This Caramel Martini Chocolate Mousse Cake is a chocolate lover's dream come true! Two supremely rich layers of dense cake are filled with fluffy chocolate mousse and a layer of thick caramel. More chocolate and caramel adorn the top of this showstopper, along with caramel martini-filled edible shot glasses - perfect for a sweet toast.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place rounds of parchment paper in the bottoms of 2 6-inch cake pans, then spray with cooking spray or grease with butter; set aside.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In a mixer, cream butter until smooth. Add the sugars, eggs, and vanilla and mix until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix the melted and cooled chocolate in on low speed until combined.
Add half of the dry ingredients and mix until just blended, then add the milk and and mix. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until smooth. Divide evenly between the two pans and bake for 19-21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Chocolate Mousse & Assembly:
In the meantime, make the mousse. Place the two packets of mousse mix in a large bowl. Add the milk and liqueur and blend with a mixer on low speed until incorporated, then increase to high speed and whip 3-5 minutes until fluffy. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
When cake is cooled, place one round on a cake board. Wrap an acetate cake collar around the cake and tape it shut. Spread 1/2 cup of dulce de leche on top of the cake in an even layer. Spoon 2/3 of the mousse on top of the dulce de leche and smooth the top. Place the other cake layer on top.
Place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour until mousse is set, returning the extra mousse to chill as well.
When the mousse is set, remove the cake collar. Warm 1/4 cup of dulce de leche inthe microwave and drizzle around the top edge of the cake, allowing it to drip down naturally. Spread 1/3 of the remaining mousse on the top of the cake, and place the rest in a pastry bag. Pipe 8 dollops of mousse on top of the cake, with one more in the middle.
Decorate with chocolate truffle candy, sprinkles, and chocolate cordial cups filled with a vodka and caramel liqueur mixture.