Eggless Brownie Mousse Cake with Mirror Glaze

My MC is turning 8 and I am excited!! She has started showing interest in baking. During the COVID lockdown, she has been on a baking spree!! She is interested in creating more complicated desserts and has inspired me to attempt this.

I prefer simple, naked cakes. For many reasons. I just happen to stumble upon this recipe on Youtube and I felt it was pretty doable. Also, it would not be difficult to procure the ingredients in the midst of the COVID lockdown. Making this cake was an adventure (literally!) and I loved every bit of it. 

I used ingredients which were readily available. Example, instead of whipping cream, I used regular Go cream. Similarly, the mousse recipe required semi sweet chocolates. I had dark baking chocolate in hand, which I used along with some sugar. Instead of caster sugar, I used powdered regular sugar. I had brown sugar at hand and so used the same. Else, I would have substituted it with regular sugar.

Attention- Though it is an eggless recipe, it is certainly not a vegetarian recipe. I used gelatin, which is made of animal products, in my mousse and glaze. For a vegetarian option, gelatin can be substituted with agar-agar flakes. I wanted to make a eggless vegetarian recipe, but could not procure agar-agar. Hence, settled for the gelatin. The author of this recipe has mentioned in detail on how to use agar-agar in this recipe.

Attention Attention - The original recipe had measurements for a 6 inch brownie and 7 inch cake ring for the mousse. I had a 8 inch and a 12 inch cake pans. I had noticed the difference in measurements but somehow I felt I could pull it through. I was so wrong. When I made the mousse and poured it over the brownie, it covered only 3/4th of the total cake. I had to quickly whip up another set of mousse and pout it over the existing one. And boy, it barely sufficed.

I decided to be careful with the mirror glaze measurement and altered it. However, after pouring the glaze, I still had over 1/2 of the quantity left over. So, note for self - Use half of the recipe measures for the mirror glaze.

I made this cake over two days. Though the recipe might seem long, once you start making you will enjoy and find the process very simple.

For making the Brownie Cake - 

Equipment - 

• Microwave safe bowl
• Medium sized borosil/ glass bowl
• Hand whisk and/or electric beater
• Silicon spatula
• 8 inch cake pan

Ingredients -

• 100 grams dark chocolate
• 35 grams unsalted butter
• 50 grams sugar, powdered
• 50 grams brown sugar
• 120 grams yogurt/ dahi
• 1/4 tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 50 grams all purpose flour/ maida
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp milk

1. Grease a 8 inch cake pan with butter and line the bottom of the cake pan with butter paper.
2. Start preparing the ingredients - 
1. Measure the butter, place it in the microwave safe bowl and bring it to room temperature. If you are using normal salted butter, omit salt in step number 5.
2. Powder the sugar (can avoid if using same quantity caster sugar), measure it and keep it in the large borosil bowl. In to the same bowl, measure and add the brown sugar.
3. Measure the yogurt and bring it to room temperature. Use thick yogurt, preferably made from full fat milk.
4. Measure the all purpose flour, add baking powder and baking soda to it. Sift the powders and keep it aside.
5. Cut the dark chocolate to small chunks, measure the required quantity and place it in the same bowl as the room temperature butter.
3. Microwave the chocolate and butter mixture. Microwave it on high for 30 seconds and then use a wire whisk to whisk it. Place it back and microwave it for another 30 seconds. Remove and whisk. Repeat till the chocolate is completely melted and is glossy. It should take 3 to 4 - 30 second bursts. Allow the chocolate mixture to cool.
4. Pour the room temperature yogurt into the sugars and whisk vigorously till the sugars are incorporated. You can use a wire whisk or as I preferred, an electric beater. It takes less than a minute with an electric beater.
5. Add the salt and vanilla extract to the sugar-yogurt mixture and whisk for 10 seconds, till incorporated.
6. Once the chocolate mixture is down to room temperature, pour it into the yogurt sugar mixture. Whisk till incorporated (less than a minute)
7. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degree C and place a rack in the centre of the oven. I use a convection oven.
8. Add the sifted dry ingredients along with 1 tbsp of milk and with a silicon spatula, fold the mixture. Make sure that there is no flour that is visible.
9. Gently transfer the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake it in the pre-heated over for 25 minutes. 
10. After 25 minutes, you will notice that the cake is pulling from the sides. Check for done-ness by inserting a toothpick into the centre of the cake. It should come out clean and there should not be any crumbs sticking into it. 
11. Transfer the cake tin into a cake rack. After 5 minutes, gently turn the cake on to the cake rack and remove the butter paper from the bottom. Allow the cake to cool on the wire rack.
12. Once the cake is cooled completely, wrap it in a cling film and refrigerate it for at least a couple of hours.

For making the chocolate mousse

Equipment - 

1. Small microwave bowl for melting gelatin
2. Little large microwave bowl for melting the chocolate
3. Electric beater
4. Medium sized borosil/ glass bowl
5. Silicon spatula
6. 12 inch spring form pan or ring.

Ingredients (for a 12 inch spring form pan)

1. 190 grams dark chocolate, chopped into chunks
2. 1/2 tbsp powdered sugar
3. 3 tsp gelatin powder
4. 3 tbsp water
5. 180 ml or 3/4 cup whipping cream
6. 440 ml or 1 and 3/4 cup whipping cream

1. Chop the chocolate into chunks, measure it and place it in a microwave proof bowl.
2. Measure and pour 440 ml of whipping cream in to a medium sized glass bowl.
3. Mix gelatin and water in a small microwave safe bowl and stir. Keep it aside.
4. Bring the 3/4 cup or 180 ml of whipping cream to boiling point and pour it on to the chocolate chunks. Mix it till the chocolate starts melting. It's OK if the the chocolate does not completely melt.
5. Microwave the gelatin for 30 seconds and check if it is dissolved. If not, microwave for another 10 seconds. Pour it into the chocolate mixture and give it a quick stir. The chocolate should melt by now. Keep it aside.
6. With the help of an electric beater, beat the whipping cream till it forms soft peak i.e. when you lift the beater or dip a finger into the cream, it will form a peak with a curl.
7. With the aid of a silicon spatula, transfer 1/4th of the cream into the chocolate mixture bowl. With the spatula, slowly incorporate it.
8. Transfer the contents of the chocolate bowl into the whipping cream along with 1/2 tbsp sugar and beat it till the cream is fully incorporated. 
9. Take out the brownie cake from the refrigerator and place it in the center of the spring form pan. Pour the mousse batter over the cake.
10. Bang the spring form pan on the kitchen counter and cover it with a cling film. 
11. Let it cool in the refrigerator overnight or at least 6 hours.

For the mirror glaze

Equipment

1. Small bowl
2. Medium sized milk pot or sauce pan
3. Offset spatula

Ingredients

1. 1 and 1/2 tbsp gelatin powder
2. 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp water
3. 1 cup sugar, powdered
4. 3/4 cup cocoa powder
5. 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp water
6. 3/4 cup whipping cream

1. Prepare the ingredients - 
1. Measure and place it in a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp water and give the mixture a stir. Keep it aside.
2. Measure the cocoa powder and place it into the saucepan.
3. Measure and add the sugar. As the sugar had large granules, I powdered it before measuring.
2. With a spoon mix the cocoa and the sugar. Slowly add 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp water and the whipping cream. Mix the mixture thoroughly.
3. Place the sauce pan over low heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Keep stiring the mixture to avoid forming lumps. 
4. Remove from fire when you see bubbles at the edges of the pan. It would be a cloudy mixture.
5. Pour the gelatin mixture into the cocoa mixture and stir.
6. Allow it to cool completely and stir in between.
7. Strain the glaze with the help of a sieve and transfer it into a glass mug. I did not do this step. I strained the glaze directly on to the cake (see below). But, it is very important that the mixture is strained. Do not omit that.

Assembling the cake - 

1. Place a large plate/ tray in the kitchen counter. The plate has to be larger than the spring form pan.
2. Place an inverted bowl in the centre of the plate. The bowl should be atleast 8 - 10 cm in height and should have a flat base.
3. Takeout the cake from the refrigerator and place it on the inverted bowl. Remove the outer ring of the spring form pan. 
4. Gently pour the strained glazed mixture in to the centre of the cake and allow it to pour through the sides.
5. Once the cake is thoroughly covered with the glaze, with an offset spatula gently stop the dripping from the edges by running the spatula around the edge.
6. After couple of minutes, place the cake back into the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 to 3 hours before serving.

The cake tasted really divine. The richness of the brownie and the softness of the mousse - they are an absolute delight for the taste buds.