Chocolate Mousse Cake

I don’t know about you, but if anything can cure a bad day, it’s four layers of chocolate cake with a creamy mousse-like filling.

This cake is rich, as it should be, but also light in its own way and not super sweet since there’s no buttercream.

It’s the kind of dessert I’d happily make for a birthday—or just because I’m craving chocolate lol.

The Details:

Chocolate mousse is a creamy, airy dessert made with chocolate, eggs and whipped cream. It’s similar to the filling of a french silk pie but I’d say a little more airy and less buttery. It’s generally topped with a dollop of whipped cream and chocolate shavings so I turned that into a fabulous cake! 

1. Chocolate Cake – a simple one bowl chocolate cake that gets baked in two pans and sliced in half to make four layers.
2. Chocolate Cream – the cream is similar to a diplomat cream but instead of pastry cream as the base, I used a simple custard I learned from my mom. The end result is very similar though.
3. Whipped Cream – I like to sweeten my whipped cream to give it a little more body and fullness.

Chocolate Cake

One of the simplest cakes to make!

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients
2. Add the oil to the dry ingredients, mix it all together.
3. Then add the eggs, sour cream and milk, mixing after each addition.
4. Bake in two pans and once they’ve cooled, slice each one in half to make four layers.

Chocolate Cream

There are sooo many ways to make chocolate mousse and a lot of them involve a hot water and chocolate mixture but I took inspiration from my mom’s dobos recipe to make a chocolate cream that’s very similar to diplomat cream for my chocolate mousse because it’s simple and stable enough to layer up without support.

Generally, frostings with so much whipped cream aren’t as stable to layer cakes so they normally use gelatin but the melted chocolate really helps give it some structure once it’s chilled.  Make sure to melt the chocolate before whipping the cream and only adding it once it’s cooled but is still soft enough to mix.

1. Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks until they’re pale and smooth.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan and then pour the melted butter into the egg yolk mixture while whisking it continuously to temper the egg yolks.
3. Return the whole mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking continuously until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
4. Pour back into the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and let it cool.
5. When the cake is ready to assemble, melt the chocolate and set aside.
6. Whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Remove about 1/4 of the whipped cream and set it aside for the topping.
7. Combine the rest of the whipped cream, custard and melted chocolate. The chocolate should still be melted and runny but no longer hot.

Assemble

1. Layer the first cake with chocolate cream and repeat until you place the last layer of cake on top.
2. Add the leftover whipped cream to the top of the cake and dust with cocoa powder or chocolate shavings.
3. Refrigerate the cake for several hours (or overnight) before serving.

How to store naked cakes

Generally my cakes are frosted on the outside and the frosting helps keep the moisture inside the cake so if it’s not sliced, I don’t usually cover the cake. However, naked cakes tend to dry out a little quicker so even if the cake is not sliced, I would cover it with a glass dome or at least plastic wrap or foil. 

To make this easier, refrigerate the cake for at least an hour so the cream isn’t as soft and then cover it. Refrigerate any cut slices in an airtight container for up to a week. 

Freezing this cake might be a little risky since it has a homemade whipped cream base so keep in mind, the cream risks separating once it thaws again. 

Thanks so much for stopping by, I hope you guys enjoy this chocolate mousse cake.

If you have any questions just leave a comment down below and if you love this recipe, I would love it if you left a 5-star rating or a review below.

As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!

Love, B

Recipes

Layer Cakes

Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipe

4.58 from 80 votes

prep 45 minutes mins

cook 45 minutes mins

Additional Time 6 hours hrs

total 7 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Serves 10 -14 servings

Moist dark chocolate cake frosted with a light and fluffy chocolate filling and topped with fresh whipped cream and chocolate shavings!

Author: Bernice Baran

Print Recipe Pin Recipe email recipe

Servings 10 -14 servings

1x2x3x

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

• ▢
  Small Offset Spatula
• ▢
  8 inch cake pan
• ▢
  Turntable, offset spatula & cake scrapers

Metric(US) Imperial

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

• ▢ 240 grams all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• ▢ 400 grams granulated sugar
• ▢ 80 grams unsweetened cocoa powder, spooned and leveled
• ▢ 1 Tbsp baking powder
• ▢ ½ tsp salt
• ▢ 180 mL canola oil, or any neutral oil
• ▢ 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ▢ 170 grams sour cream
• ▢ 180 mL milk, room temperature

Chocolate Cream

• ▢ 113 grams unsalted butter
• ▢ 50 grams granulated sugar
• ▢ 3 large egg yolks, room temperature
• ▢ 170 grams dark chocolate chips, melted
• ▢ 480 mL heavy whipping cream
• ▢ 30 grams powdered sugar, spooned and leveled
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ chocolate bar for shavings

Method

Chocolate Cream

1. Begin by making the custard portion for the cream so it has time to cool. Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks in a bowl until they're pale and smooth.
   50 grams granulated sugar, 3 large egg yolks room temperature
2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and then while whisking the egg yolks, stream the hot butter in to temper the eggs.
   113 grams unsalted butter
3. Return the whole mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking continuously, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and resembles lemon curd, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Remove it from the heat, pour it back into the bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Set it aside to cool completely to room temperature.

Chocolate Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/177C and grease two 8-inch cake pans with baking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper
2. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt until they're evenly distributed.
   240 grams all-purpose flour spooned and leveled, 400 grams granulated sugar, 80 grams unsweetened cocoa powder spooned and leveled, 1 Tbsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt
3. Add the oil and use an electric mixer, at medium speed, to combine the mixture until the dry ingredients are fully coated.
   180 mL canola oil or any neutral oil
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed for 20 seconds each. Scrape the edge of the bowl, add in the sour cream and beat the mixture until it's well combined.
   2 large eggs room temperature, 170 grams sour cream
5. Turn the mixer down to low speed and pour in the milk. Scrape the edge of the bowl and mix just until the batter is smooth.
   180 mL milk room temperature
6. Distribute the batter evenly among both pans, about 22oz in each. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the cake releases itself from the edge of the pan or springs back when you press on the center.
7. Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for a few minutes and then invert them onto a cooling rack or tea towel. Allow them to cool completely to room temperature and then slice each cake in half, to make four layers.

Finish Chocolate Cream

1. In a medium bowl, microwave the chocolate for 20 seconds, stir it and repeat until the chocolate is smooth. Set it aside to cool until it's no longer hot but still melted and runny.
   170 grams dark chocolate chips melted
2. To make the whipped cream, place the heavy whipping cream, vanilla and powdered sugar in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Use an electric mixer, at medium speed (so it doesn't splash), to beat the cream until it thickens slightly.
   480 mL heavy whipping cream, 30 grams powdered sugar spooned and leveled, 1 tsp vanilla extract
3. Then increase the speed to high and whip until it forms stiff peaks.
4. Remove about 1/4 of the whipped cream, for the top of the cake, and then add the custard to the bowl.
5. Beat the custard and the whipped cream just until they're smooth and then add the cooled, melted chocolate and beat until it's fully combined.

Assemble

1. Place the first layer of cake on a flat surface and use 1/3 of the chocolate cream to frost the first layer.
2. Repeat with the second and third layer and then place the fourth layer of cake on top. Frost with reserved whipped cream and use a grater to make chocolate shavings from a chocolate bar.
   chocolate bar for shavings
3. Refrigerate the cake for several hours so the cream can set. Serve slightly chilled.

Notes

I like to refrigerate for a few hours before serving. This gives the cream some time to set.

To prevent drying out, cover the cake fully and store it refrigerated for up to a week.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 752kcalCarbohydrates: 73gProtein: 9gFat: 48gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 170mgSodium: 280mgFiber: 3gSugar: 51g

Course: Layer Cakes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: 4 layer cake, 8 inch cake, chocolate cake, chocolate mousse cake, mousse cake