Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake
This decadent triple chocolate mousse cake is made with moist chocolate cake, whipped cream chocolate mousse, and two-ingredient chocolate ganache!
Equipment
- measuring cups and spoons
- mixing bowls
- Large Spoon or Spatula
- whisk
- small saucepan
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup strong, freshly brewed hot black coffee
Chocolate Mousse
- 8 ounces baking chocolate (see note below)
- 1 pint heavy cream (2 cups) cold, straight from the fridge
- 2 Tablespoons confectioners' sugar sifted (or powdered sugar)
- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
- 6 ounces baking chocolate (usually sold in 4 ounce bars in the baking aisle)
- 1 cup heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream)
Instructions
MAKE THE CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with tall walls and a removable bottom or a springform pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
- In another large mixing bowl, whisk together the two eggs, vanilla extract, vegetable oil, and sour cream.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix it with a large spoon or spatula until there is no dry mixture visible. (It’ll be very thick and pretty dry at this point)
- Add the hot coffee (or substitute hot water) and whisk to combine. (It’ll be thick at first, but it’ll become smooth after a little mixing.)
- Pour the chocolate cake batter in the greased cake pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.
- Let the cake cool for 15 minutes, then remove it from the cake pan. Allow it to cool to room temperature for at least one hour on a cooling rack.
MAKE THE MOUSSE
- While the cake cools, make the mousse.Melt the chocolate: You can melt it in a microwave safe bowl on 20 second intervals, stirring well after each time. Or melt it with a double boiler on the stove. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
- In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the cold heavy cream for a few minutes, just until it starts to thicken.
- Add the vanilla extract and sift in both the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder while mixing on a low speed. Continue to beat the mixture until it thickens and begins to form soft peaks. (Be careful not to over-mix the cream.)
- Add the melted chocolate and use a silicone spatula to gently fold the chocolate into the cream. Don’t mix too vigorously, otherwise the mousse will become thick and crumbly.
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE
- Trim off the sides and the top of the cake with a serrated knife to make it flat. Flip the cooled cake upside down onto a cake stand or serving platter. (This is a trick so the top of the cake is flat and doesn't have a mess of loose crumbs.)
- Spread the chocolate mousse on top of the cake in an even layer. Smooth the top and sides with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Place the cake in the freezer for about 20 minutes (or in the fridge for anywhere from 1 to 4 hours) while you prepare the ganache.
MAKE THE GANACHE
- Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place them in a large heat-proof bowl. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan on medium heat, bring the heavy cream to a simmer.
- Once the cream starts to bubble, remove it from the heat and pour it over the chopped chocolate. Let it sit, without stirring, for about 1 to 2 minutes until the chocolate softens and starts to melt.
- Whisk it until it’s smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
DECORATE THE CAKE
- Remove the cake from the fridge or freezer.Pour the cooled ganache on top of the chilled mousse cake. Allow the ganache to run down the sides of the cake as well. You can smooth the sides with a bench scraper or offset spatula.
- Serve your cake immediately, or chill uncovered until you’re ready to serve it. Optional: Use a vegetable peeler and a bar of chocolate bar to decorate the top of the cake with chocolate curls.
Notes
- Room temperature ingredients: Set your eggs and sour cream on the counter for about 20 minutes to come to room temperature before mixing into the cake batter.
- Cold ingredients: Use heavy cream for the mousse cold, straight from the fridge. This will help it whip up better.
- Cooled Chocolate: For the mousse, make sure you allow your melted chocolate about 15 to 20 minutes to cool to room temperature before adding the whipped cream. Otherwise it could cause the whipped cream to seize and become thick and grainy.
- Folding: To fold ingredients, use a large silicone spatula. Scrape along the center of the bottom of the bowl towards you, continue up the side, and scoop the mixture over the top of itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and continuing repeating these steps.
- Make Ahead: You can bake the cake ahead of time, allow it to cool, then wrap it in plastic wrap for up to 2 days ahead of time. You can make the mousse up to 2 days ahead of time and store it in the fridge.
- Storage: Store leftover cake with plastic wrap covering the sides of any slices in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 513kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 8gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.05gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 237mgPotassium: 367mgFiber: 6gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 751IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 92mgIron: 6mg
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