Rainbow Chocolate Mousse Dessert

This bake is one to celebrate today's pride event, and has a rainbow sponge filled with a light chocolate mousse, and is topped with rainbow chocolate hearts. It seems that aquafaba is in fact that miracle ingredient people suggest it is. It whipped up really well, held its shape and made for a great mousse. It's just worth bearing in mind that it does take a bit longer than egg white to whisk to stiff peaks, but it's really important to be patient as it will then not collapse when added to the chocolate. It's also key to get it to that point where you can lift the bowl upside down above your head without it falling out. As vegan baking alternatives go, this was a success, and may mark the start of many more adventures with aquafaba! I'd better get eating more chickpeas...!!  

Recipe - Serves 6

For the sponge:

• 40ml dairy-free milk
• 1/2 tsp white vinegar
• 20g margarine
• 60g caster sugar
• 30g chickpea flour (gram flour)
• 30ml water
• 60g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• Red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple food colouring

For the chocolate mousse:

• 60ml aquafaba
• 90g dark chocolate, 39% cocoa (eg. bourneville)

For the decoration:

• 40g white chocolate
• Red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple food colouring

Before you make the sponge, line a 6 inch square baking tin and a 1lb loaf tin with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 180C. 

Add the vinegar to the milk and stir. Set aside to curdle and thicken. Cream the margarine and sugar to pale and light, then mix the chickpea flour into the water and whisk into the margarine and sugar mix. Add the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, followed by the milk, and fold in gently. 

Divide the mixture evenly between 6 bowls and colour each using the food colourings. Transfer them to piping bags fitted with a 0.5cm plain nozzle and pipe stripes of the coloured cake batters in the tin, forming 3 rainbows. Pipe the remaining batter in blobs into the loaf tin. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until risen and the sponge springs back when pressed gently. Remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Line a small loaf tin (1/2 lb) with baking paper so it comes up the sides about 1cm above the edges. Cut the rainbow sponge so that you have the three rainbows separately and use to line the tin tightly, cutting as needed to fit. Use the other sponge to line the base. 

Make the chocolate mousse by first breaking the chocolate into a bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir gently until melted. Remove and leave to cool slightly. Meanwhile, whisk the aquafaba in a clean glass bowl until it forms stiff peaks and the bowl can be inverted without it moving. Fold 1/3 of the aquafaba into the cooled chocolate. Add another 1/3 and fold in, followed by the rest, working carefully to retain the air. Pour into the cake lined tin and put in the fridge to chill overnight.

Prepare the decoration by melting the white chocolate in a similar way to the dark chocolate. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with an icing nozzle and pipe a few hearts onto some baking paper. Chill to set then use food colouring to paint the rainbow colours on top. 

Take the mousse cake out of the tin by gently lifting it out using the baking paper or easing out on its side. Then, remove the baking paper by running a knife between the baking paper and the mousse (you can warm the knife in boiled water to make it separate more neatly). Top with the chocolate hearts before serving.