Chocolate Chocolate Mousse Cake

A rich chocolate cake made from scratch and layered with decadent velvety chocolate mousse – a perfect celebration cake for a party.

I love a good chocolate cake recipe and I don’t mind it taking a bit more time than other cakes because the end result is so heavenly good! A slice of chocolate mousse cake is an amazing treat after a birthday dinner or for St Valentine’s Day.

This easy chocolate mousse cake is just layers of chocolate over chocolate and it is a prime example of how we can make restaurant-level desserts at home with just pantry staples.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Lush cake for a big family celebration making 12 to 16 generous portions. It is also a great childhood memory flavor for me!
• Easy to make. The prep and cooking time is under an hour, and all the heavy work is done by our oven and chilling the cake. It makes it a perfect recipe for beginners.
• Absolutely decadent! Perfect dessert that no chocolate lover will be able to resist.

Mousse Cake Ingredients

I make chocolate cake from scratch and an easy chocolate mousse without using raw eggs, egg whites, or gelatin. You can of course just use a cake box mix to significantly cut the prep time.

You’ll find more detailed instructions on the recipe card at the end of the post.

Cake

• All-purpose flour or gluten-free flour if some of your guests have celiac disease.
• Granulated sugar. If you use powdered sugar, you will need to use more of it, about 1 3/4 cup of powdered sugar per 1 cup of granulated sugar.
• Natural cocoa powder is what will make our cake base chocolatey. Use unsweetened cocoa powder to make sure all the added sugar doesn’t make the cake too sweet.
• Baking powder and baking soda will work as leavening agents.
• Large eggs are a must in homemade cakes as they add structure and the spongey, light yet dense structure.
• Milk is the base for a good cake batter. A great alternative is a buttermilk or sour cream for an even richer flavor and moist crumbs.
• Vegetable oil. I use vegetable oil instead of unsalted butter for this recipe to keep the cake moist and soft.
• Vanilla extract. Pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste is the best for baking. We add it for subtle flavor and aroma. If you are not a fan of vanilla, almond extract is a nice substitute.
• A pinch of salt to balance out the sweetness and round up the flavors.

Chocolate Mousse Topping

It is my go-to chocolate mousse recipe I use it on its own as well.

• Heavy cream, chilled, is the base of our top mousse layer. You can use heavy whipping cream or double cream but don’t use its light version. For vegan cake use coconut cream.
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips. I love mildly sweeter chocolate, but you can use any kind of chocolate chip. Dark chocolate mousse made with dark chocolate chips works amazingly as well and tastes bitter, while milk chocolate chips have the lowest chocolate percentage and work best for sweet tooths. Chips can be swapped with chocolate bars or candy melts. We need high-quality chocolate as we will be able to taste the difference.
• Confectioner’s sugar
• Vanilla extract

Kitchen Equipment

• 9×13-inch baking dish. I just grease the pan but you can also line it with parchment paper.
• microwave-safe bowl to quickly melt the chocolate. You can also use a double boiler method or a medium saucepan to prepare melted chocolate.
• Electric mixer or stand mixer.

How To Make This Chocolate Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipe

1: Mix The Dry Ingredients

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 9×13 baking pan and dust it lightly with cocoa powder. Shake out any excess. Don’t forget to grease the sides of the pan too.
3. Whisk the cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

2: Mix The Wet Ingredients

1. Mix in the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla, beating until smooth in a separate large bowl.
2. Whisk in the boiling water until the batter is thinned out and smooth. Hot water isn’t what we need – we need boiling water to ‘activate” cocoa powder.

3: Combine & Bake The Cake Layer

1. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. A toothpick test should return clean or you can gently press your finger in the center of the cake and it should spring back.
2. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan.

4: Melt The Chocolate

1. Make the topping by melting the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl, cooking in 30-second intervals in the microwave.
2. Stir in between each interval until melted and smooth. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly as hot chocolate will ruin the texture of the mousse once added to the whipped cream.

5: Make The Chocolate Mixture For Mousse Topping

1. Combine the heavy cream, confectioner’s sugar, and vanilla in the medium bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer). Beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Do not whip until stiff peaks form, as it can make the mixture too dense.
2. Gently fold the melted chocolate into the whipped cream mixture until fully incorporated.
3. Let the mousse set in the fridge for the best results.

6: Assemble The Chocolate Chocolate Mousse Cake

1. Once the cake has cooled, spread the mousse mixture on top of the cake to cover completely.
2. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours to allow everything to set before serving. It is also easier to slice cooled cake.

Storing

Storing. You can store the leftover chocolate chocolate mousse cake in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Make sure the cake is completely cool before you store it.

Take the cake out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving.

Freezing. I would not freeze the assembled cake as the mousse will lose its texture after thawing, but you can freeze baked cake layers for up to 1 month wrapped in two layers of foil. Thaw the cake at room temperature for at least 1-2 hours before assembling the cake.

Making ahead. You can bake the cake layer 2 days in advance but the mousse is best fresh.

Variations & Substitutions

• Chocolate mousse cake filling. The mousse can not only serve as a topping but also an amazing lush and decadent mousse filling for the cake. In that case, you need to bake two cake layers or cut one cake evenly horizontally with a sharp knife and add the chocolate mousse filling in between.
• Mousse can be made fluffier and creamier is you melt in some marshmallows.
• The cake layer can also be an airy sponge cake.
• Add espresso powder or brewed coffee to bring out all the chocolate flavor of the cake.
• Decorations. Chocolate shavings or some chopped chocolate, colorful sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, fresh berries, figs, edible flowers, a dollop of whipping cream, or a whole extra layer of chocolate ganache.
• You can use a round cake pan too, a 9-inch cake springform pan will work great. The spring form pan is best for safely removing the cake layer without it sticking to the sides. At the same time, you can easily turn this mousse cake recipe into cupcakes! Would be great for potlucks and parties.
• Make a layered cake. Simple repeat the cake batter steps to bake as many layers as you wish! The filling can be different for each layer, with berries or peanut butter being great options too.

Expert Tips To Make The Best Chocolate Mousse Cake

• If you want to make sure your cake is moist even after it cools down, let it cool slightly for 10-15 minutes, and then wrap it in plastic wrap tightly and cool completely. It will trap all the moisture inside.
• If you have extra mousse, you can spread the remaining mousse over the edges of the entire cake.
• Do not overmix the cake batter or the mousse. It is probably the trickiest part of the process.

If you love this chocolate recipe, you’re going to love these other chocolate recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

More Great Chocolate Cake Recipes

Naked Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Pudding Chocolate Cake

Espresso Chocolate Cake

World’s Best Chocolate Cake

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