Decadent Desert: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse

DARK CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER MOUSSE
Red Star Tavern – Portland, OR
Courtesy of Pastry Chef: Stacey Needham
Makes 24 cakes

For the Devil’s Food Cake:

Ingredients:

• 2 ¾ c. flour
• ½ c. cocoa
• 1 ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 ½ tsp. baking soda
• 2 ¼ tsp. baking powder
• 1 c. shortening
• 2 c. sugar
• 1 ¾ c. skim milk
• 4 large eggs

Directions:

1. Combine dry ingredients and shortening in bowl of mixer.
2. Stir in sugar.
3. Slowly add milk and then eggs, continually scraping down the bowl.
4. Pour into half sheet pan and bake at 325 for 30 minutes.
5. Allow to cool.

For the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse:

Ingredients:

• ½ c. sugar
• ½ c. water
• 3 eggs
• ¾ c. peanut butter
• 1 pound, 2 oz. dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 2 c. heavy cream, warmed
• 2 c. heavy cream, chilled

Directions: 

1. Cook sugar and water in pan, and slowly pour mixture over eggs in a mixer. Whip until light, then cool.
2. In a separate saucepan, melt peanut butter and chocolate over double boiler. Add in warmed heavy cream and stir to combine.
3. Fold into eggs mixture.
4. Whip remaining 2 cups of chilled heavy cream and fold into mixture.
5. Pipe into molds (square or domed). Once set, layer with the cake to create four layers total. Invert to serve.

For the Peanut Toffee:

Ingredients:

• 1 c. butter
• 1 ½ c. sugar
• 3 tbsp. water
• 3 tbsp. corn syrup
• 1 c. toasted peanut

Directions:

1. Melt butter in pan.
2. Add sugar, water and corn syrup.
3. Cook until light brown color and add peanuts.
4. Pour immediately onto silicon pad or wax paper to cool.
5. Break into pieces.
6. Sprinkle over the top of the completed cakes.