Mousse Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C)

Butter a 20 cm (8 in) springform pan and reserve

In a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring gently. Reserve

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and reserve

In another bowl, beat the egg yolks with granulated sugar until smooth

Add the melted chocolate mixture and mix well

Fold in half of the egg whites until well combined

Remove from heat, add remaining egg whites, and fold gently with a spatula

Reserve 1/4 of the mixture in the refrigerator and place the rest in the prepared pan

Bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean

Let cool for 10 minutes

Unmold onto a serving plate

Carefully remove the parchment paper that has formed on the surface

Break it into small pieces and reserve

Allow the cake to cool completely, then cover with the reserved cream and sprinkle with the reserved chocolate crumbs

Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour

In a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring gently

Temper it on a smooth surface

Cut a 20 cm (8 in) disk of parchment paper and 21 strips of parchment paper, each 3.5 cm x 6.5 cm

Brush the disk and strips with the melted chocolate (reserve some for final decoration)

Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes

Remove and unroll the parchment papers

Cover the cake with the chocolate-dipped disk and arrange the strips around it, overlapping them like scales

Place the reserved chocolate in a piping bag fitted with a fine tip and pipe parallel lines over the disk that covers the cake

Chill for another hour and serve

339 calories per serving