I’m a little embarrassed, but also quite happy to say that I make this cake for myself every year on my birthday. So, I will be enjoying this tomorrow! It is also the 1 year birthday of my blog!I have a gigantic guilt free piece, leave it in the fridge with a fork and then visit the kitchen very often for a bit here and there until the whole darn thing is devoured and there are only crumbs left on the cake plate. I’m thoughtful enough to allow my boys to enjoy a piece as well, but for the most part, this cake is MINE! Finally, I’m being kind enough to share my birthday indulgence with all of you as well. Whether you make this on your birthday or not, you’ll feel like you’ve royally treated yourself. Thank you to my dear friend, Terri for introducing me to this amazing recipe! It’s perfection!

Crust:

3 C Chocolate wafer crumbs
9 tbsp salted butter, melted

Mousse Filling:

2 3/4 C semi sweet chocolate
2 lg eggs
4 lg eggs, separated
2 C heavy cream
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Topping:

1  1/2 C heavy cream

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Crust: Grind the chocolate wafers in a food processor. Place them in a small bowl and add the melted butter. Press the crumb mixture into a 10 inch spring foam pan, covering the bottom and sides evenly. Refrigerate the pan.

Mousse Filling: Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Remove it from the heat and transfer the softened chocolate to a large bowl. Add the whole eggs and mix in well, using an electric mixer. Add the yolks and mix together. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix it again. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold the cream and egg whites into the chocolate mixture until it’s completely incorporated. Pour the mixture into prepared crust and chill overnight or freeze for future use.

Topping: Whip the heavy cream with the sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Loosen the crust on all sides using a sharp knife and remove sides from springform pan. Cover cake with topping. Decorate top of cake with some crushed chocolate wafers.

Food Photography by: Rebecca O’Hara