The theme for the baking group I go to was ‘no bake’, so anything you could make without the assistance of an oven.  I decided to make a chocolate mousse cake, well, because chocolate mousse is awesome.

And didn’t it look pretty.  I didn’t bet on Manchester getting such a good summer.

This is one minute after I took it out of the fridge at work.

And this is an hour later, when I got to the baking group.  Walking with it in the sunshine had completely melted it – so if you’re going to make this, keep it in the fridge for as long as possible!

Thankfully, I can report that it tasted awesome. No prizes for appearance though!

Recipe adapted from BBC Good Food

For the base

• 100g 70% plain chocolate, broken into pieces
• 100g butter
• 1 tbsp golden syrup
• 200g Hob Nobs

For the mousse

• 100g 70% plain chocolate, broken into pieces
• 200g milk chocolate (at 30% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
• 4 eggs, separated
• 300ml whipping cream
• 2 punnets strawberries

1. For the base, melt the chocolate with the butter and golden syrup in a bowl over barely simmer watering or on a low heat in the microwave.
2. Put the biscuits in a bag and crush with a rolling pin until they reach a crumb consistency. Combine the two and spread over the base of a 23cm springform tin. Refrigerate for about an hour to set.
3. For the mousse, melt the remaining plain chocolate and the milk chocolate together in the same way and allow to cool until lukewarm. Using an electric beater, whisk the eggs whites in one bowl to stiff peaks. Softly whip the whipping cream in another bowl until thickened but not as far as soft peaks.
4. Stir the egg yolks into the chocolate, then beat the cream into the mixture – a balloon whisk is good for this. Work quickly if the chocolate looks like it might be becoming grainy. Gently fold in the eggs whites, spread the mixture over the biscuit base and return to the fridge overnight.
5. Release from the tin and decorate with concentric circles of strawberries and serve.