I need a cake!

[Deus Mortus]

This sunday I am starting a new tradition where I am trying to make a real nice (at least 3 course) dinner, I have everything ready except for one thing, dessert!

The meal itself is quite heavy, so I'm going with a nice light dessert, I have really nice fresh strawberry's in the fridge and wanted to use them for it, making a combo with chocolate, vanilla and the strawberry's. I'll be serving half of the berries fresh and the other half in a coolis drizzled over home made vanilla mousse. I have some nice chocolate here and wanted to do a small cake, but I only know rather moist and heavy chocolate cakes.

Does anyone have a nice light cake recipe, or perhaps any other I ideas?

[Lisa Shock]

My go to chocolate cake, as long as it doesn't have to be used in huge multi-tiered construction or carved, is the Chocolate Mayonnaise cake recipe in The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum. It's moist, light, easy to make and inexpensive. It does rely on cocoa for the flavor, so make certain to use a good one.

[djyee100]

Chocolate sponge cake? chocolate chiffon cake?

Chocolate pave cake is another mousse cake. When baked correctly, it's light & melts in your mouth, not dense & fudgy. This blog has an adapted recipe from David Lebovitz's Room for Dessert cookbook. The ingredients are the same, the instructions are....hmmm. Make sure to whip the egg yolks and sugar to form a ribbon. The cake is done when it is set but still a little jiggly in the center, like a souffle. Lebovitz's recipe calls for 8X8X2 square pan, or 9X2 round pan; baking time is 35 mins at 350 degrees. After you remove the cake from the oven, let it cool for about 15 mins before turning out of the pan.

Recipe: http://cafebacaro.blogspot.com/2009/02/tasting-that-couldnt.html

If you're serious about trying this recipe, try to get your hands on Lebovitz's cookbook for the original recipe. The devil is in the details, as they say, and the original recipe has the details.

Or, forget about cake, and make a chocolate mousse, too. Or, forget about doing any more work, and stick chocolate shavings or a nice chocolate piece as garnish on the vanilla mousse.

Your dinner sounds like a great idea. good luck!

[Deus Mortus]

The dinner is this Sunday, so I don't really have time to buy any books, that pave looks great, but when I read it and seeing how I am missing the details in a rather delicate recipe. I figure I might as well try my hand at the chocolate souffle recipe in my Larousse, but I would prefer to find something a bit easier (I have never made a souffle before).

[Deus Mortus]

For some reason the edit button has disappeared, so sorry for the double post.

I have decided on a chocolate soufflé, so I no longer need the help, still thanks for the tips and the links to good cookbooks, that is always appreciated!