“Remember remember the 5th of November”…. My eldest son turned 20 this year. We don’t celebrate birthdays; I cook something special and bake a cake over the weekend and this is it.
Peanut butter and chocolate is his favourite combo and I have been baking his birthday cake using these flavours for the past three years now. I even had a gorgeous chocolate cake with silky smoothy peanut butter frosting bookmarked for like months but a couple of days before his birthday I realised …. I have 2 gluten free family members. With a little googling I found a gluten free brownie which I baked as cake base and this is the only baking required for this cake. Then a layer of rich and smooth no bake peanut butter mousse, similar layer of mousse using chocolate and finishing with a thin layer of chocolate frosting.
It is time consuming as it requires each layer to set before the next one but it is fairly easy and doable.
There is enough sweetness in peanut butter chips and chocolate chips therefore I didn’t add too much of icing sugar but you can make it as sweet as you like.
ingredients:
for brownie
6 tbsp butter
3/4 cup caster sugar
8 oz semi sweet chocolate, chopped (or use chocolate chips)
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp corn flour, sifted
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped (optional)
for peanut butter mousse
1 1/4 tsp gelatin dissolved in 2 tbsp water
2 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 1/4 cups peanut butter chips
1/3 cup icing sugar
for chocolate mousse
1 1/4 tsp gelatin dissolved in 2 tbsp water
2 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 1/4 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup icing sugar
for chocolate frosting
1 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 1/2 cup icing sugar
method:
for brownie
Preheat oven at 180 C / 350 F. Line a 9 inch or 10 inch springform pan with aluminum foil, lightly grease the foil with oil or melted butter. In a small sauce pan melt butter over low heat. Add sugar and mix well till well incorporated. Add grated chocolate and mix well till smooth. remove from flame and let cool slightly. Add eggs, one by one and then vanilla. Add cornflour and and cocoa powder. Using electric beaters, beat the batter of a minute or two till the batter appears shiny. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 25 – 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan completely. Remove from the pan, peel the foil off, grease the bottom of springform pan lightly and place the brownie back in the pan. Spread walnuts if using.
for peanut butter mousse
In a small microwave safe bowl heat 3/4 cup of whipping cream for around 30-45 seconds or until full boil. Add the dissolved gelatin to hot cream and stir well. Add peanut butter chips, stir a little and leave till peanut butter chips soften. Mix well to combine. Beat the remaining whipping cream with electric beaters till soft peaks form. Add icing sugar and beat well. Fold in melted peanut butter mixture. Spoon this mixture over brownie base. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours till completely set.
for chocolate mousse
When the peanut butter mousse is all set, make the chocolate mousse. Follow the above mentioned method; this time using chocolate chips instead of peanut butter chips. Refrigerate for another 2-3 years or overnight.
for the chocolate icing
Beat whipping cream till soft peaks form. Add sifted cocoa powder and icing sugar and beat well. Spread over the set mousse cake.
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