How to make
For the preparation of the holiday cake I used Prosecco - it is not expensive and it does a great job. In all likelihood, you will have some leftover, but it is so light and pleasant that it is not a problem to treat yourself to a glass of cold sparkling wine.
You will also need: a cake tin with a removable bottom - 8″ (20 cm) and ring for tightening the cake and acetate paper with a height of about 8 cm. Regarding the acetate paper, not everyone has it, although it is easy to buy - it is available in every confectionery store. Baking paper can also be used, but it is a matter of choice and whether you're able to afford it, but I am obliged to share it. It is good to use a scale to accurately measure the products.
The recipe for this chocolate cake is one of the best chocolate desserts combined with dark and milk chocolate in the company of a champagne mousse. The cake is elegant, delicate, moist and with a fine taste.
Cake layer
You need a greased ring form and the walls also need to be greased with a piece of butter and covered at the bottom with baking paper.
Using a wire whisk, but I used a mixer on very low speed, beat the egg and sugar in a bowl. It is not necessary for the mixture to fall like a ribbon. The oil and sparkling wine, according to the recipe, are included. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, cocoa over the bowl and mix everything well until the products are completely absorbed. The mixture is poured into the form.
Bake it in a preheated oven at 360°F (180 degrees) with a fan for 10/12 minutes or until it is fully baked. Time it with a clock. Take it out and allow it to cool completely.
Chocolate mousse
In a bowl pour both types of couverture, dark and milk and 2/3 cup (160 ml) of cream. Place them in a water bath to melt, while stirring them.
Pour the gelatin and water into a metal bowl and leave it to swell for about 10/15 minutes. It is then placed in a water bath to melt completely. Add it to the chocolate mixture while stirring. The mixture is completely smooth and shiny. It is then set aside.
The remaining 8 fl oz (240 ml) of cold cream is beaten with a mixer until a smooth mixture is obtained. Add the cooled chocolate mixture in a trickle and beat it with a mixer. The mixture turns out heavy, but not too much.
Pour 1 tbsp. of the mixture on the cake base, so the cake will be static and will not run away. Place the chocolate cake on top. A ring for a cake is placed around it and it is completely tightened, around the circumference of the cake layer, that is 8″ (20 cm).
Acetate paper is placed between the walls of the metal ring and the cake layer. Where the two ends of the acetate paper meet, it can be clamped or stapled. Pour the chocolate mousse on the cake layer, smooth it out with a spatula. Now is the time to sprinkle it with small multicolored, white and black pearls, but they are optional and choice of them as well. I did not sprinkle any because I did not find such small suitable pearls. In the absence of such, this will not affect the taste of the cake, they are only for decoration. The prepared cake is left in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or until the champagne mousse is prepared.
Champagne mousse
Dip the gelatin in cold water and leave it to swell up for 10/15 minutes.
In a bowl with a mixer, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar. Add the sparkling wine and stir with a wire whisk until it is absorbed. The mixture is liquid, but this is not a concern.
Melt the gelatin in a water bath and add it to the champagne mousse and mix with a spatula.
The next 8 fl oz (240 ml) of cold cream is whipped well. Add the liquid mixture of champagne and cream cheese and beat them with a mixer until they're are completely homogeneous. A smooth, fine, light cream is obtained.
The well-chilled cake is taken out and poured over with the cream/champagne mousse and it is leveled out.
Cover it with fresh foil and refrigerate it overnight.
So far, the cake is ready, leaving only the decoration of the stars of white chocolate. They are an important element and give a face to the cake.
White chocolate stars
Melt 70 g of white couverture in a water bath. Remove it from the heat and add the remaining 1 oz (30 g) of finely chopped white couverture. This way the mixture is well tempered. If you think that there are small pieces of unmelted chocolate left, put it again briefly in a water bath and when stirring with a spatula, they will melt completely.
The finished mixture is poured onto double baking paper and spread with a metal spatula in a thin layer. Leave it in a cold place for only 10 minutes, take it out of the fridge and with a cookie cutter, in this case stars, cut out star figures, some bigger, some smaller, but the size is optional. Place them back into the refrigerator until they have completely set.
After the cake has sat in the refrigerator for 1 night, it is released from the ring and the acetate paper.
It is decorated only on one side with the stars, by sticking them in the mousse cake and if they are different in size they are placed in a checkerboard pattern.
Sprinkle the cake with gold powder.
The chocolate cake with champagne mousse is completely ready.
