Baileys Chocolate Mousse Brownie Cake

posted by Lindsay
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This Baileys Chocolate Mousse Brownie Cake is our chocolate and Baileys cake dreams
come true! With a dense, delicious brownie on the bottom and smooth Baileys chocolate
mousse on top, you won’t be able to stop eating it!
So I’m totally loving the new series at our church. This week was the second message of the
series (called What Happy Couples Know) and it was perfectly on target in so many ways. We
all bring certain hopes and dreams into marriage – how could we not? – that turn into
expectations. Those expectations change the nature of the relationship and not necessarily for
the better. How to overcome that is the trick. He talks about how happy couples do that and
WHY they do what they do.

A lot of what he’s talking about is stuff that the hubs and I experienced and worked through at
one point years ago. It was a challenge to let go of certain expectations and put the other
person before yourself. And as he mentions, it’s scary! But my gosh it was one of the most
rewarding things I’ve ever done. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but the change I look
back on now was massive – both for me in my faith and for my relationship with my husband.
If you ever want to get married or are already married, it is SUCH a great message! I can’t
wait to see where he takes the rest of it.

And of course since you can watch it online, you could even enjoy a slice of this cake while
watching. 😉 Score!
Speaking of this cake – oh my gosh! It’s no secret that I’m a fan of the combo of chocolate
and Baileys. Between this layer cake, these mini cheesecakes, these trifles, brownies and
more, it’s hard to decide a favorite. But there’s no doubt that this combination of brownie and
mousse in a cake is pure Baileys and chocolate heaven!

The brownie bottom is one of my favorite brownies. SUPER easy to put together – just
mixing of the ingredients! I don’t even bother with a mixer. Pour it right into a 9×13 inch pan,
bake and let it cool.

The mousse isn’t quite as simple, but it really isn’t hard. It’s a more traditional cooked
mousse, rather than an easy no-cook one. The smooth and silky texture of a cooked mousse is
the best!

MY OTHER RECIPES

To start, you’ll combine the egg yolks, sugar and Baileys in the top of a double boiler (or in a
metal bowl over a pot of boil water, which is what I do). The main goal here is to slowly and
gently cook the eggs without scrambling them. You want them to reach 160°F so they are safe
to eat. I like to use an instant read thermometer to test the temperature of the mixture, but you
could also try eyeballing it and looking for things to thicken and grow in volume.

Once the egg mixture is ready, it’s combined with the melted chocolate chips, cooled to room
temperature, then gently combined with whipped cream. Once made, spread it evenly over the
cooled brownie and refrigerate until firm. The waiting is the worst!

Fortunately, after the worst part of waiting comes the best part – eating!! So, so good! The
smooth, silky mousse with the dense, chewy brownie is to die for. When you consider that it’s
also Baileys and chocolate, it’s maybe my new favorite dessert ever!
Baileys Chocolate Mousse Brownie Cake
Yield: 12-15 slices

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

Brownie Layer

1 1/2 cups (336g) unsalted butter, melted

2 cups (414g) sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 tbsp Baileys Irish Cream
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup (195g) all purpose flour
3/4 cup (85g) natural unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Baileys Chocolate Mousse

6 large egg yolks

6 tbsp (78g) sugar
3/4 cup Baileys Irish Cream
1 3/4 cups (296g) semi sweet chocolate chips
1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
1 cup (115g) powdered sugar

Baileys Whipped Cream

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, cold

1/4 cup (29g) powdered sugar
1 tbsp Baileys Irish Cream

Chocolate bar, for shavings

Mini chocolate chips, optional

Directions:

1. To make the brownie, preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
2. Combine the butter, sugar, vanilla extract and Baileys in a medium sized bowl. Add eggs
and mix until well combined.
3. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in another medium sized bowl, then slowly
add dry ingredients to the egg mixture until well combined.
4. Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake for 22-26 minutes, or until a toothpick
comes out with a few moist crumbs.
5. While the brownie cools, make the chocolate mousse. Combine the egg yolks, sugar and
Baileys in the top of a double boiler until combined. If you don’t have a double boiler, you
can use a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Cook the mixture, whisking constantly and
occasionally lifting the bowl to release the steam so it doesn’t get too hot. The mixture will
thin out at first, then begin to thicken. The mixture will be ready when is has thickened and
has more volume. It should take about 7-10 minutes and reach 160 degrees. Do not boil.
When done, remove egg mixture from heat and set aside.
6. Place chocolate chips for mousse in a medium sized bowl and melt in the microwave in
intervals of about 15-20 seconds, stirring between each interval, until smooth. You could also
melt them in a double boiler, if you prefer.
7. Add the chocolate to the egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Set aside to cool to about
room temperature.
8. In another bowl, make the whipped cream. Add the heavy whipping cream and powdered
sugar to a large mixer bowl and whip until it reaches stiff peaks.
9. Fold about a ¼ cup of whipped cream into the chocolate mixture until combined. Then fold
about a 1/4 of the chocolate mixture into the whipped cream. Slowly fold in the remaining
chocolate mixture into the whipped cream.
10. Spread the chocolate mousse into an even layer on top of the brownie, then refrigerate
until firm, 4-5 hours.
11. To finish off the cake, make the Baileys whipped cream. Add all ingredients to a large
mixer bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
12. Pipe swirls of whipped cream onto each slice, then finish with chocolate shavings and
mini chocolate chips, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.