Baked Chocolate Mousse

Just a note here re cracking. You should do this with all cheesecakes and cakes such as this one too. As soon as you take the cake from the oven, run a knife along the edge. You will have far less cracking if you do this! Also, the beating must be done for at least as long as the recipe calls for. You cannot shortcut this step, as it ensures the quality of the cake! Since all ovens don't calibrate the same, keep a close eye on your cake. "Almost set" means exactly that. Jiggle the pan and, if the center jiggles just a little, the cake is done and should be removed immediately. It continues to set as it cools. This goes for cheesecakes too! This is an outstanding recipe if done correctly!

Made this cake for a special dinner with friends who are chocoholics and we all got our chocolate fix! A little disappointed that the top of my cake cracked during baking, but the dollop of whipped cream and fresh raspberry garnish hid all imperfections. Agree with PKcookin that there were a lot of pans involved and extra clean up so it's a recipe I'll save for special occasions. Saving grace was that I made the cake a day ahead and had the peace of mind knowing I could focus on the rest of the meal.

This was delicious and a huge hit at our dinner party. The flavor is really chocolatety and rich. Everyone raved. I put a little dollop of whipped cream in the center on top and added raspberries around the outside to garnish it and cover the crack in the top. On taste, compliments and popularity among the group I would give this 5 stars. But there are some downsides. First, it dirties a lot of bowls and pans. It's baking so I get it but still lots to clean up. It does take some skill for things like using kitchen thermometers and double boilers so it is not for beginners. It was difficult to cut & serve. I think I may have gone too long in the oven (I followed time exactly). So the outside was a little crumbly when cutting. Using a hot wet knife helped considerably. Maybe using individual ramekins would work but it would sacrifice the wow factor you get from the whole version. I will make again as it was a show stopper

Flavor on this recipe is a 10, though it's very hard to serve due to the fact that it's similar in texture to a flourless chocolate cake. As other reviewers posted, I had to whip my eggs longer than the recipe stated to get the texture described. Also, my cake fell as it cooled in the springform pan. However, I think the severity of my cake falling was due to my pan size (which was about 2 inches in diameter larger than the recipe called for). I substituted chambord in lieu of brandy and then topped my dessert with C.L.'s fresh raspberry sauce and big plump raspberries to serve. Everyone raved about this dessert (very dark and rich chocolate flavor) and the only negative I had was that the dessert was hard to serve so next time (and there will be a next time!), I'm going to dish / bake into individual custard cups for ease of serving. Looking forward to making again soon - enjoy!

Great dessert. I had to whip the egg mixture a little longer before it got to the 115 degrees, and a little longer before it became soft, ribbony peaks. Also, I cooked a few minutes less because I used a 9 inch springform pan. It only needed about 21-22 minutes. I will make this again!!

Rich, dense and nice combination of textures. I strongly prefer using real whipped cream and compensating for the fat in other areas of the menu. This is a slightly softer, wetter version of the flourless cakes than I am used to, but it's still a good, solid recipe. I have to assume sage-whatever has limited experience with baking this genre, as baking time, etc are absolutely characteristic of the type. It is imperative to follow the directions and allow the full time needed for beating, or you're asking for a failure.

It is obvious that sagetragitto needs to get off this site and on to another to experience such negativity and lack of helpful reviews. What do you mean it 'was not baked'? You didn't even make this recipe, so how could you write a review?

I made this for Thanksgiving. It got a little over-baked and turned out rather crumbly as a result, but the people who tried it still raved over the flavor and richness. It was even still good enough to serve without topping, and I actually forgot to set it out at first. I did opt for the whipped cream in place of the fake stuff (adding ~2T granulated honey), and used all bittersweet chocolate as I didn't have unsweetened on-hand. I also used unprocessed cocoa, and a teaspoon of coffee liqueur in place of the espresso granules. This was my first flourless "cake", and although it fell and cracked in the middle it was still worthwhile and I would make it again.

While we enjoyed this, I will not be making it again. We prefer the Molten Lava Cakes (Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2003). http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-decadence-10000000554681/

This was delicious. Very chocolate-y, not too sweet, relatively easy to make. I rarely give 5 stars so this is a great review for me. It would appear that sagetragitto didn't read the recipe all of the way through or actually make this dish prior to writing their review, which is unfortunate. As a long time CL reader, whipped topping is suggested to keep the calories down. If one doesn't like artificial or simply prefers real whipped cream, then use it!

Wow! This was quite delicious! Baked it about five minutes longer than specified, but it is a rich, chocolately, fudgy delight!

I made this last night and my family loved it. The comment about this recipe not being baked is untrue. It is baked for 27 minutes. Whipped topping or real whipped cream is the option and I used the whipped topping to keep the calories and fat down. I will make this again.

This is my LAST recipe from cooking light that I will ever look at. #1: This recipe is NOT BAKED!! #2: I am so SICK of cooking light using FAKE FOOD!! WHY do you have to use "whipped topping" in ANY recipe? Just USE REAL FOOD!!!!!