This is the process of making a chocolate mousse with pictures. See picture captions for cooking instructions. You may need to view them in slide show mode.

Making the base:

Put a cake ring on a large plate. Cut parchment paper into long strips and overlap them around the inner side of the cake ring. Place a round parchment paper at the bottom.

Crush 6 digestive biscuits in a ziploc bag with a rolling pin…

…into crumbs.

Melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in a double boiler bowl over simmering water.

Mix the biscuit crumbs into the melted butter.

Press the buttered crumbs onto the bottom of the cake ring. Cool the base in the fridge.

Making chocolate mixture:

Break 200g 70% chocolate into small pieces.

Melt 180g of chocolate in another 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in the double boiler bowl over simmering water.

Stir the chocolate-butter mixture until smooth.

Remove from heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth. Let cool until bowl not hot for hands.

Pour 1/4 cup whipping cream into a metal measuring cup. Sprinkle in 1/4 teaspoon gelatin. Let gelatin “bloom” for at least 10 minutes.

Heat the gelatin mixture over simmering water until gelatin dissolves.

Stir gelatin mixture into the chocolate mixture…

…until smooth.

Wash 8 eggs with veggie wash and dry them completely.

Separate 8 egg whites into a large mixing bowl and 4 egg yolks into a small mixing bowl.

Beat the 4 egg yolks…

… until fluffy.

Add the beaten egg yolks into the chocolate mixture…

…and stir…

…until smooth.

Making whipped cream mixture:

In a chilled medium mixing bowl, beat 1 cup heavy whipping cream…

…until stiff.

Beat in 2 teaspoons brandy.

Coarsely grate the remaining 20g chocolate.

Beat in the grated chocolate bits. Cool the cream mixture in the fridge.

Making egg white mixture:

Add 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar in the 8 egg whites.

Beat the egg whites…

…until soft peaks form.

Add 2 teaspoons powdered sugar…

…and beat until stiff. Repeat to beat in another 4 teaspoons powdered sugar.

Final assembly:

Pour the chocolate mixture into a 3Qt mixing bowl. Add the egg white mixture one spoonful at a time…

…and gently fold into the chocolate mixture to keep the volume as much as possible…

…until all the egg white mixture is folded in.

Gradually fold in the whipped cream mixture…

…until all the whipped cream mixture is folded in.

Pour the chocolate mousse mixture into the cake ring.

Evenly sprinkle 1 tablespoon cocoa powder on the top…

…until the entire surface is done. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.