Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Cake

Every time I go to post about a cake I've made, I always think "I really should make cakes more often!" Yet I seem to make them fairly infrequently. Maybe I should set up some sort of challenge for myself like one new cake a month or something, hmm. I made this chocolate peanut butter mousse cake when we had some people over for dinner and we really liked it. Chocolate wafer crust, topped with a layer of peanut butter mousse, which is topped with a layer of chocolate mousse, which is then topped with bittersweet chocolate glaze. I was scared the mousse layers might deflate but they seemed to hold their own. I wish I'd taken a photo of a slice of the cake because it cuts very nicely, but at that point I just wanted to eat it! The cake is really rich so a thin slice is enough. Though if you have leftovers in your fridge, a thin slice might turn into many thin slices.

The only caution I have with this cake is that the bittersweet chocolate glaze has you add vanilla extract to the chocolate/cream mixture, and once I added the vanilla it made the chocolate kind of lumpy. It tasted fine and set up okay, but I wouldn't add it next time.

If this sounds good, you might also like:
Rich Chocolate Cheesecake
Chocolate Volcanoes
Chocolate Mousse Layer Cake
Chocolate Pots de Creme

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Cake
Adapted from The Cake Book

Makes on 9 inch cake, serving 10

Chocolate Wafer Crust
1 1/2 cups (180 g) Nabisco Famous chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Peanut Butter Mousse
5 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups (144 g) confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups heavy cream

Chocolate Mousse
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3.5 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup whole milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (I added this but wouldn't next time)

Make the crust
1. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9x3 inch springform pan. In a medium bowl, stir together the cookie crumbs with the melted butter until combined. Pat the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan in an even layer. Refrigerate the crust while you make the peanut butter mousse.

Make the peanut butter mousse
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter at medium-low speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until well blended. Add the peanut butter and salt and mix until blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and set aside.

3. In a clean mixer bowl, using the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream at high speed until soft peaks form. Gently fold 1 cup of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until almost blended. Fold in another 1 1/2 cups of the whipped cream until completely blended.

4. Scrape the mousse into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. Refrigerate while you make the chocolate mousse. Cover the remaining whipped cream and refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the chocolate mousse:
5. Place the chocolates in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely ground. (Leave the chocolate in the food processor.)

6. In a small saucepan, combine the milk and sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently until the sugar dissolves. With the food processor running, pour the hot milk through the feed tube, and process until the chocolate is completely melted. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the vanilla extract, and process until blended. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl.

7. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold one-third of the reserved whipped cream into the mousse. Fold in the remaining cream until completely blended. Scrape the mousse onto the peanut butter mousse layer. Loosely cover the cake and freeze for at least 1 hour, until firm.

Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze
8. Place the chocolate in the bowl of a food processor and process just until finely ground. (Leave the chocolate in the food processor.)

9. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate to the pan. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the glaze is smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract. Transfer the glaze to a small bowl. Let cool for about 10 minutes before using.

Glaze the cake
10. Run a sharp thin-bladed knife under hot water and wipe dry, then run the knife between the cake and the side of the pan to release the cake; reheat the knife as necessary. Remove the side of the pan. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake, trying not to let it drip down the sides, and, using a small metal spatula, spread the glaze evenly over the top of the cake.

11. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour before serving.

12. To serve, slice the cake with a hot knife, wiping it clean between each cut.

Store in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for up to 3 days.