Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake

This Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake is a decadent and rich triple chocolate cake with light mousse and a smooth ganache coating.

This Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake is not for someone who just likes chocolate.  It is a sinfully rich, incredibly delicious triple chocolate cake that will satisfy even the most ardent chocolate lover. Although this recipe requires time and effort, it is not difficult to make. That said, because of the amount of work that goes into this beautiful cake I only make it for special occasions like a birthday or celebration.

This cake is decadence layered on top of decadence. The soft chocolate cake is rich, flavourful, and moist, while the mousse is light but intensely chocolatey, and the smooth ganache coating finishes it all. Each layer of this cake would be enough to satisfy even the most ardent of chocolate lovers. Although this cake is incredibly luxurious, it’s not excessively rich. Each layer of this amazing cake compliments the others with different textures and depths of chocolate flavour. This beautiful layer cake is quite time consuming to prepare, but I promise you the result is worth it.

TOTAL TIME

• Preparation Time – 15 minutes
• Cooking Time – 42 minutes, plus 1 hour 30 minutes chilling time
• Total Time – 2 hours 27 minutes

INGREDIENTS FOR DARK CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE

All the ingredients for this Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake are easy to source from any local grocer.

Soft Chocolate Cake

• 2 cups All Purpose Flour
• 2 cups White Sugar
• 3/4 cup Cocoa Powder
• 2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt
• 2 Eggs
• 1 cup Cold Brewed Coffee
• 1 cup Buttermilk
• 1/2 cup Avocado Oil

Chocolate Mousse

• 400 grams Dark Chocolate
• 4 tbsp Espresso
• 4 Egg Yolks
• 2 tbsp Vanilla Paste
• 2 cups Whipping Cream
• 2 tbsp White Sugar

Chocolate Ganache

• 3 1/2 cups Bitter Sweet Chocolate
• 1 1/2 cups Whipping Cream

CAN I MAKE ONE CAKE AND CUT IT INTO LAYERS INSTEAD OF MAKING THREE CAKES?

I definitely would not recommend doing this. This cake is extremely soft, and will shred if you try cutting it horizontally into separate layers. I strongly recommend making three separate cakes and layering them.

WHAT CAN I DO WITH MY LEFTOVER EGG WHITES FROM THE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE?

I recommend using your leftover egg whites to make my delicious Coconut Macaroons. The four egg whites from this recipe will make one batch of macaroons with one white left over.

IS VANILLA PASTE THE SAME AS VANILLA EXTRACT?

While both vanilla paste and vanilla extract are made from vanilla beans, they are not interchangeable. Vanilla extract is a liquid (normally made by soaking vanilla beans in alcohol) that will impart a light vanilla flavour to your baked goods. Vanilla paste has the consistency of syrup and contains little black flecks of the vanilla pod. The paste is made using the whole pod and has a more intense taste.

DO I HAVE TO USE COFFEE AND ESPRESSO IN THIS RECIPE?

Coffee adds a depth of flavour to both the layer cakes and chocolate mousse. The bitterness of the coffee brings out the richness of the chocolate. That said, you don’t have to add coffee to this recipe if you really don’t want to: you can simply use milk in it’s place.

INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS

CAN I USE MILK CHOCOLATE INSTEAD OF BITTERSWEET OR DARK?

I would advise against using milk chocolate in this recipe. This cake is rich and decadent, and part of what makes it so delicious is the depth of chocolate flavour and the layers of different types of chocolate. If you replace those nuanced flavours with all milk chocolate, the result won’t be as sumptuous.

IS THERE A SUBSTITUTE FOR BUTTERMILK?

If you don’t have access to buttermilk, you can easily substitute with it whole milk and a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Simply add the vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of whole milk and leave for at least fifteen minutes to allow it to curdle. The key to a good substitution is milk fat: either whole milk or milk with a splash of cream.

CAN I USE ALL DARK CHOCOLATE INSTEAD OF SOME BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE?

Dark chocolate is not the same thing as bittersweet, however they are mostly interchangeable depending on your taste. Bittersweet chocolate tends to have around 70% cacao content and quite low in sugar, while Dark chocolate normally starts around 70% cacao and goes up. If you don’t have bittersweet chocolate, you can certainly substitute dark in this recipe, just make sure you keep an eye on your cacao content.

CAN I MAKE THIS LACTOSE FREE?

Definitely. My husband loves this cake, but has dairy allergies so I routinely make it with lactose free milk and cream.

CAN I SUBSTITUTE VANILLA EXTRACT FOR VANILLA PASTE?

Although vanilla extract has a lighter flavour than vanilla paste, it can be substituted one for one without issue.

EQUIPMENT FOR DARK CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE

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Below is a list of the main equipment/kitchen tools needed to make this Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake recipe:

• Small Sauce Pan

• Heat Proof Bowl

• Kitchen Aid Mixer – You can certainly make this cake by hand if you don’t own a mixer, but you will find it difficult to fully incorporate the butter into the chocolate mixture. I highly recommend purchasing a good mixer if you are able to do so. I adore my Kitchen Aid Professional mixer. It will also make whipping cream a breeze!

• Spatula

• 3 9 inch Springform Pans

• Parchment Paper – I highly recommend lining your springform pan with parchment paper as it will prevent the bottom of your dark chocolate mousse cake from sticking.

COOKING DIRECTIONS

This Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake is time consuming, but simple to make as long as you follow a few rules:

1. Make three separate cake layers.
2. Give the cake time to cool completely to room temperature before icing it.
3. Chill the mousse before using it in your cake.

MAKE AHEAD STORAGE

All components of this Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake can be made in advance. The mousse can be made the day before and refrigerated overnight. The ganache can be made the day before as well, just make sure it is room temperature before you try and spread it on the cake. The cake layers can also be made the day before and stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

This cake will keep beautifully covered in the fridge for five days. It can also be frozen in an airtight container for several months.

FINISHED DISH

Enjoy your incredibly decadent Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake!

OTHER CAKES

Nut Free Carrot Cake

Dark Chocolate Truffle Cake

OTHER DESSERTS WITH CHOCOLATE

Berry and Mango Buttercream Cupcakes

Dark Chocolate Mousse

Dark Chocolate Almond Bark

Dark Chocolate Cashew Butter Cups

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

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