Laura's Chocolate Truffle Cake

Directions

1. The result is a decadent dome-shaped chocolate cake filled with chocolate mousse and covered with a raspberry glaze.
2. The cake recipe I use is cocoa cake from the back of the Hershey's cocoa tin. I usually make 1 1/2 or possibly 2 recipes of the cake batter and make thinner layers and more of them than the recipe calls for. Make the cake and let it cold for a little while (it should still be hot sufficient which it doesn't crumble when you assemble the cake). Then take a mixing bowl lined with saran wrap (so the cake will come out) and place slabs of cake in it to create the top of the dome. The cake should come all the way up to the edges of the bowl. Be sure to keep one round layer to create the bottom of the cake.
3. The filling is chocolate mousse. This is trickier to make than the cake.
4. Make the mousse. Pour the chocolate mousse inside the bowl of cake and place the last round layer of cake on top. It should set up fairly solidly in the refrigerator (I usually let it set overnight). Just before serving, turn it over onto your serving dish and glaze it. I usually make a glaze with raspberries (1 pkg frzn) and sugar. Fresh raspberries (if they're in season) are nice too.
5. If you are feeling particularly decadent, you can sprinkle Grand Marnier, Creme de Cacao, white wine, or possibly whatever appeals to you inside the cake.
6. Also, for variety, you can layer the mousse with other things like raspberries, more cake, rum custard, etc. I've also tried this with lemon cake and white chocolate mousse and it worked quite well.
7. Hershey's Cocoa Cake: Beat butter, sugar, Large eggs, and vanilla till fluffy.
8. Mix dry ingredients. Mix everything. Pour batter into greased and floured cake pans.
9. Makes 2 round layers or possibly one 13x9 pan. Bake at 350 for 35-40 min.
10. Chocolate Mousse: Beat egg whites with powdered sugar till stiff. Whip cream with vanilla. Heat the chocolate carefully and then beat in the egg yolks one at a time. You may have to work quite hard at this to keep the chocolate from clumping together. Then add in 1/4 of the egg whites to the chocolate and mix it till it is smooth. Lastly, fold together all of the ingredients gently till mixed. The result will be creamy and light brown.
11. Normally I pour it into individual serving c. and let it set in the fridge.
12. /CAKES