I constantly crave black bottom cheesecake: a rich, chocolate cake that enrobes a creamy cheesecake. For this recipe, I wanted to do that, but in a doughnut shaped entremet, or mousse cake. When it comes to chocolate cakes, there are just too many different kinds to make, ranging from the Viennese sacher torte to the one I settled on, being a devil’s food cake. There’s just something so satisfying with biting into a fluffy but rich, chocolate-laden cake. Devil’s food is special in that you heat up the cocoa to enhance the flavor of the cake. My devil’s food is even more unique in that I incorporate Chinese black vinegar into the batter, resulting in even more fluff. For the cheesecake, I did a set cheesecake mousse that I folded chopped chocolate into. I coated the entire entremet in a cream cheese-dark chocolate mirror glaze, and finished the dessert with some white chocolate crumble, made using tapioca maltodextrin.

For the cake: makes 12 doughnuts
3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup warm water
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 egg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
a pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon black vinegar

In a bowl, whip the egg with sugar, baking soda, and vinegar until it doubles in volume. In another bowl, melt down the butter with cocoa powder and salt. Sift the flour. Bring down the temperature of the butter to room temperature. Combine all ingredients. Pour the batter into a silicone doughnut baking mold and bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees F. Allow the doughnuts to cool completely before removing.

For the mousse:
7 oz cream cheese
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons gelatin powder + 1 tablespoon cold water
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon mint extract*
3 tablespoons water
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

Whip the cream cheese, egg yolk, and butter with vanilla (and mint). Melt down the water, sugar, and gelatin and pour into the cream cheese mixture. Continue whipping until all of the lumps are removed. Once the cream cheese mixture is room temperature, fold in the chocolate chips. Pour into the silicone doughnut baking molds. Press the cooled cakes into the molds and freeze for 3 hours.

For the glaze:
1 1/4 cups dark chocolate
1 oz cream cheese
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon gelatin powder + 1 tablespoon cold water

Combine the bloomed gelatin, water, cream cheese, and cocoa powder. Bring to a simmer. Melt together the dark chocolate, salt, and unsalted butter. Combine everything together. Keep lukewarm until assembly.

For the crumble:
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/3 cup tapioca maltodextrin
1 tablespoon unsalted butter; melted

Melt white chocolate. Add in the butter. Combine with maltodextrin. Cool completely.

For assembly:
Glaze the doughnuts on a cooling rack and sprinkle on the crumble. Cool in the refrigerator until the coating is set before serving.