This fantastically decadent cake combines four very different desserts in to one – brownie, cheesecake, cannoli, and chocolate mousse!
Chocolate Cannoli Cheesecake Mousse Torte.
Chocolate. Cannoli. Cheesecake. Mousse. Torte.
If I asked you to make a list of your favorite desserts, which of those things would be on it?
That’s pretty much my list right there. The only thing missing is cupcakes and apple crumb pie.
So, say that list is also similar to yours. If this cake were to turn up on your table for a holiday or a party or a random social gathering or Sunday dessert… you’d eat it, right? No questions asked.
If this sort of crazy, divine dessert is the thing of dreams for you; if this is the kind of cake you’d dive face-first into and feel no shame; if your eyes widened and your mouth dropped a little in audible awe when you saw this beauty pop up on your screen…
…then we are kindred spirits in sweets, and you’ll just love this thang!
I was pretty proud of myself on this one, I must say. Considering the work (and half bottle of Cabernet) that went in to its fruition, I call it a major success.
Picture this. It’s the day before Easter, and you’ve been so busy at work, you realize you still haven’t figured out what to make for Sunday’s dessert – a dessert you traditionally bring to the not-so-traditional celebration you’re a part of every year.
You’re racking your brain, trying to come up with something grandiose and unique and crowd pleasing, and going back and forth between light and fruity for spring, or deep and rich just because you know everyone will love it. You spend the day fishing for opinions from your coworkers, and when you end up without a consensus, you’re left wandering around the jamming grocery store at 6pm, on your way home after a very long day, frustrated, tired, and still without any clue of what you’re going to make.
So you just start grabbing things. Ricotta and cream cheese, oranges and whipping cream, a box of lazy brownie mix and a bag of sugar, thinking that no matter which direction you decide to go, you’ll be sure to have everything you could possibly need.
Someone mentioned homemade cannolis, so you grab some shells from the bakery (because ain’t nobody got time for homemade shells) as you head to the checkout lanes, all fifteen of which are backed up at least five people deep.
You take a deep breath, pick the least offensive lane (slim pickins), and stare off in to the distance, inching forward with your hand cart full of miscellaneous goods. Still pondering.
That was my Easter Saturday.
When I finally got home, I had made the decision that dessert would involve cheesecake, but I really wanted to involve that lazy box of brownie mix.
Enter my stream of consciousness:
Out comes the springform pan, in goes the brownie batter. In to the oven with you, all fudgey and happy and full of chunks of chocolate. (I may have licked the spoon.)
How about a glass of wine?
Cannolis. Alright. Next layer…cannoli cheesecake? Sub some of the cream cheese out for ricotta. Toss in some chocolate chips and orange zest? Why not.
Twenty-five minutes. Ding. Brownie out, cheesecake on top, another trip in the oven for a couple more hours.
Hmm. Another glass of wine.
After debating whether or not to press a layer of crushed cannoli shells on the top of the cheesecake (not – they would have lost their crunch from the fridge condensation), I felt like I could finally breathe. Except all I wanted to do was sleep…but I had to wait until the cheesecake reached room temperature to put it in the refrigerator.
So, I numbed my brain on Pinterest for a while.
At last, 1am rolled around and I crawled in to bed, my half-made dessert wrapped up tight in the fridge.
And a short six hours later, my alarm woke me up to finish the job.
The little sleep I got did a lot for me, apparently, because I cranked out the rest of my vision in short order, with enough time to make my traditional Polish Easter breakfast before Mr. Crumby woke up at 10am.
Not too shabby for a dessert that I was clueless about twenty-four hours earlier.
And believe me, there were many wide eyes and dropped jaws and ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ when I strutted in the house with that baby.
If you’re like me, a food adventurer, and marrying desserts is A-OK in your book, make this Chocolate Cannoli Cheesecake Mousse Torte. It may have been a half-baked idea at first, but the end result is abso-freaking-lutely delicious.
It’s rich, decadent, somehow still light and fluffy, and definitely a one slice per person dessert. Out of eight of us, only two couldn’t finish their slice (believe it or not, I was one of them), and we still had a good quarter of the cake left to put away.
It was so good, I (with the very vocal support of my dinner companions) decided to enter it in to a contest.
I’m attending the Food & Wine Conference in Orlando this July as a brand ambassador (which I’ll go in to more detail about later this week.) Dixie Crystals, one of the conference’s platinum sponsors, holds a dessert contest every year, and the theme for 2015 is chocolate desserts.
Well. This crazy thing totally qualifies.
A little update – So I DID submit this into the Dixie Crystals contest…and took third place!!
This baby is an award winner, y’all!!!
Chocolate Cannoli Cheesecake Mousse Torte
Ingredients
Brownie Layer
- 1 box brownie mix plus ingredients on box
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
Cheesecake Layer
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese softened
- 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese room temperature
- Pinch of salt
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup miniature chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon all purpose flour
Mousse Layer
- 1 ½ tablespoons dark rum
- 1 teaspoon powdered gelatin
- 2 ¼ cups heavy whipping cream separated
- 9 ounces dark chocolate finely chopped
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Final Assembly
- 1 ½ cups prepared whipped cream
- 1 cup crushed cannoli shells about 3 large shell's worth
- 3 miniature cannoli shells
- Slivered almonds
- Miniature chocolate chips
Instructions
Brownie Layer
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 10-inch springform pan; line the bottom with a circle of parchment, then grease the bottom and sides with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the espresso powder to the brownie mix and prepare according to box directions. (I made mine the fudgey way.)
- Pour batter in springform pan and bake according to box (mine took about 25 minutes); you want the brownie to be just barely done, since it will be going back in the oven for over an hour.
- Remove from the oven, drop temperature to 325 degrees F, and prick brownie all over with a fork (this helps the cheesecake "stick" to the crust.)
- When brownie cools enough to touch, wrap the bottom half of the pan in 2-3 layers of foil and set inside a roasting pan. Set aside.
Cheesecake Layer
- While brownie is baking, prepare cheesecake. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the sugar and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
- Add ricotta, salt, vanilla and orange zest. Mix well, about 2-3 more minutes.
- Add eggs in one at a time on low speed, mixing until batter is just blended.
- Drop the flour in the measuring cup of chocolate chips and shake to coat, then fold them in to the cheesecake batter.
- Pour batter on top of brownie "crust", spreading with a rubber spatula to even it out.
- Set roasting pan on the middle rack, and pour hot water into the pan, until it reaches an inch up the springform pan. Bake 50-70 minutes (ovens vary), until the edges have started to pull away, but the middle still ha s a slight jiggle.
- Turn heat off and open the oven door a crack, allowing the cheesecake to sit another hour in the cooling oven.
- After cheesecake comes to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or at least 6 hours.
Mousse Layer
- DO NOT START THIS MOUSSE UNTIL YOUR CHEESECAKE HAS BEEN REFRIGERATED. In a small bowl, sprinkle powdered gelatin over rum. Let set 5-6 minutes.
- Set dark chocolate in a large bowl.
- Heat ¾ cup of heavy whipping cream in a microwave, or a small saucepan over low heat. When it's almost boiling, whisk in the gelatin until dissolved, then pour it over the chocolate and allow to sit for 1 minute before whisking until smooth and shiny. Set aside to cool.
- In a clean, cold stand mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the remaining 1½ cups heavy cream on high until it begins to thicken.
- Add almond extract and confectioner's sugar, and whip until mixture reaches stiff peaks. Don't overwhip!
- Fold ⅓ of the whipped cream in to the cooling chocolate mixture gently until incorporated, then fold in the remaining whipped cream until color is uniform.
- Pour mousse mixture on top of cheesecake, smoothing with a spatula to evenly distribute. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Final Assembly
- Since the cheesecake pulls away from the pan, but the mousse does not, when you unhinge your pan ring, the layers will be uneven. Pipe prepared whipped cream around the brownie/cheesecake layers, then smooth with an offset spatula.
- Press crushed cannoli shell pieces around edge of cake with your hand, going up as far as the vanilla whipped cream reaches.
- Pipe 12 dollops of whipped cream evenly around the top edge of the cake, and a final larger dollop in the middle.
- Place 3 whole miniature cannoli shells filled with more whipped cream artsy-fartsy-like on the center dollop. Garnish each outer dollop with a larger piece of crushed shell, mini chocolate chips, and almond slivers.
- Refrigerate at least another hour before serving, just so everything firms up. Slice, serve, and enjoy this amazing torte!
Lacey Charrene says
Oh this looks amazing. I can almost taste it through the screen. You really outdone yourself! LOVE!!! #laceyslegacy
Stephanie of The TipToe Fairy says
Wow! That is quite the amazing dessert! I love cannoli. I’ve got to find a special day to make this because it just sounds so, so good!
Olivia @ Olivia's Cuisine says
OMG, Erica! This is the most beautiful dessert I have ever seen IN MY WHOLE LIFE. I’m in total awe!
Dionne Dean says
Okay…so you had me at the title. And then I look at the pictures! I know it won’t look as good when I try to make it, but I hope it tastes as good!
Beth says
This cake is a total master piece! I’m just starting to get into layered cakes so this is inspiring!
Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom says
talk about dedication to finish a cheesecake!! But by the looks of this beauty, it was worth every effort you took to make it!
Melissa Falk says
That’s a lot of love!
Tiffani says
Oh, my “dessert mashup”! I love it! Yummy recipe & can’t wait to try it. ๐
Jenna @ A Savory Feast says
Girl, you are out of control! This dessert combines so many of my favorite flavors. I’ve never tried making homemade cheesecake, but I’ve been meaning to give it a try. This definitely sounds like a recipe I need to make. YUM!
Ginger says
Looks amazing!! All your hard work paid off. I’m drooling and wishing I wasn’t on a sugar free diet right now. ๐
heather @french press says
I’m not usually one for chocolate desserts – but I do love a good brownie – but holy man this dessert mashup sounds incredible
Cynthia says
Welp! There goes my wedding diet. I pinned this and hope to accomplish it myself one day. I am living for those photos!
Donna Ward says
Awwww…Erica! This is beautiful and I just want to look, enjoy, and taste – skip the putting together part – I could only make it this beautiful if you were there helping me!
The closest I’ve come to this is regular cheesecake – plain and tasty – so will you come over tomorrow and work on this with me! lol
Jocelyn @BruCrew Life says
Holy cow! What an insanely awesome looking dessert!!! I love how you put all these desserts into one fabulous looking torte!!!
Kristen says
Um WOW! I am so envious that you have such talent! This is stunning and It looks so yummy! You’re going to the food and wine conference? what city?
aimee fauci says
I am so glad that slobbering over a beautiful picture of chocolate does not make you gain weight! This looks amazing.
Tammilee Tips says
What a dessert! I would have to call this a success it looks absolutely delicious and so elegant. I love cheesecake but I donโt know if I would have had the patience to pull this off so successfully.
Krayl @ An Appealing Plan says
This looks like you just bought it from the bakery!! Stunning – Too good to eat!
Bonnie @ wemake7 says
Wow! I have to say that just may be the best looking cake I have ever seen! That is so awesome that you made that in such a short time frame for Easter. I really wish I could have a piece of that now. =)
Nancy says
So I’m an ok cook, but a terrible baker. I have a recipe that I follow to a tee – but the second time I make something, it comes out completely different. I don’t know what’s up at all. So I leave the baking to my best bud, and I do the cooking. It works out well for the both of us hahah.
heather @ divas run for bling says
Oh my goodness this looks amazing. I am a huge fan of anything chocolate and this looks right up my alley ๐
Nikki says
Wow, that looks so incredible and full of chocolate goodness! I can’t believe it’s homemade. I don’t think I could ever make anything that pretty. I’d have fun trying though! I really want some now! Kind of makes my desserts this evening look sad (um, I’m eating a Pop Tart right now, lol)
Mindi says
This dessert looks ridiculously delicious. It also looks way complicated to prepare. I take my hat off to you for your dedication to completing the recipe. Thank goodness you had wine during the epic baking process.
K. Elizabeth (YUMMommy) says
OMG this looks delicious!! I think I need to step my dessert making skills up a notch.
Fi Nรญ Neachtรกin says
This looks so delicious. It actually looks professionally made so well done you! I’d actually love to have a slice of this right now. The brownie layer is genius, so much tastier than a crumbly biscuit base for sure!
Cindys Recipes and Writings says
Lovely layers! What great flavors together!
Jen K says
I can’t even! Oh my that looks so delicious. Chocolate is my weakness.
Miranda (Myrabev) says
This is so my kind of cheesecake though lately cheesecake has been giving me heartburn which is not fun. I hope you enjoy the conference and hope you cake wins.
Allie | BakingAMoment says
Oh my good lord, this is incredible! I can’t believe it was so spur of the moment. What a magnificent creation! If this doesn’t win that contest I will start a boycott ๐
winifred jac says
i should just throw my bikinis away after even looking at it. omg! im sure it tasted amazing, but i love how pretty all your desserts always look. good job!
Rachel says
Wow that is just plain awesome! I never would have thought of this but BAM there it is and now I need this in my life! Also, your baking skills are amazing, I love how perfectly round the layers are!
Kelly says
That looks insanely good! The only problem is… if I made it, I would eat the whole thing myself.
Yona Williams says
Hold up โฆstop the presses! An Instant Pin! First off, that is one incredibly tasty-looking dessert here. I’d love to have a slice of that right NOW. Secondly, I’m kind of sad because I do not think that I would be able to make one as good as the one shown here.
Chrystal @ YUM eating says
I think I just died and went to heaven. Everything about this is screaming “eat me now!” Going to have to pin this so I can drool some more later.
June @ How to Philosophize with Cake says
Wow that does look fantastically decadent! So many layers to love here ๐
Stephanie says
I made the cake for Christmas and it turned out amazing!! Thanks for sharing the recipe it was a huge hit!
Erica says
I’m thrilled to hear that, Stephanie!! I still can’t top it – but that’s not to say I won’t keep trying!
Samantha says
Hey!! I was wondering how you think making a cannoli crust would do with this recipe rather than the brownie crust?
Erica says
Hi Samantha! I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! It sounds delicious to me…if you make it, I’d love to know how it turned out!
Melissa Falk says
That’s gorgeous!
Lisa Barnes says
I made this 5 years ago. Twice. Once for a party to try it out and once to take to our county fair. I won Best overall baked goods. It was a hot! Thank you!
Erica says
WOW Lisa, thank you SO much for stopping by to tell me that! This is definitely a labor of love kind of cake, but the fact that it won you a prize makes me so happy!
Dian Ottinger says
Made this and it was absolutely worth the time and effort. This was amazing , each layer was delicious and together it is definitely a winner!
Erica says
I am SO happy to hear this, Dian! Thank you so much for popping back here to let me know your thoughts on it – it’s one of the best cakes I’ve ever made, IMO. ๐