Chocolate Cake Comparison

Sandy's Chocolate Cake
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sandys-Chocolate-Cake/Detail.aspx

Ingredients
3 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups sour cream
1 1/3 cups boiling water
FROSTING:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
3 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
5 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
In a mixing bowl, cream brown sugar and butter. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Blend in vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add alternately with sour cream to creamed mixture. Mix on low just until combined. Stir in water until blended. Pour into three greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. For frosting, in a medium saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Cool several minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, sour cream and vanilla. Add chocolate mixture and beat until smooth. Frost cooled cake.

Canadian Living


Ingredients
1/2 cup butter , softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla (5 mL)
1-1/4 cups sifted cake and pastry flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder (50 mL)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup buttermilk (150 mL)

Chocolate Mousse:
1 pkg (7 g) gelatin
2/3 cup milk (150 mL) milk
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar(50 mL)
1 Pinch salt
(113 g) bittersweet chocolate, melted
2 oz milk chocolate , melted
2 tbsp dark rum , (optional)
1 tsp vanilla (5 mL)
2 cups whipping cream (500 mL)
Chocolate Ganache:
6 oz bittersweet chocolate , chopped 6 6oz (170 g)
2/3 cup whipping cream (150 mL)

Preparation:
Grease 9-inch (2.5 L) springform pan; line bottom with parchment or waxed paper. Set aside.

In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy; beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in vanilla. In separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir into butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of buttermilk. Scrape into prepared pan; smooth top.

Bake in centre of 350°F (180°C) oven until cake tester comes out clean, 30 minutes. Let cool on rack for 20 minutes. Remove side of pan; let cool. (Make-ahead: Cover and set aside for up to 24 hours.)

Chocolate Mousse: Meanwhile, in small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 2 tbsp (25 mL) water; set aside. In small saucepan, heat milk over medium-high heat just until tiny bubbles form around edge. In heatproof bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar and salt ; slowly whisk in milk. Place bowl over saucepan of simmering water; cook, stirring, until custard is 160°F (70°C) and thick enough to coat back of spoon, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in gelatin mixture until melted. Whisk in bittersweet and milk chocolates, rum (if using) and vanilla. Refrigerate, stirring twice, until cold and mixture can mound on spoon, about 15 minutes.

In separate bowl, whip cream; whisk one-quarter into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining cream.

Line side of 10-inch (3 L) springform pan with parchment paper to extend 1 inch (2.5 cm) above rim. Cut cake horizontally in half. Place 1 layer in prepared pan. Pour in half of the mousse, letting mousse extend over side of cake. Top with remaining layer. Pour in remaining mousse to cover top and side of cake; smooth top. Refrigerate until set, 2 hours.

Chocolate Ganache: Place chocolate in bowl. In small saucepan, bring cream to boil; pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Let cool for 30 minutes. Pour over mousse; smooth with palette knife. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)

Jane's Sweets
Chocolate Mousse CakeChocolate Mousse Cake
Source:

Because the fluffy mousse needs to chill for about four hours before it can be used, feel free to prepare it first, before you bake the cake.

To make the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 9" round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment cut to fit. Grease the parchment, then flour the bottom and sides of each pan, tapping out the excess flour.

2 cups All-Purpose flour (I used unbleached)
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder (I used natural cocoa)
1 and 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 and 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup milk (I used 2 percent)
1 cup strong brewed coffee
3/4 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
2 eggs, large

In the large bowl of your mixer, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. All at once, add in the milk, coffee, oil, and eggs. Beat this mixture at medium speed just until smooth. The batter will be very thin. Pour it evenly into the three prepared pans. Bake the cakes for about 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when very lightly touched. Cool the cakes in their pans, on racks, for 10 to 15 minutes. Carefully invert the cakes to remove them from their pans, then invert them again so they can finish cooling on racks right side up.

To make the mousse:

Makes approximately 4 and 1/2 cups (which is a lot--you'll have some leftover!)

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
3 Tbsp. cold water
1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (use natural, or Dutch process, or a combo; I did the latter)
3 cups heavy cream

In a little bowl, soften the gelatin in the cold water, letting it stand undisturbed for two minutes. Add in the boiling water, and stir it slowly until the gelatin completely dissolves and no lumps are apparent. Set this aside.

In another small bowl, combine the sugar and the cocoa well, with a fork or whisk.
In a medium size mixer bowl, on medium speed, beat the heavy cream until it's quite foamy. Into this, gradually pour the sugar mixture and beat until it holds stiff peaks.

Then, stir in the dissolved gelatin by hand, folding it in evenly (if you don't distribute the gelatin evenly through careful stirring and folding, the mousse will be thicker and firmer in some spots, and too soft in others). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for at least four hours.

To make the chocolate icing:

Makes approximately 3 cups (I had about 1/2 a cup of this leftover)

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup heavy cream
5 (1 oz. each) squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup and 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (doesn't have to be softened)
1 cup confectioner's sugar

Combine the granulated sugar and the cream in a medium size heavy-bottomed saucepan. Carefully bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, then keep it on a low simmer for 6 minutes. Stir it often and watch it closely so it doesn't come to a full boil again. Taking the pan off the heat, add in the butter and chocolate, stirring until it's all completely melted and the mixture is perfectly smooth; let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Using a whisk, incorporate all of the confectioner's sugar. Let the icing cool until it reaches a spreadable consistency.

To prepare the grated chocolate, and chocolate curls, for the outside of the cake:

You'll want to have at least 3/4 of a cup of grated chocolate available to cover the cake. If you can find chocolate that comes in big chunks, that is the easiest form in which to hold it for grating. I use Callebaut, a very good brand, which can be purchased in pieces by the pound. I use a combo of dark bittersweet chocolate and milk chocolate, which works well because the milk chocolate is softer and sweeter, while the dark chocolate is a bit drier and moderates the sweetness. Have the grated chocolate in a bowl close at hand before you are ready to coat the sides of the cake. Place a baking sheet with shallow sides on your work surface right near the bowl.

Using a vegetable peeler, peel some larger curls from the chocolate chunks and set them aside on a plate (or put them in the fridge if they're quite soft; they're always extremely fragile and often break when touched). It seems easier to make nice curls from milk chocolate since it tends to be softer and more flexible.

To assemble the cake:

Using a cardboard cake-round (if at all possible, or something that can function in the same capacity), place the first cake layer on it. Using an offset spatula, ice the top of the layer thickly with the chilled mouse. Place the second layer atop this, and cover it as well with a thick layer of the mousse. Place the third and final cake layer on top. If at this point the mousse seems very soft, put the whole cake into the fridge for about half an hour, or into the freezer for 15 minutes.

Using an offset spatula, spread the chocolate icing on the top and sides of the cake. It should be spread on fairly evenly, but it's not critical that you try to make it incredibly smooth, since it will be covered with grated chocolate, and you can gently pat down any uneven areas. While the icing is still quite soft, pick up the iced cake from beneath the cake-board (slide a thin metal spatula beneath it to help you lift it onto your hand). Holding the cake carefully on your non-dominant hand, sprinkle the sides of the cake with the grated chocolate, patting it on gently. Do this while holding the cake above the baking sheet so it can catch the falling chocolate crumbs and you can scoop them up again. Turn the cake as needed until the whole thing is completely covered. Carefully slide/sprinkle the chocolate curls onto the top of the cake. Place your cake on its serving dish. Keep the cake in the refrigerator until shortly before you'll cut it. Because the filling and the icing are rich with dairy products, you should store any leftover cake in the fridge as well.