5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Dark Chocolate Mousse

As sublime and velvety smooth that a chocolate mousse is, especially when made with dark chocolate, there are certain steps to it, which, if not followed to the T, can lead to some goof ups that might be difficult to fix. A dark chocolate mousse is already a crowd favorite, added to the mix of other ingredients like toppings, say the likes of dark chocolate mousse with Oreo crumble & cashew topping, things might just get a tad complicated for you.

Overheating the Chocolate

This is where the trouble begins, chocolate needs a much lower temperature to melt and retain its smoothness. Overheating the chocolate can make it bubble and ruin the texture, likely leading to a grainy or clumpy texture that is difficult to work with when you need an ultra-smooth and glossy mousse. The fat in the chocolate, from the cocoa solids, also tends to become unstable thereby separating out and also making the chocolate taste a tad strange. This won’t ultimately bode well to make for a good mousse. To avoid this, use low heat and either go for a double boiler or microwave method to melt the chocolate, making sure to stir in between, making sure the chocolate does not bubble.

Incorrectly Whipping the Cream

Follow the instructions as they are mentioned, making sure that you don’t whip the cream too much. The cream will turn stiff and start to separate into butter and will be unusable for the mousse. Whipping too less on the other hand, yields a mousse that’s too runny and doesn’t hold its shape. To avoid both extremes, whip the cream until soft peaks form, when the whisk is lifted from the cream bowl. Make sure the mixing bowl you use is metal and the whisk is chilled, 30 minutes prior to the whipping, adding the whipped cream.

Incorporating the Chocolate too Quickly

If you add the hot melted chocolate directly to the whipped cream or other components, it can cause the cream to deflate. Similarly, adding the cream into the chocolate all at once can cause a mess that is difficult to mix and will make for a lumpy mess, rather than a smooth, airy mousse. To avoid this, start by adding a small amount of whipped cream (or egg mixture) to the melted chocolate and gently mix, then fold the rest of the chocolate mixture into the rest of the whipped cream.

The Wrong Chocolate:Cream Ratio

Too much chocolate will make the mousse too dense, while too little will yield a mousse that does not have much depth of flavor and isn’t as smooth. Most recipes give you a good idea of the ratio of 2:1 of heavy cream to the dark chocolate, which can be adjusted to suit tastes. For a richer mousse, you can increase the chocolate amount a bit to make the mousse more chocolatey. Don’t overdo it otherwise the mousse will turn out too stiff and heavy. For the chocolate and whipped cream, it is also essential to fold with a spatula and not stir, to keep the air beaten in, from escaping. Follow the recipe closely as to how many folds and in which way the recipe asks you to fold the ingredients.

Not Cooling the Chocolate Fully

After melting the chocolate, it is imperative that you let the chocolate cool well before folding it into the airy whipped cream, otherwise it can cause the cream to deflate. In case you do end up using hot, melted chocolate, and in the end, the mixture isn’t cool enough when it sets in the fridge, the mousse might end up too runny and fail to hold its shape. It might still be edible, but it won’t look or feel great. Make sure to let the chocolate cool for 5-10 minutes at room temperature, after which test to check if it is just a little warm to the touch, then use it with the whipped cream. This will make sure the whipped cream doesn’t deflate. Also, once it's ready, let the dark chocolate mousse chill for at least 2-3 hours or more, the more you chill the better results you will get – a firm and supple dark chocolate mousse.