Ann Reardon

Instagram Cake made from chocolate mousse with chocolate glaze

instagram cake how to cook that

Instagram Cake

For friendly, filtered fun you can’t go past Instagram. Twelve million people use it daily with Instagram photos receiving 8,500 ‘likes’ per second!   But amongst all the happy snaps, I do wonder if we are becoming a generation of socially dissatisfied tourists inspecting the highlight reel of other people’s lives.  One young mum shared with me that she had stopped using Instagram because she was feeling down seeing so many images of friends on holidays and relaxing on the beach, while she was at home changing nappies and cleaning up vomit.

Comparison is a dangerous poison but the good news is, there is an antidote – being thankful for what you’ve got.  To quote my friend who is working with the poor in Cambodia “Gratitude is a guaranteed ‘make-you-feel-better’ force – a powerful, yet underestimated and under-used attitude.”

So why not find something in your life that you are grateful for, no matter how little it may seem, snap a pic (or a video) and post it to instagram with the #grateful.

Unless you have a blast freezer this instagram dessert needs to be made over a couple of days to allow time to freeze.  The advantage of this type of dessert lies in the fact that you can make the whole dessert well ahead of time.  On the day that you need it pull it out of the freezer, glaze and garnish it and leave it in the fridge to defrost.

Rainbow Jello
85g (3 ounces) packet of strawberry jello (red) plus 300millilitres (10.14 fluid ounces) cream
85g (3 ounces) packet of lime jello (green) plus 300millilitres (10.14 fluid ounces) cream
85g (3 ounces) packet of mango jello (yellow) plus 300millilitres (10.14 fluid ounces) cream
85g (3 ounces) packet of berry blue jello (blue) plus 300millilitres (10.14 fluid ounces) cream
Make each layer separately. Mix together the jello and the cream and heat in a saucepan until boiling. Pour the first layer into a rectangular container lined with alfoil. Mine was 12cm (4.72 inches) x 27cm (10.63 inches) and the layers were a bit thick so use a bigger container or do not pour all the mixture in. Either leave that to set and then make your next layer in the same way, leave to cool at room temp and then pour on. Or follow directions on the video to speed up this process. Make sure that when you add a new layer it is not warm or it will melt the layer underneath.
Leave that whole thing in the freezer overnight.

Lens and view finder of instagram cake
Next make your lens and the view finder parts, I used a coke jelly but I really wasn’t happy with it, the coke doesn’t like freezing and defrosting. It separates into a liquid and a weird gel not at all what I was going for. I have since experimented by adding various additives like xanthum gum to it before freezing and they didn’t help. So I would recommend that you skip that and make a cake centre using the chocolate cake recipe, make it flat and then cut circles of cake and line then up to make the cylinder shape that we need. And cut out a long rectangle for the view finder.

Take your deep rectangular container, on some paper draw an instagram logo in the right size, sticky tape that to the outside of the container to give you a guide as to how high up the mousse needs to come. The container that I used was 12cm (4.72 inches) wide x 25cm (9.84 inches) long x 15cm (5.91 inches) tall but the full height was not required.

Take your rainbow jelly out of the freezer and remove it from the dish. If you are having trouble getting it out put it in a sink filled with hot water for 30 seconds, do not let the water get into the dessert. Use a sharp knife to cut a slice from the centre of the jello in the correct size for the coloured part of the logo. Put in place in the container and then put it back in the freezer while you make your mousse.

how to cook that ann reardon instagram cake

Chocolate Mousse for top of instagram cake
150millilitres (5.07 fluid ounces) or 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp and 2 tsp milk
50g (1.76 ounces) or 3 Tbsp plus 1 tsp cream
1/2 tsp vanilla

3 egg yolks (45g (1.59 ounces))
40g (1.41 ounces) or 3 Tbsp sugar
10g (0.35 ounces) or 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch (cornflour)

14g (0.49 ounces) or 1 Tbsp gelatine powder
63millilitres (2.13 fluid ounces) or 1/4 cup water

130g (4.59 ounces) milk chocolate
100g (3.53 ounces) dark chocolate

additional 300g (10.58 ounces) or 1 1/4 cups cream

To make your chocolate mousse place the milk, cream and vanilla into a saucepan.
In a separate bowl put your egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch and whisk until smooth.
In another bowl mix together your water and gelatine and leave the gelatine to bloom or absorb the water.

Heat the cream mixture until it boils, then add it a little at a time into the egg yolk mixture, stirring well after each addition. Once it is all combined then pour it back into the saucepan. Return it to the heat and stir continuously until it thickens, then keep stirring over the heat and let it bubble for at least 30 seconds.
Remove from the heat and stir in your gelatine until it is dissolved. Melt your chocolate, it does not need to be kept in temper just melt it carefully so that you do not burn it and mix it together with the chocolate mousse. Leave it to cool completely.

Whip the remaining cream and then using a spatula fold the chocolate mousse into the cream.

Pour some mousse over the coloured part of the cake making sure it goes right down and into the gap, and in a thin layer on the base. Then cut your cake into a long rectangle for the lens, put into place and and pour over the rest of the mousse making sure it comes up to the level marked on the side of you container. Smooth it out as best as you can. Place that in the freezer.

White Chocolate Mousse for white part of instagram cake
300millilitres (10.14 fluid ounces) or 1 cup plus 3 Tbsp and 1 tsp milk
100g (3.53 ounces) or 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp and 1 tsp cream
1 tsp vanilla

6 egg yolks (90g (3.17 ounces))
80g (2.82 ounces) or 1/3 cup plus 2 tsp sugar
20g (0.71 ounces) or 3 Tbsp cornstarch (cornflour)

28g (0.99 ounces) or 2 Tbsp gelatine powder
120millilitres (4.06 fluid ounces) or just under 1/2 cup water

260g (9.17 ounces) white chocolate

additional 600g (21.16 ounces) or 2 1/2 cups cream

Make your white chocolate mousse exactly the same way as for your first chocolate mousse but using melted white chocolate instead, note this mousse uses less chocolate that the other one.

Take your frozen dark chocolate mousse and using a spoon or ice cream scoop scrape off a section from the centre down to where the top of the lens is on your instagram picture. Place a small layer of white chocolate mousse down the middle and then add your lense down the centre. Line you cirlces of cake up to make along cylinder pushing them tightly together so the mousse doesn’t go between them. Pour over the rest of the white chocolate mousse. Smooth it out and put the whole thing in the freezer.

Crunchy Chocolate Base
130g (4.59 ounces) milk chocolate
30g (1.06 ounces) or 2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp unsalted butter
1 cup or 32g (1.13 ounces) rice bubbles or rice krispies

To make your base, melt together the butter and chocolate and mix through some rice bubbles or rice crispies. Spread it evenly over the dessert using the back of a spoon to smooth it out so that you have a flat base. Put this back in the freezer for 15 minutes to let it set.

Chocolate Glaze

needs to be made the day before you need it, see this chocolate glaze recipe for directions on making it.

See the video for directions on turning out and glazing your dessert.

Optional garnish with chocolate decorations

instagram cake ann reardon how to cook that

instagram cake how to cook that

Copyright © 2013 Reardon Media Pty Ltd. All rights reserved. How To Cook That

My Cookbook

ann reardon crazy sweet creations cookbook
Stores that sell my book listed by country: http://bit.ly/ARcookbook
All recipe quantities in the book are in grams, ounces and cups.

172 Comments View Comments

  1. Is it possible to make the rainbow jelly into cake? I want to bring it to school for my friend’s birthday and I’m scared something might happen to the jelly…

  2. Awesome cake Ann! Well done 🙂
    I see you ended up using the coke jello, does this mean that it worked anyway? Thanks

  3. Hi Ann, I will be making this cake for my daughter’s bat mitzvah. I am nervous but it looks like I can do it. I am wondering if I can just make any chocolate mousse that I usually make? It’s less complicated than yours and doesn’t have gelatin or corn starch.
    Also, for the view finder and lense can I just melt chocolate with a bit of cream or peanut butter to soften it and let it set and shape it into any shape I want? I am afraid cake will get crumby and hard to handle.
    Thanks for the recipe and video! My daughter is going to scream when she sees this (if it comes out)!

    • Hi Shara, yes you can use a firm ganache for the lense. As for other mousses if it has no gelatin it is not likely to be firm enough to hold its won shape when tipped out of the container

      • Ok, I’ll see if I can find it where I live. Kosher gelatin doesn’t usually do the trick though 🙁 I thinlok I’ll also steal another commenters idea and use colored white mousse instead of jello for the cored stripes.
        Thank you!

  4. Hi Ann, really cool recipe and cake 🙂
    Just asking where you got the container? I can’t seem to find one anywhere. Thanks

    • Hi Phoebe I got this at a cheap import shop at our local shops sorry that doesn’t help.

  5. Hi,
    A big thank to you. I ‘v made the chocolate mousse and it was more than delicious, it’s fluffy not to sweet and has a beautiful consistency.

    • that’s great to hear zea

  6. That’s a very impressive cake! 🙂

  7. Already swallowing my saliva haha, I really love baking. I am going to make mine today.

    Nice write up

  8. Hi Ann,
    For the cream that you used is it whipping cream? Because I really dont know what cream I am gonna use.

    • hi tami, any cream that is around 35% fat is good. It is called different things in different countries.

  9. Hi I love your videos wish you could do more during the week

    • Probably one day, I will try making this cake and my sisters are like they
      want to be the boss of bakers but not this time.heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeheeeeeeeeeeeeeheeeee

  10. What kind of cream? For the jello?

    • hi marie, any cream that is around 35% fat is good

  11. I love your videos. I’m also new to your videos.Thank you for the teaching and your free time to do videos!<3

  12. Hi Ann, thank you so much for all your amazing tutorials, it really helps and makes everything so easy !!
    I was actually wondering if you have any videos of making white chocolate glaze, as I want to make a white chocolate mousse dessert for my fiancé’s birthday, I was also thinking of making maybe a strawberry or raspberry mix in the middle of the dessert, but I don’t really know what it could be… maybe some sponge cake mixed with strawberries ? Me need help to make him proud ! 🙁 Thanks !!

  13. If I am making just white chocolate mousse, how long do I need to put it in the fridge or freezer for it to set completely?

    • Hi Amy, in the fridge you’d need to wait a few hours, no need to put it in the freezer if you are not glazing it or tipping it out of a container.

  14. If I can pull this off for my kids, I’m sure gonna be their super-hero dad for life! Looks a little difficult but I think I might just pull it off thanks to your detailed instructions

    • Awesome, post a picture when you’ve made it

      • you know it even says that follow on twitter, instragram, facebook, google plus, youtube, and bla bla bla.I am ten years old and I am turning 11 next year 2015
        You know I have an account on .student.musd.org so I can chat with any one I want to.

  15. this is amazing! so attempting this when i have time

  16. Hi Ann! Do you know any good cake stores in Sydney?

    • my favourite place to go for desserts is the shangrai la hotel but it is pricey so I hardly ever go. Haven’t found a cake place that I love.

  17. Hi! Thank you for the tutorial, I love it ! I have a question though , how would you make this from only cake? I have someone that wants one without the gelatin , is that possible?

  18. Hi Ann,

    I made your Instagram dessert for my daughters 10th birthday! When she asked me to make it I was overwhelmed by the list of ingredients but this cake was so easy to make!! I only had a bit of trouble with the chocolate glaze it seem to set really fast causing it not to be as smooth as yours. Thank you for your videos, I’m looking forward to making my next birthday cake in October! 😉

    • woohoo, well done, this is awesome. I hope your daughter loved it.

  19. Can I leave this cake out of the freezer for some hours?

    • hi vanessa, serve it straight from the fridge, gelatin is set when chilled it will soften if you leave it out for a long time.

  20. This is such a fun cake to bake!! I will definitely give it a try but it does seem a little challenging. Thanks for sharing.

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