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Easy Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 455 reviews
  • Author: Harry
  • Total Time: 7 hours (including chilling time)
  • Yield: 8 to 10 servings 1x

Description

This Easy Chocolate Mousse Cake recipe combines a moist, rich chocolate cake base with a light and airy chocolate mousse topping, finished with a silky chocolate ganache and garnished with fresh raspberries and chocolate covered espresso beans. Perfect for chocolate lovers looking for an impressive dessert that’s surprisingly simple to make, this cake showcases layers of intense chocolate flavor with contrasting textures, all made from scratch using straightforward ingredients and classic baking techniques.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Chocolate Cake

  • 1 Cup (133g) all purpose flour
  • 3/4 Cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 1/3 Cup (30g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 Cup (60ml) vegetable oil
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 Cup (120ml) full-fat buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1/2 Cup (120ml) hot coffee or hot water

For the Chocolate Mousse

  • 2 Cups (370g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 1/3 Cups (560ml) heavy whipping cream, divided
  • 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp instant coffee or espresso powder (optional)

For the Chocolate Ganache

  • 1/2 Cup (93g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 Cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream

For the Garnish

  • 3 Oz fresh raspberries
  • 2 Oz chocolate covered espresso beans

Instructions

  1. Make the Chocolate Cake: Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and prepare a 9-inch springform pan by spraying the sides with cooking spray and lining the bottom with parchment paper. Optionally wrap the outside with aluminum foil to prevent leaks.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl until combined.
  3. Add Wet Ingredients: Pour in vegetable oil, egg, vanilla extract, and buttermilk; whisk until smooth. Slowly add hot coffee or hot water and whisk again until batter is thin and uniform.
  4. Bake the Cake: Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before proceeding.
  5. Prepare the Chocolate Ganache for Mousse: Place 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips in a bowl. Heat 1 cup (240ml) of heavy cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it begins to simmer around the edges. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until smooth. Allow ganache to cool to room temperature, about 25 minutes.
  6. Whip the Cream: In a mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with a whisk, combine remaining 1 1/3 cups (320ml) heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and optional coffee powder. Whip at low speed to combine, then at high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes.
  7. Make the Chocolate Mousse: Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled ganache until fully combined with no streaks remaining.
  8. Assemble Cake and Mousse: Remove cooled cake from springform pan and level the top with a serrated knife. Peel off parchment paper from the bottom and place cake back into the springform pan.
  9. Attach Acetate Collar: Wrap an acetate cake collar around the cake’s edge and tape it to hold in place to support mousse.
  10. Add Mousse Layer: Spread the chocolate mousse evenly over the cake layer with an angled spatula, smoothing to the edges of the acetate. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight to set.
  11. Prepare Chocolate Ganache for Topping: Place 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips in a bowl. Heat 1/2 cup heavy cream over medium heat until simmering. Pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
  12. Remove Cake Collar: Once mousse is set, release and remove the springform pan collar along with the acetate cake collar.
  13. Glaze the Cake: Pour the cooled ganache over the top of the mousse cake, spreading it with an angled spatula to cover the top and gently drip over the edges.
  14. Garnish and Serve: Decorate the cake with fresh raspberries and chocolate covered espresso beans arranged in a crescent pattern. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

  • To make your own buttermilk, combine 1/2 cup milk with 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes before using.
  • If making the ganache ahead, reheat gently in a double boiler or microwave in short bursts, stirring frequently, before pouring over the cake.
  • An acetate collar is helpful to keep the mousse edges neat but can be substituted with parchment or removed if you’re confident in handling mousse without spillage.
  • Ensure the ganache cools to room temperature before folding into whipped cream or pouring over the cake to prevent melting the mousse layer.
  • For a stronger coffee flavor, add 1 tsp instant coffee powder to the cake batter along with the cocoa powder or use espresso instead of coffee.
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: chocolate mousse cake, chocolate cake, mousse dessert, easy chocolate cake recipe, whipped cream mousse, chocolate ganache, springform cake

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Find it online: https://dishesbyharry.com/easy-chocolate-mousse-cake-recipe/