love the bite-sized cakes. They looks great with the different toppings.
Awesome awesome, love the little one, they don’t make you feel as guilty! Now just add some whipped cream. . .:)
Oh TOTALLY – I like the way you think!
Once you made them in individual portions they look fabulous and so elegant. And chocolate mousse cake? Yes please! Beautiful, Mardi!
Thanks – I am learning about plating and presentation – though it’s a long road!
I love the little trio of cakes – super chic! I certainly wouldn’t push it off my plate – flat or not!
Right, me neither, especially when it tasted that good!
You can’t judge a cake by it’s cover and need to get inside of it to find it’s true worth. Love what you did by making mini cakes.
Thanks! Good things come in small packages!
You know I’m not a chocolate lover but…holy cow… this mousse cake is getting me drooling here!
This is a lovely cake for you then since it’s not so overly chocolatey…
still so googey! mini cakes work better for me. always an excuse for another and another 😛
Oh totally!
Love the setting with the dusting of icing sugar reflecting the snow in the next picture. Talk about a lesson in presentation from oven to table! – brilliant pictures thank you
Well it’s not reflecting the snow but it certainly looks like snow!
As much as I love to feast with the eyes, in the end it comes down to taste! It sounds as if the flavor of these chocolate mousse cakes is far from flat. Love your final trio of minicakes! 😎
Yes, unfortunately, you can’t post ugliness on your blog, right? 😉 hence the minis!
Looks good to me. Anything chocolate does though 🙂 I like your solution of doing the rounds, too. Even when the big/intended item doesn’t work out exactly like you want it to, there’s still a way to make it look elegant.
Thanks, yes I am a big believer in tiny portions looking more elegant!
You truly made these cakes petit and amazing by cutting them out. Nice idea.
When in doubt, make things mini-sized!
Oh what a shame it didn’t work out, but at least it was still delicious! I wonder what went wrong…
Jax x
We all do, think the pan size….
I am sorry that it didn’t come out the way that you had hoped – but it looks delicious to me all the same! Did you ever figure out why yours didn’t come out looking like the one in the book?
No, the only thing I can think is that the pan was too wide..
well, whether it “worked” or not, they look delicious . . . and what better baking project for a cold, snowy day? 🙂
Ooh, those mini cakes look fabulous!
But, please (please!) tell me you didn’t set the dirty whisk on the cookbook?
Ahem…. Dorie is looking very well loved 😉
Fabulous. Absolutely fabulous. Everyone should have more chocolate in there lives!
Sorry yours didn’t turn out as well as expected. Better luck next time!
I just did a post on it, and tho delicious, the cake cracked. Nevertheless, it was the best tasting mousse ever
Well it’s all about the taste, right?