Chocolate Mousse Cake

Asked by Jerry118. Answered on 6th March 2013

Full question

I would like to cook Nigella's Chocolate Mousse Cake but how do I get the base of tinfoil off? The instructions only cover the sides. The cake doesn't look as if it should be inverted twice, nor does scraping the foil off every slice as you serve it. So how is the trick done?

Our answer

The Chocolate Mousse Cake from Domestic Goddess is a flourless chocolate cake that is cooked in a water bath. This is a very gentle form of cooking that leaves the inside of the cake with a damp and moussey texture. The main reason for lining the tin with foil is to protect the cake from any water that may try to seep into the springform pan.

The recipe does mention that you should not try to prise the cake away from its foil base. The actual structure of the cake is quite delicate so it is easiest to tear the foil from the sides of the cake and then slide the cake, on its foil base, onto a serving plate. Usually you can then slip a thin-bladed knife, such as a palette knife, or a thin spatula under each slice of cake as you serve it, to release it from the foil.

You could also line the base of the tin with a piece of baking parchment (parchment paper) once you have lined it with foil. Then the cake can be slid on a parchment base onto a plate and most people find cakes release more easily from parchment.

As an additional precaution against water leaking into the springform pan, you may also like to wrap the outside of the pan with a double layer of clingfilm, with the clingfilm coming about halfway up the sides of the pan.