calorie shmalorie

I read somewhere that one of the most calorie-laden beverages at Starbucks is the white chocolate mocha. Naturally, it's one of my favorite drinks there.

I'm the kind of person who would rather eat her calories than drink them, so that smooth, rich, luscious drink was the inspiration for my latest cake creation. Here's my end result: The base consists of thinnish layers of soft, fluffy chocolate cake moistened and enriched with a Kahlua-flavored simple syrup. This was tasty on its own, but it was made even more decadent with the addition of a velvety white chocolate mousse between each layer. This was so easy to make, it almost seems unfair that it was so incredible to eat. To finish things off, I brought back my current favorite frosting, a coffee-tinged cream cheese pile of heaven.

With these components combined, I modestly state that I've left Starbucks in the dust. Now, if only I can come up with some way to make it in less than 5 minutes. Also, some sort of drive-through experience might be nice as well...

Double Shot White Chocolate Mocha Cake
one recipe of your favorite chocolate cake

Kahlua simple syrup:
6 oz sugar
6 oz water
4 oz Kahlua coffee liqueur

White Chocolate Mousse Filling:
6 oz white chocolate chips
2 cups heavy cream
1 tbsp sugar

coffee cream cheese frosting

Prepare your chocolate cake and bake it in two 9-inch round pans. Once cool, cut each round in half horizontally.

To prepare the simple syrup, combine the water and sugar in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Bring it to a boil, then remove it from the heat. When cool, stir in the Kahlua.

To prepare the mousse, carefully melt the white chocolate and set it aside. Place the heavy cream and sugar in the well-chilled bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the chilled whisk attachment. Whisk on high-speed until stiff peaks form. Remove the bowl from the mixer. By hand, whisk to combine 1/4 of the whipped cream into the melted white chocolate until smooth and completely incorporated. Add the combined whipped cream and chocolate to the remaining whipped cream and use a rubber spatula to fold together.

Prepare the frosting and set it aside.

To assemble, liberally brush the four sides of exposed cake with the simple syrup. Slather the mousse between the halved and syruped layers (stacking as you go), then frost the sides and top in a decorative fashion. Chill for a bit to let things mingle, then slice and serve!