2 c flour
1 1/2 c sugar
3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 c hot water
1 t instant espresso coffee
2 eggs, room temperature
1 c milk, room temperature
1/2 c Greek yogurt
1 T pure vanilla extract
In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder; set aside. In another bowl, mix together water and instant espresso coffee; set aside.
In a large bowl mix together eggs, milk, yogurt and vanilla extract until well combined. Stir in 1/2 of flour mixture, then add remaining flour mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in espresso water.
Pour batter into 2 greased 9 inch round cake pans. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes, until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cake from the pans; COOL COMPLETELY. Prepare mousse filling —
1/2 c hot water
4 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 t instant espresso coffee
1 1/2 c bittersweet chocolate chips
2 c heavy cream, cold
2 T sugar
1/3 c Nutella
Dissolve cocoa and espresso powder in hot water; set aside. Melt chocolate chips until smooth, cool slightly. In a bowl, whip cream and sugar until hard peaks form. Stir cocoa mixture and Nutella into the melted chocolate. Add 1/2 of whipped cream and fold everything together. Fold in remaining whipped cream and mix well until no white streaks remain. Refrigerate until cake is completely cooled.
Using a serrated knife, slice cakes horizontally into two equal layers. (If your cake top gets a small hump in the middle just slice it off.) Place one cake layer into a spring form pan and spread a little less than 1/3 of the mousse filling. Add second layer of cake, spread with mousse, repeat with remaining cake. Cover top of cake with a thin layer of mousse. Refrigerate cake for at least 2 hours or overnight. To serve remove the spring form sides. Cover the cake with chocolate ganache —
½ c heavy cream
1 c chocolate chips
1 T softened butter
In small saucepan, bring cream to a simmer. DO NOT BOIL. Pour hot cream over chocolate chips, let it sit for a couple of minutes. Mix until smooth, stir in butter. Cover cake with a thin layer of ganache.
