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dark chocolate mousse
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Dark Chocolate Mousse

This French style dark chocolate mousse is incredibly rich, with a light, fluffy texture! This dessert is easy to make & is sure to impress.
Prep Time20 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Servings: 8 People
Author: Ben Racey

Equipment

  • Serving Glasses (See Notes)
  • Stand Mixer
  • Large Mixing Bowls
  • Saucepan
  • Digital Food Probe
  • Sieve

Ingredients

Chocolate Custard

  • 360 g Dark Chocolate (72% Is Best)
  • 350 g Whole Milk
  • 50 g Caster Sugar
  • 15 g Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder
  • 1 tsp Instant Coffee
  • ½ tsp Sea Salt
  • 80 g Egg Yolks

Chocolate Mousse

  • 200 g Egg Whites
  • ½ tsp Cream Of Tartar
  • 90 g Caster Sugar
  • 250 g Double Cream (Cold!)
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Paste

Instructions

Chocolate Custard

  • Chop the dark chocolate into small chunks then add into a heatproof mixing bowl. Set this aside for now.
  • Next, add the milk, 25g of the sugar, cocoa powder, coffee & salt into a medium sized saucepan then set over a low heat.
  • Heat the milk until steaming hot, whisking to dissolve the cocoa powder & sugar. Don't let the milk boil though.
  • Whilst the milk is warming up, add the egg yolks & remaining sugar into a mixing bowl then whisk until smooth & combined.
  • Once the milk is steaming hot, pour half of it into the yolks, whisking as you do so. Pour the now tempered yolks into the pan of milk.
  • Cook the custard over a low heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon & has reached a temperature of 82°c/180°f.
  • As soon as the custard is cooked, pass it into the bowl of chocolate through a sieve, leave to stand for 1 minute then stir until melted & smooth. Set the chocolate custard to one side & leave to cool slightly.

Chocolate Mousse

  • Add the egg whites & cream of tartar into the bowl of a stand mixer then whisk on a medium speed until they've reached soft peaks. This will take 2-3 minutes.
  • Next, turn the mixer speed down slightly then add in the caster sugar a tablespoon at a time, making sure to let the sugar mix in fully before adding in more. I find that adding a spoonful of sugar in every 20 seconds or so is best.
  • Once all the sugar has been added in, turn the mixer back up to medium then continue whisking until the egg whites have reached stiff peaks. This will take another 4-5 minutes of whisking.
  • Whilst the meringue is whisking, add the double cream & vanilla paste into another mixing bowl then whisk by hand until it has reached very soft peaks. Be careful not to over whisk it as this will affect the texture of the mousse.
    I like to whip the cream whilst the meringue is whisking, so that they'll be ready at the same time. Make sure to keep an eye on the meringue though, so that it doesn't get over whisked!
  • Now, add a quarter of the meringue into the chocolate custard then gently whisk by hand to combine. This loosens off the custard, making it easier to fold in the rest of the meringue & cream.
  • Next, add half of the remaining meringue into the chocolate then use a spatula to fold the whites into the custard, until mostly incorporated. Add the rest of the meringue in then fold again.
    Don't worry about a few streaks of egg white at this point, as it will be incorporated as we fold in the cream. Try to keep the number as folds as low as possible, to avoid deflating the mousse.
  • Once the egg whites have been incorporated, fold in the whipped cream in 2 additions. Again, make sure to keep the number of folds as low as possible but make sure that the cream is fully combined.
    If there's any lumps of cream or meringue in the mousse, gently fold the mousse with a whisk to get rid of them. Do this very gently though!
  • Spoon the mousse into serving glasses, cover with clingfilm then refrigerate for at least 4 hours to set. Alternatively, transfer the mousse into a tub, leave to set then scoop to serve.

Notes

1. Chocolate - I recommend using a 72% dark chocolate for this recipe, as it gives the mousse the richest flavour! I wouldn't recommend using anything less dark, as this could make the mousse too sweet.
2. Eggs - Make sure to weigh the yolks & whites out but the amount equate to 5 yolks & 6 whites. You could save the extra yolk & use it for an egg wash for another recipe. 
3. Cocoa Powder - You'll need Dutch processed cocoa powder for this recipe (not sweetened cocoa!), which is available in most supermarkets.
4. Glasses - I used 190ml glasses for my mousses, which gave me 8 portions. Feel free to use smaller/larger glasses instead though. Make sure to adjust the setting time accordingly.
5. Serving - I served my mousses with vanilla whipped cream, macerated strawberries & shaved chocolate but feel free to serve yours with whatever you like! Some honeycomb or other berries like raspberries & cherries would work well.