Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Dec. 12, 2024
This Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake is a light, velvety, decadent showstopper that’s a chocolate lover’s dream come true! Bonus: It can be made a day ahead.
In This Article
This post may contain affiliate links, at no additional cost to you.
Video: watch us make this Recipe
Why This Recipe Stands Out
This Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake is what we reach for during special occasions. Here’s why:
- Looks Impressive: Serve up this triple chocolate mousse cake and be prepared for plenty of “oooohs” and “aaaahs” and zero leftovers, a lot like this Tiramisu Cake.
- Easy to Make: This cake is easier than you think! And that’s especially a wonderful thing when it comes to a cake that is actually worthy of every single bite you’re about to take.
- Naturally Gluten-Free: This chocolate mousse cake is naturally gluten-free, so all your eaters who have gone gluten-free can enjoy it as well. It reminds us of our Gluten-Free Apple Crisp.
- Make Ahead: You can make it entirely the day beforehand, making party day that much easier, like this Key Lime Pie.
Key Recipe Ingredients
- Butter, Chocolate, and Espresso Powder – These three ingredients form the base of our cake, providing a rich, deep chocolate flavor that is further enhanced by the instant espresso powder.
- Eggs – We use four large eggs, separated into yolks and whites, to give the bottom layer of the cake its structure and light, airy texture.
- Heavy Cream – This is used in the middle and top layers of the cake to add a creamy, smooth texture. Make sure it is very cold for the best results.
- Brown Sugar – We use packed light brown sugar to sweeten the bottom layer of the cake and to add a hint of caramel flavor.
- White Chocolate Chips – These are used in the top layer of the cake and are responsible for the sweet, vanilla flavor of the final mousse layer.
Substitutions And Variations
Here are a few of our favorite variation and substitution ideas:
- The Middle Layer: The middle layer is a silky smooth chocolate mousse. While we love the bittersweet chocolate flavor, you can try different types of chocolate such as semi-sweet chocolate or white chocolate for a different flavor profile.
- The Top Layer: The top layer of this cake is a white chocolate mousse, but feel free to get creative with this layer as well. Try adding some fresh berries to the mousse or even a splash of flavored extract like peppermint or orange.
- Garnishes: Try caramel sauce drizzle, hot fudge sauce, or a sprinkle of your favorite chopped nuts.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease a 9-inch springform pan. Melt butter, chocolate, and espresso powder, then mix with vanilla and egg yolks.
- Beat egg whites with brown sugar to soft peaks, and fold into chocolate mixture.
- Carefully transfer batter to a greased springform pan, gently smoothing the top, and bake for 14–18 minutes. Cool completely.
- Stir cocoa powder and hot water into melted chocolate. Whip cream with sugar and salt until soft peaks form.
- Fold whipped cream into the chocolate mixture, spread over the bottom layer, and chill.
- Bloom gelatin in water. Melt white chocolate with a cream-gelatin mixture, then cool.
- Whip cream to stiff peaks and fold into the white chocolate. Spread over the middle layer and chill for at least 2.5 hours.
- Release the cake from the pan, garnish with shaved chocolate or cocoa powder, and slice to serve. Keep chilled.
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
How To Prep Ahead
Take a look at our best prep-ahead tips for this recipe:
- Make the Bottom Layer in Advance: This layer of the cake can be prepared and baked ahead of time. Once it’s completely cooled, you can store it in the fridge for a day or two before assembling the rest of the cake.
- Make Entirely Ahead of Time: This cake is a great make-ahead dessert. You can prepare the whole cake and let it chill in the fridge overnight. This allows the flavors to meld together and the mousse to set perfectly. Just add the garnishes right before serving.
Commonly Asked Questions
Why does my chocolate mousse cake have air bubbles?
Air bubbles can form in your mousse cake when you’re folding in the whipped cream or egg whites. To avoid this, make sure to fold gently and patiently until no white streaks remain. Do not overdo it, as this can also cause the mousse to become too dense.
Why did my gelatin mixture become lumpy when I added it to the hot cream?
If your gelatin mixture became lumpy, it’s likely because the cream was too hot when you added it. Make sure to bring the cream to a gentle simmer, then remove it from the heat and let it cool for a minute or two before adding the gelatin mixture. This will prevent the gelatin from clumping and give you a smooth, creamy texture.
How long does triple chocolate mousse cake keep?
This triple chocolate mousse cake can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Make sure to store it in an airtight container for best results.
Did you make this?
Please give us a rating and comment below. We love hearing from you!
Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake
This Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake is adapted from America’s Test Kitchen, and is the best mousse cake we’ve ever tasted. It’s light yet rich, decadent yet not heavy, and absolutely chocolatey. Use the best quality chocolate you can. May be made a day ahead.
Ingredients
For the Bottom Layer
- 6 TB salted butter, sliced into 6 pieces (plus extra for greasing pan)
- 7 oz high quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 tsp instant espresso, or coffee powder
- 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, separated yolks vs. whites
- table salt
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed, lumps loosened
For the Middle Layer
- 2 TB Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 5 TB water, hot
- 7 oz high quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream, very cold
- 1 TB granulated sugar
- ⅛ tsp table salt
For the Top Layer
- 1 tsp gelatin, plain powdered
- 1 TB water
- 6 oz white chocolate chips, high quality
- 1.5 cups heavy cream, very cold
- chocolate shavings, for garnishing, or cocoa powder, melted chocolate
Instructions
For the Bottom Layer
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 325F. Butter bottom and sides of a 9 to 9.5 inch springform pan.
- In a glass bowl, melt butter, chocolate, and espresso/coffee powder in microwave at 30 second intervals at 50% power. Repeat and stir until very smooth. Alternatively, you can place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
- Cool mixture about 5 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla and egg yolks. Set aside.
- In stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites and pinch of table salt at medium speed until frothy, 30 seconds.
- Add half of the brown sugar and beat until combined, 15 seconds. Add rest of brown sugar, beat on high until soft peaks form, 1 minute.
- Scrape sides halfway through. Using a whisk, gently fold in one-third of the beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture.
- Using rubber spatula, gently fold in the rest of egg whites until no white streaks remain, but don't overdo it.
- Carefully transfer batter to greased springform pan, gently smoothing the top. Bake until cake is risen and firm around edges and center has just set but is still soft. Center of cake will spring back after pressing gently with finger, about 14-18 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Do not remove cake from pan.
For the Middle Layer
- Combine cocoa powder and hot water in a small bowl and set aside. In a glass bowl, melt chocolate in microwave set to 50% power in 30 second intervals until smoothly melted. Remove and cool 5 minutes.
- In the clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip the cream, sugar, and salt at medium speed until mixture thickens, 30 seconds. Increase to high speed and whip until soft peaks form, 1 minute.
- Whisk cocoa powder mixture into melted chocolate until smooth. Gently whisk in one-third of whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in rest of whipped cream until no white streaks remain – don't overdo it.
- Spoon mousse into springform pan over the cooled bottom layer. Gently tap pan on counter to remove large air bubbles, gently smooth top, and wipe inside edge to remove drips. Chill cake while preparing top layer.
For the Top Layer
- In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water and let stand 5 minutes. Place white chocolate in a bowl and set aside. Bring 1/2 cup cream to simmer in a small saucepan.
- Remove from heat. Add gelatin mixture and stir until fully dissolved. Pour cream mixture over the white chocolate and whisk until fully melted and smooth. Cool to room temp, stirring occasionally.
- In clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip remaining cup of cream at medium speed until it thickens, 30 sec. Increase speed to high speed and whip until almost stiff peaks form, 1 minute.
- Using whisk, gently fold a third of whipped cream into the cooled white chocolate mixture. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in rest of whipped cream just until no white streaks remain. Spoon batter into springform pan over chilled middle layer. Smooth top and chill at least 2.5 hours or overnight.
- Serve chilled; carefully run thin knife around edges of pan and gently release sides. Garnish as desired (we recommend melted, drizzled chocolate.) Slice to serve.
Notes
- Use a good nonstick springform pan. This will make it easy to release the cake without damaging its delicate layers.
- The springform pan must be at least 3 inches high for the layers in this triple chocolate mousse cake.
- When adding the brown sugar to beaten egg whites for the bottom layer, do it in two stages. This will help the sugar to incorporate evenly and maintain the fluffy texture of the whites.
- When making the middle layer, make sure your heavy cream is very cold. This will help it to thicken faster and hold its shape when whipped.
- For the top layer, be patient and let the gelatin mixture cool to room temperature after dissolving. If it’s too hot, it can cause the whipped cream to melt and your mousse won’t set properly.
- This cake can be completely made a day in advance.
- This recipe is part of our Chocolate Recipes Collection.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 22.4g | Protein: 5.1g | Fat: 31.1g | Saturated Fat: 18.4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 97.7mg | Sodium: 32mg | Fiber: 3.2g | Sugar: 16.1g
More to BAKE And Eat
- Dairy-Free Healthy Chocolate Cake – This Dairy-Free Healthy Chocolate Cake is moist and dense, rich and super chocolatey.
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake – Indulgently rich, this chocolate zucchini cake is surprisingly healthy too! It has the perfect balance of moisture and rich chocolate flavors that satiate your sweet tooth.
- Chocolate Kahlua Cake – This recipe for rich, decadent Chocolate Kahlua Cake lets you have a truly sensational cake in record time.
- Molten Chocolate Pudding Cake – This one is for all the proud chocoholics in the world. Simply divine. This Molten Chocolate Pudding Cake is better than anything you can get from a restaurant.