A layered dessert made from a rich chocolate cake, topped with creamy chocolate mousse and grated chocolate!
If you are looking to impress a group of friends or family with an epic dessert, I highly recommend making my Chocolate Mousse Cake.
And the best part about this recipe? It's actually so easy to make.
You can use any sort of chocolate in this recipe although I highly recommend chocolate with at least 50% cocoa content. My preferred brand is Whittakers.
How to make Chocolate Mousse Cake:
Chocolate cake: To begin, preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake. Dissolve the instant coffee in the boiling water. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl, add all the remaining wet ingredients and mix well until smooth.
Pour the cake mix into a lined 23cm springform cake tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cake springs back to the touch. Cool the cake on a wire rack in the tin.
Chocolate Mousse: Add 2 Tbsp cold water to the gelatin and set aside to 'bloom' for at least 5 minutes. In a saucepan pour in ⅓ of a cup of the fresh cream, add the sugar. Stir on a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add the gelatine and stir through.
Turn the heat to low and add 200g of the chocolate. Stir constantly until combined. Remove from the heat as soon as the chocolate has melted.
Whip the remaining cream until peaks form. Take approximately ¼ of the whipped cream and stir it into the melted chocolate mixture until combined. Add the remaining whipped cream and fold together gently.
Pour the mousse mixture onto the cooled cake base, smooth flat. Grate the remaining chocolate over the top and put in the fridge (still in the cake tin) to set for 4 hours or overnight.
Epic desserts are so much fun to share. If you're looking for other great ideas, check out my recipes for Baked Chocolate Tart and Berry Huge Pavlova. Or for a super quick and easy option, you can't go past my Ambrosia.
Recipe FAQs:
No you can't taste the coffee, it just enhances the chocolate flavour!
Absolutely! Keeping the cake in the fridge overnight will give it lots of time to firm up.
Storage:
This cake is best made the day before you want to serve it. This will give it plenty of time to set.
Store any remaining cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Top tips:
- The best tin to make this dessert in is a round, springform tin. This makes it easy to get out.
- When lining a tin for this dessert you really need the sides covered. Start by placing a piece of baking paper across the base, then put the sides on and lock the clip. Next, line the edge with two pieces so that they overlap.
Related Recipes:
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Chocolate Mousse Cake
A soft, rich chocolate cake topped with a layer of homemade chocolate mousse and grated chocolate.
Ingredients
Chocolate cake:
- 1 cup flour (150g)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1⁄4 cup cocoa powder (25g)
- 2⁄3 cup sugar (150g)
- 1 tsp instant coffee
- 1⁄3 cup boiling water (85ml)
- 70g butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 egg
- 1⁄3 cup milk (85ml)
Chocolate mousse:
- 1 tsp gelatine (powder)
- 2 cups fresh cream (500ml)
- 1⁄2 cup sugar (110g)
- 250g quality chocolate (save 50g for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C fan bake.
- Chocolate Cake: Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Add instant coffee to boiling water then add with remaining wet ingredients to the bowl. Mix until smooth.
- Pour into a pre-lined 23cm springform cake tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes then cool while still in the tin.
- Chocolate Mousse: Mix gelatine with 2 Tbsp cold water, leave to bloom for 5 minutes.
- In a large saucepan pour in 1⁄3 cup of cream then add the sugar. Stir on a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add gelatine mix and stir through.
- Turn the heat to low, add 200g of the chocolate broken up into pieces. Whisk constantly until the chocolate has melted then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
- In a seperate bowl whip the remaining 1 2⁄3 cups of cream until peaks form. Take 1⁄4 of the whipped cream and stir it into the chocolate mixture until combined. Add remaining whipped cream and fold together gently using a spatula.
- Pour the mousse onto the cooled cake base and smooth out. Grate the remaining chocolate over the top and refrigerate (still in the cake tin) for 4 hours or overnight.
- Remove from the tin, cut and serve chilled.
Notes
- Ensure the cake has cooled completely before adding the chocolate mousse.
- Use chocolate with at least 50% cocoa content. My favourite is Whittakers.
- When melting chocolate in a pot, keep the heat really low and stir the whole time to prevent burning or splitting.
- To prevent the cake from sticking to the tin, I recommend lining the sides with baking paper.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 503Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 264mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 2gSugar: 38gProtein: 6g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
T says
We made this cake, so good, though my mousse didn't fold like it should and just went runny but once set came out like mousse should, so still a win.
Wondering if you can make the mousse and use it through a piping bag once its set?
As if you would a sponge or biscuit number cake?
VJ cooks says
It is so good!
Hmm, did you take 1/4 of the whipped cream and stir it through the melted chocolate before adding the chocolate back into the remainder of the cream? This part of the process helps to cool the chocolate down and should stop it from going too runny. Happy to hear it set in the end! I haven't tried putting mousse in a piping bag! If you did that, maybe you would want to do it when the mousse had almost set but not too firm.
Jackie says
This was so easy to make and what a beautiful dessert. I took it to friends for pre Xmas dinner and served it with Deep South Vanilla Ice Cream. What A Hit!!!! Thanks so much for yet another fabulous recipe.
Lee says
Very good mousse cake. Thank you so much for the recipe. Followed exactly to the recipe. Easy to make.
VJ cooks says
That's great to hear, thanks Lee.
Li says
So good!!! Just made this yesterday and it is delicious!
Lynette says
Can I freeze this for a few days.
VJ cooks says
The mousse and cake together would not freeze well sorry.
Gemma Young says
What is the best way to store this cake
Vanya Insull says
Hi Gemma! In the fridge, for up to three days in an airtight container. 🙂
Donna says
Hi, would the cake part work if you used gluten free flour?
Thanks
VJ cooks says
Yes, I have made it with gluten free flour! It works well. Or if you have a go-to gluten free chocolate cake recipe, you could use that and add the mousse on top.
Karin Stedall says
Hi vj
I made this recipe and it was super easy and a winner with the guests. I just have two questions. The recipe calls for 1 tsp of gelatine but in your step by step instructions it says 2 Tbl? Also is the 180 deg fan correct? The cake peaked quite badly and I flattened it while it was hot but that caused the cake to be more dense than I would have liked it. Most cakes made with this method are baked at 160 deg fan bake. Thanks
Karin Stedall says
My apologies it’s 2Tbl of water!
VJ cooks says
Hi Karin, I'm glad your guests liked it. Every oven is different so feel free to reduce the temperature if you need to. My cake hasn't domed before but if that is an issue, you could always slice the top off before putting the mousse in.
Caitlin says
Hi there, I am wanting to make this for my husbands birthday and he is obsessed with chocolate and cherry. Do you think I could put defrosted frozen cherries through the mousse? Or would it be better to have them on the top? It might be too hard basket and may be best to serve them on the side. What do you think? Thanks!
VJ cooks says
What a lovely idea! You could make a cherry coulis and serve it on the side? or give my Chocolate Gateau a go - layers of chocolate cake and cherries. https://vjcooks.com/black-forest-gateau/
Trace says
Just before I make this for the 1st time ( birthday present for a friend), need to check 2 things please? 1. that when I add the first 1/4 cup of whipped cream, should the melted choc mix be cool first? also, 2. What is the strength of your gelatine? Thanks
VJ cooks says
Hi Trace. Yes the chocolate mixture should be slightly cooled - I've amended the recipe to reflect this. I use the McKenzie's gelatine powder from my local supermarket.
Maureen Braun says
This dessert is absolutely gorgeous.
Made it yesterday for a dinner tonight.
I used Whittaker milk chocolate and served it with Barkers Strawberry sauce and vanilla ice cream.
It would have to be one of the most beautiful desserts I've made and I've prepared hundreds over the years
VJ cooks says
Oh wow that sounds amazing! I'm so pleased you enjoyed it 🙂
DH says
Can you make the cake base with gluten free flour?
VJ cooks says
Yes I've made it gluten free and it worked well! Just bear in mind gluten free cakes can dry out quicker than regular cakes so it won't keep for quite as long.
Tabs says
What can I use to replace the coffee so that kids can eat this please?
VJ cooks says
You can just leave it out 🙂
elissa says
My chocolate mixture is not runny but stiff. Is it because of too much geltain? How do I fix it please!
VJ cooks says
Possibly! The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon, how much did you put in?
Adele King says
How far in advance can you make and store this cake for?
VJ cooks says
Hi Adele, I recommend making this cake the day before serving to allow the mousse to firm up. The only risk of making it too far in advance is that the cake could dry out in the fridge. I think 2 days ahead of serving would be the maximum.
Tegan says
Hello! Would love to make this but for a larger crowd - would you have any recommendations for doubling the recipe? Or is it ok to just double everything
Thanks so much
VJ cooks says
Hi Tegan. Honestly, I think your best bet would be making it twice, or making it in two separate cake tins. Yes you can double all the ingredients. But the cake won't cook properly and the mousse wont set well if its too dense/thick. So if you have two cake tins the same size, you could double everything and make both cakes simultaneously.
Fiona says
I made this for a big group with 2 layers of mousse, one dark choc and one blondie. Topped with mixed fresh berries it was this Xmas's big hit.
VJ cooks says
Oh my god, that sounds amazing Fiona! What a great idea!
Nikita says
Made this today for the fussiest/pickiest dessert eaters, and they ALL came back for seconds! So so delicious, rich but not too rich!
VJ cooks says
That's great! Thank you for sharing!
Debbie says
Could a liqueur be added to the mousse? If so, how much and at what stage?
VJ cooks says
I haven't tried that sorry.
Susan says
The mousse part of this cake was EVERYTHING. However, I found the cake part to be a bit dry, If I reduced the cooking time or temp could I achieve a moister cake that is a little more fudgy?
VJ cooks says
Yeah give it a go.
Melissa says
Lovely rich dessert, I did find it on the sweet side for my personal taste. So might half the sugar in the mousse next time.
I also made this gluten free (as I'm coeliac), by using 150g of gluten free flour (woolworths plain flour - blue bag), added 70g of oil instead of butter (I find oil works best with GF flour to keep bakes moist), and added 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of milk instead of 1/3 cups throught the recipe (as GF needs more liquid). Turned out excellent.
VJ cooks says
That's great to know! Thanks for the feedback and tips, Melissa.
Betty Walk says
Can you use a box of chocolate cake mix instead?
VJ cooks says
Yes, no problem.
Arline says
Made this for a friend's birthday and what a hit. Not a piece was left to take home. Thanks for all your great recipes.
VJ cooks says
Oh it's such a great cake. So pleased to hear you all enjoyed it. Thanks for your feedback, Arline!