Sometimes I think I have a touch of synesthesia. Example? Whenever I cook or bake with cardamom, I think of fuzzy argyle sweaters. I was quite sure this was another symptom of that pesky synesthesia. Next thing you know, I’ll start tasting numbers, right? Or hearing rainbows. (I bet they sound like ABBA!) But then I realized that the reason I associate cardamom with argyle sweaters is because cardamom sounds a lot like cardigan. (Suddenly this post got a lot less interesting, huh?)
Still, there’s something very warm and fuzzy about cardamom. Maybe because it’s often used in chai or in Scandinavian breads. It’s one of those strong flavors that people tend to love or hate, but I’ve always loved it. Pairing it with orange is fairly standard, but after trying it in chocolate gelato, I became enamored with the chocolate/cardamom combination–that’s what inspired this Orange Cardamom Chocolate Mousse.
I used my Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Mousse recipe as a starting point and added fresh orange juice and zest, as well as a heaping teaspoon full of cardamom. It’s enough of the spice to add a little warm and fuzzy to this vegan chocolate mousse without adding too much.
PrintOrange Cardamom Chocolate Mousse
Cardamom is the perfect compliment to the classic combination of chocolate and orange. This mousse is so rich and decadent, no one will suspect that it’s dairy-free!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 4
Ingredients
- 1-3 ounce high quality dark chocolate bar, broken into pieces
- 1-12.3 oz package shelf-stable firm silken tofu (like Mori-Nu), cut into large chunks
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp. agave nectar, maple syrup, or honey (if you’re not vegan)
- 1 tsp. ground cardamom
- zest from 1 whole orange
Instructions
- Place chocolate bar pieces in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 20 second intervals until melted (stirring after each interval). You can use a double-boiler instead if you prefer.
- Combine tofu and orange juice in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and process until well-combined. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.
Notes
Cook time is the hour needed to chill the mousse before serving. There’s no actual cooking involved.
46 Comments
The Mrs @ Success Along the Weigh
May 24, 2012 at 10:55 amI’m pretty sure you’re correct about rainbows sounding like ABBA. It just seems natural.
Kiersten
May 24, 2012 at 8:18 pmAnd it’s totally Dancing Queen, right?
Rachel @ Rachel's Giveaways
May 24, 2012 at 1:08 pmI love the combination of chocolate and orange, and can’t wait to try out this vegan dessert!
Kiersten
May 24, 2012 at 8:11 pmI hope you like it if you make it! It’s great for summer too–no cooking. ๐
Carol @ Always Thyme to Cook
May 24, 2012 at 1:25 pmLooks so good. Love the combo of orange and chocolate!
Kiersten
May 24, 2012 at 8:10 pmMe too! My mom got me hooked on chocolate covered orange peels when I was a kid and I’ve been addicted to that combination ever since.
Aylin @ Glow Kitchen
May 24, 2012 at 3:21 pmthis is such a creative dessert. i’ve only recently explored cardamom and i wonder where it has been all my life
Kiersten
May 24, 2012 at 8:07 pmYeah, I didn’t discover cardamom until adulthood. It’s SO good in desserts!
Jackie @ Domestic Fits
May 24, 2012 at 4:30 pmDairy free and so gorgeous, you are brilliant!
Kiersten
May 24, 2012 at 8:09 pmThank you, I try! ๐
BusyWorkingMama
May 24, 2012 at 6:40 pmBeautiful presentation! I’ll forward this to my mom. She loves chocolate!
Kiersten
May 24, 2012 at 8:05 pmThanks! I’m working on those piping skills. ๐
Jennifer
May 24, 2012 at 9:04 pmholy freakin’ yum! and your pictures are so amazing
Kiersten
May 25, 2012 at 8:07 amAw, thank you! ๐
Jesica @ Pencil Kitchen
May 24, 2012 at 9:37 pmOh dear gooodness. What have you done?! The chocolate tastes like rainbows! and I can now hear the orange! Btw, cardamon… totally reminds me of Curry. ๐ Jokes aside, these are such a presentable way to serve both fruits and deserts! Lovely, using oranges as the cup itself…
Kiersten
May 25, 2012 at 8:07 amHa! And it’s funny, the only reason I used those orange cups is because I have nothing else to serve the mousse in. Everyone thinks I’m being all fancy, but I just made those cups out of desperation. ๐ I guess it’s time to buy some little custard cups or something!
Rachel
May 24, 2012 at 9:58 pmI have a little one with a dairy allergy. I will have to try this for her.
Kiersten
May 25, 2012 at 8:04 amHave you tried soy pudding for her? They even sell it at my little small town grocery store now. It is so good!
Rachel
June 1, 2012 at 12:27 pmI haven’t tried it. We are so new into the allergy that I have not done a ton of looking to find her special things.
But I did try this and it was incredible. Thanks for the recipe!
Kiersten
June 1, 2012 at 7:04 pmOh, I’m so glad you liked it! It really takes a lot to convince people it doesn’t taste like tofu. ๐
myfudo
May 25, 2012 at 1:53 amSuch a wonderful combination…beautifully presented. A must try!
Kiersten
May 25, 2012 at 8:02 amThank you! Really, I only used the hollowed out orange halves for presentation because I don’t have any small dishes that I could put mousse in. ๐
Heidi @ Food Doodles
May 25, 2012 at 1:18 pmThis looks gorgeous! And sooo delicious ๐ I love chocolate and orange together.
Kiersten
May 25, 2012 at 5:08 pmYou definitely can’t go wrong with chocolate and orange!
Val
May 25, 2012 at 2:31 pmI’m always so weary of trying these kinds of recipes but I soooo trust your opinions. Thanks for posting!!!
Kiersten
May 25, 2012 at 5:05 pmTrying recipes with tofu? The shelf-stable tofu is so mild in flavor, the chocolate, orange, and cardamom are really all you taste!
Val
May 29, 2012 at 12:58 pmBaking recipes with tofu. ๐ I’m such a huge dairy lover that I’m afraid it just won’t be “the same”.
I’m looking into doing a program that says no lactose for 2 weeks which will be hell.
Kiersten
May 29, 2012 at 1:55 pmYeah, I haven’t baked with tofu either–I’m not sure how it would turn out. But I’ve successfully used soy, almond, and coconut milk in baking without any issues. I guess it depends on the recipe, though!
Shirley
May 25, 2012 at 11:54 pmThis looks so good! I’ve never had cardamom paired with chocolate, but typically in chai like you mentioned or some Indian dessert.
Kiersten
May 28, 2012 at 6:54 pmOh, it pairs so well with a nice dark chocolate! On Saturday I saw a chocolate cardamom brownie at a bakery–I think I might have to try making that in the near future. ๐
Genevieve
May 26, 2012 at 12:55 pmEven though I’m not a bit fan of chocolate desserts, I think the combination of chocolate, orange, and cardamom sounds fabulous! I’ve always been curious about puddings or mousse made with silken tofu, but I haven’t tried making one yet. Love these photos too! Have a great holiday weekend ๐
Kiersten
May 28, 2012 at 6:48 pmYou should try making a tofu mousse–I bet you’d come up with something really delicious! I’ve only done chocolate ones, but I’ve been wanting to experiment with fruit flavors too.
[email protected]
May 26, 2012 at 4:10 pmThis mousse is so pretty! I saw it on foodgawker and now I’ve added your blog to my blogroll! so beautiful! thanks.
Kiersten
May 28, 2012 at 6:44 pmThanks so much for stopping by–I can’t wait to check out your blog too! ๐
Natalie
May 26, 2012 at 8:04 pmI love the way you served this in oranges – beautiful! (and sounds delicious too!)
Kiersten
May 28, 2012 at 6:43 pmThank you! I had nothing else to put them in, so the oranges were the best I could come up with. ๐
Candace
May 28, 2012 at 6:51 pmThe rainbows sounding like Abba made me laugh out loud. I’m quite sure that you are correct about that. It completely makes sense. Once upon a time I didn’t like the taste of chocolate and orange together. I think it was because I only had tasted inferior chocolate and orange flavoring. When I started enjoying dark chocolate, I tried pairing Lindt dark chocolate with slices of fresh orange and a new love affair was born. I’m a complete sucker for anything cardamom so this dessert looks absolutely fantastic to me. Beautiful photo too!
Kiersten
May 28, 2012 at 7:00 pmI’ve never thought to try fresh orange with a chocolate bar like that–I’m going to have to do that! I always need a little something sweet after a meal and that would be the perfect size dessert for me.
RJ
May 31, 2012 at 11:52 amOh my gosh. Yum. Your photos always look like something out of a magazine. Beautiful!
Kiersten
June 1, 2012 at 7:32 pmThank you! Sometimes I enjoy photographing things as much as I enjoy cooking them. ๐
Brenda Williams
June 1, 2012 at 12:59 amPerfect cookbook photo! This makes me want to lick my computer screen! You have the most amazing ideas!
Kiersten
June 1, 2012 at 7:16 pmThank you! ๐
Anna
February 18, 2013 at 12:42 pmI make this all the time, but never thought about adding fresh orange juice and rind — takes it to a whole new level.
The photography and presentation are glorious!
Kiersten
February 24, 2013 at 4:59 pmThank you! ๐
Kristin
July 1, 2014 at 1:46 pmI enjoyed it however a lot of people who tried it recommended using less orange rind to lighten it up a bit. Maybe rind of half an orange instead would work?
Kiersten Frase
July 6, 2014 at 7:10 pmIf you want less orange flavor in it, I’d reduce the amount of orange zest.