Mørk Hemmelighet (Dark Secret)

Norways “Mørk Hemmelighet “ which translates into “Dark Secret” is a wonderful mousse cake covered in an outer layer of chocolate pudding, it has bits of tropical fruits, nuts and raisins inside, a perfect match with the chocolate. It is incredibly light and not too sweet. I think it’s a unique dessert but I never saw anyone else than my mother make it. Was it too much work? I have made it sometimes over the years. Yesterday I decided to recreate it in memory of my mother. 

This Norwegian Dessert Mørk Hemmelighet (Dark Secret), my mother used to make for festive occations, whether an anniversary, wedding, confirmation, christening and the like. I love this dessert since it is fresh and lasts after the occation so you can eat the leftovers and it still tastes as good. It is like a Kinderegg, three surprises in one. Chockolate, fruits and mousse.

Ingredients for the chocolate layer:

• 3 dl whole milk
• 200 g dark chockolate (good quality dark chocolate (70%), broken into pieces)
• 1 tbsp cocoa
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 5 sheets unflavored gelatin

Ingredients for the cream and fruit filling:

• 6 dl heavy cream
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 10 sheets unflavored gelatin
• 4 tbsps sugar
• 2 tbsp chopped hazelnuts (I love those but you can choose other nuts if you wish).
• 1 can mixed tropical fruit, drained (Reserve liquid) and diced (I didn´t have the canned so I made my own from pears, apples and mangos I had and I made my own syrup. I prepared this the day before).
• 75 g raisins

Instructions for the chocolate layer:

Line a cake pan or springform pan with plastic wrap and place in freezer for 30 min. I didn´t use the plastic wrap and I was still able to get the dessert out of the pan in perfect shape. But this can make it easier.

Meanwhile, in a small pot, heat up the milk and chocolate until dissolved.

Soften the five gelatin sheets in a bit of cold water (you can get these at the grocery store, located in the baking isle) then squeeze out the water from the sheets, place in the pot and let it dissolve in the hot chocolate/milk mixture (the mixture must not boil).

Pour the chocolate into the cake pan and place it in the fridge. Once it starts to stiffen up, swirl the pan to get the sides of the cake pan coated with the chocolate as well. This takes some patience to do to get it perfect.

Instructions for the cream and fruit filling:

Place the 10 sheets of gelatin in a little bit of cold water and soak for about 15 min.  Bring the reserved liquid from the tropical fruit can to a boil, remove from heat, squeeze out water from the gelatin sheets and add into the liquid, stir to combine. Let it cool to room temperature (Should still be liquid form).

Whisk the heavy cream with the sugar

Chop the nuts.

Add the gelatin liquid, the chopped nuts, the raisins and fruits to the whipped cream and combine carefully.

Pour the filling into the pan with the chocolate layer to fill it completely.

Let sit in the fridge to chill/cool and seize up for a couple of hours or overnight.  Invert the pan onto a serving tray/cake tray, carefully remove the plastic wrap if you used that.

For festive occations you can decorate the top with whipped cream and additional nuts.

(I did not decorate mine this time since I just recreated it for myself and it will last longer without the fresh cream).

But it looks beautiful with piped decorations. And that is what my mother always did and even I when I have made this for parties.