Twix Mousse Cake
This delicious Twix-inspired cake is made with layers of chocolate cake, caramel sauce, shortbread cookie, and a creamy chocolate mousse topped with a layer of milk chocolate. A showstopper dessert!
Equipment
- 8x8" rectangle pastry frame or 8" springform pan read notes for making it Tiramisu-style in a dish
- Electric Whisk
- Hand whisk
- silicon spatula
- Offset spatula
- Regular or Stick Blender
- Saucepans
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 125 ml full-fat milk + 1 tbsp vinger or buttermilk
- 38 grams cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp coffee powder
- 120 grams all-purpose flour
- 100 grams white sugar
- 100 grams brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 th tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 60 ml neutral oil
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 125 ml boiling water
Salted Caramel Sauce
- 25 ml water
- 100 grams white granulated sugar
- 90 ml liquid whipping cream
- 25 grams unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Shortbread Cookie
- 112 grams unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 tsp vanilla essence optional
- 45 grams icing sugar
- 1/4 th tsp salt
- 120 grams all-purpose flour
Milk Chocolate Mousse
- 5 grams gelatin powder read notes for substitution
- 25 ml ice-cold water for blooming gelatin
- 70 ml liquid whipping cream/heavy cream for boiling
- 70 ml full-fat milk
- 200 grams milk or semi-sweet chocolate
- 225 ml whipping cream for whipping
- 200 grams milk chocolate for topping
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and prepare the cake pan (use the same pan you will use for setting the mousse cake) with butter and flour to ensure the cake does not stick while baking and comes out easily.
- Make the buttermilk: Add vinegar to the milk and let it sit for 10 minutes.125 ml full-fat milk + 1 tbsp vinger
- Combine flour, white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt using a hand whisk.120 grams all-purpose flour, 100 grams white sugar, 100 grams brown sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, 3/4 th tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt
- Add the buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla essence in the same bowl, and mix on medium speed using an electric or stand mixer until everything is well combined. You will have a thick batter at this point.1 egg, 60 ml neutral oil, 1 tsp vanilla essence
- Mix the cocoa powder and coffee in hot water until fully combined. With the mixer on low, pour the mixture into the batter and keep mixing until the water is well incorporated. Pour the batter into the cake pans and bake for 20-30 mins or until a test toothpick comes out clean from the center.38 grams cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp coffee powder, 125 ml boiling water
- Once the cake has cooled down, remove it from the pan and wrap it in plastic until ready to use.
Salted Caramel Sauce
- Add the sugar and water in a saucepan. Do not use a spoon to mix as it may lead to crystallization. Instead, swirl the pan around and make sure all the sugar is covered with water.25 ml water, 100 grams white granulated sugar
- Cook the caramel on medium heat, swirling every few minutes (no mixing), until it reaches a deep amber color. Use a wet pastry brush to brush off any crystals that form on the side of the pan.
- Once the caramel turns amber, add the warm cream and whisk until combined. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the butter, whisk and cook again for 1-2 minutes.90 ml liquid whipping cream, 25 grams unsalted butter
- Remove from heat, add the salt, and let the caramel cool down slightly. Then blend the caramel sauce with a stick or regular blending to better emulsify the butter with the sugar and create a smoother and shinier sauce. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.1/2 tsp sea salt
Shortbread Cookie
- Whip the softened butter on high-speed in a bowl with an electric or stand mixer for 3-4 minutes until it's pale and creamy. Add vanilla with the butter if using.112 grams unsalted butter, 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
- With the mixer on low, add the icing sugar gradually and whisk until fully combined.45 grams icing sugar
- Sift the flour and salt into the batter and mix on low speed until it fully combines and forms a thick dough. Make sure not to over mix at this step.1/4 th tsp salt, 120 grams all-purpose flour
- Transfer the dough to the baking sheet lined with parchment paper and form a 1/2-inch thick layer of dough (the biscuits will rise while baking). Let the dough chill for 30 mins. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 150-degree celsius.
- Once chilled, bake the cookies for 20-30 mins, until the sides are golden brown. Wrap the prepared cookie layer in plastic until ready to use.
Milk Chocolate Mousse
- Bloom the gelatin: pour ice-cold water in a bowl and sprinkle the gelatin powder over it. Immediately mix the water until the gelatin water is dissolved, then let it set in the fridge for 15 minutes.5 grams gelatin powder, 25 ml ice-cold water
- Add the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Add the milk and whipping cream to a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Once it’s hot, pour the milk mixture on the chocolate, let it sit for a minute until the chocolate melts, then whisk together until the chocolate is properly incorporated into the milk mixture.70 ml liquid whipping cream/heavy cream, 70 ml full-fat milk, 200 grams milk or semi-sweet chocolate
- While the mixture is still hot, add the bloomed gelatin and whisk until the gelatin is fully melted and incorporated into the milk mixture. Make sure your mixture is still hot, or the gelatin will not melt properly. Set it aside until it cools down to room temperature.
- In a separate bowl, add the remaining liquid whipping cream and whip it with a hand or electric mixer until it reaches medium peaks.225 ml whipping cream
- Once the milk mixture has reached room temperature, gradually pour it into the whipped cream while folding the mixture gently with a silicon spatula. Do this gently so that the mixture remains light and fluffy.
- Assembly: In your dish, frame, or pan of choice, place the chocolate cake layer at the bottom, spread a thin layer of the salted caramel sauce and top it with the shortbread cookie later. Spread another layer of the caramel on top, followed by a thick layer of the mousse. Let the dessert chill in the fridge for 6-8 hours or overnight.
- Once the mousse is completely set, un-mould it from the pan (if not serving Tiramisu-style from a. dish). Use a blow torch to gently provide heat to the sides of the pan, this allows the mousse to release from the pan easily, but make sure not to add too much heat or it will melt.
- Pour melted milk chocolate on top and spread it across with an offset spatula, making sure all corners are covered. The chocolate layer should be thin for easy cutting. Once the chocolate is set halfway, use the offset spatula to make the classic Twix ridges on top (optional). Let the chocolate shell set completely before cutting the cake.200 grams milk chocolate
Notes
Storage:
This cake can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Make Ahead:
A few components like the shortbread cookie and the caramel sauce can be made a day before the assembly. I recommend making the cake on the day of the assembly to retain its freshness.
Note About Baking Pan:
have used an 8x8" pastry frame to make this mousse cake, but it is easily adaptable to be made in other dishes. A springform pan would work great for this cake as you can easily remove it from the pan once it's set. However, if you do not have a springform pan, you can also make and serve it Tiramisu-style in a square or rectangle glass dish. If using this method, you will not un-mould the cake from the pan, instead you will serve it directly from the dish you set it in. It may not look as nice, but it will still taste delicious.
Whichever pan you choose to use, make sure you bake your cake and shortbread layer in the same pan to make the layering process easy.
Note on Gelatin:
I use gelatin in my mousse recipe as it results in a stable structure that's needed for layered desserts. However, I know that many people may not be comfortable with using gelatin due to Halal or vegetarian issues. I personally use Halal gelatin as it's easy to find in stores around me. If you live in the west, you will likely find it in South Asian or Middle Eastern stores.
If you can't find Halal gelatin or don't want to use animal products, you can skip the gelatin in the mousse. However, please know that the mousse will not be able to hold its shape as well as it would with gelatin and it will soften easily once it's out of the fridge. If you are not using gelatin, I recommend making this cake Tiramisu style so that you don't have to un-mould it from any pan (which will be harder to do with a softer mousse).