i have to make a cake that will be carved and sculpted into a shape. the person who ordered asked for chocolate mousse as a filling. does anyone have a good recipe?? i don't know if the cake can be refrigerated the whole time if that would matter too.

Chocolate mousse would have to be refrigerated or it would deflate on you. I think your best best would be a chocolate swiss or italian meringue buttercream.. it has a very similar texture as a mousse and it will be okay to carve (as in it won't leak out of your layers when you carve it like a mousse could) and okay to leave out of the fridge for a while.

My favorite chocolate "mousse" is Italian Meringue Buttercream with 6 oz. of melted chocolate or chocolate ganache. It is very stable and you have a window of unrefrigerated time to work with it. It tastes just like chocolate mousse.

I don`T know much about fillings but some time ago a person gave my this easy recipe I don`T rely much on measurements but I just use chocolate pudding packages I USE THE JELL-O INSTANT PUDDING AND PIE filling ,cool whip and milk .Mix all ingredients to your consistency liking and refrigerate. This is easy and very yummy.

Maybe other member have better recipes that mine,but this is the one I use and it works every time.

does anyone have a recipe for chocolate swiss or the Italian Meringue Buttercream that they would recommend?

I love whipped chocolate ganache. I've used it as a filling for a carved cake and while it should be refridgerated overnight, etc. I've left mine out for a few hours at a time, like for a party where the cake would be displayed then served. I mean when you think about it, cream and milk don't go bad in 2 hours, so neither would the ganache. I've heard the meringues are really good, but I've never done them, seems like too much work to me

Whipped ganache isn't really mousse-like. (though is is nummy )

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

5 egg whites
1 cup of granulated sugar
4 sticks of room temp unsalted butter
1 TBSP pure vanilla extract

6 - 8 ounces of melted dark cooled but still pourable

Place the egg whites and sugar in your mixer bowl and place over a double boiler while whisking constantly. Heat the mixture, continuing to whisk, to 160 degrees and then pop the bowl on your mixer (you can use a hand mixer if you don't have a stand mixer) and beat with the whisk attachment until the mixture is at the stiff peaks stage and the bowl is coolto the touch. Start adding the butter in small amounts until it is all combined. The mixture will look nice and fluffy before the butter is added, and when you start adding the butter it will fall and be soupy, and then it will get lumpy looking, and then it will come together after all the butter is added. Add the vanilla and mix to combine and then add cooled chocolate and whip to combine.

let this sit at room temp for at least an hour if it is soft.. I usually do it the night before and leave it on the counter overnight.

Then use to fill your cake.. or frost your cake.. or just eat it out of the bowl..

It sounds like a lot more work than it is.. you can see my post about making SMBC for much more info and pictures of the steps.

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-594605-.html

Well, true....REAL whipped choc. ganache isn't exactly mousse like, however, I make whipped choc. ganache then fold it into a package of (already made up) dreamwhip.....voila instant whipped choc. ganache "mousse"

Well that would make a difference.. That would be mousse-like for sure.