Welcome to a chocolate lover’s dream – the Chocolate Mousse Cake! The French have created many fabulous things and this is right near the top of the list. This version has a layer of light chocolate sponge topped with an airy chocolate mousse. Come on!
As the rest of my family aren’t fond of Christmas cake, I needed to come up with a dish that could be enjoyed as part of our Christmas dinner. This version of a Chocolate Mousse cake is now a family favourite. Made with milk chocolate for the sake of my kids’ taste buds, it’s soft and delicious in every way.
After Christmas dinner, the last thing my fam wanted was a heavy dessert. The lightness of the sponge and the velvety smooth mousse provide the perfect chocolatey treat before retiring to the couch.
Get out your Springform tin and make it the day before and chill in the fridge to make that festive cooking session that bit easier. A simple sponge and a quick mousse and here you are with a dessert that is far easier to make than you would expect.
Whether you’re a seasoned dessert enthusiast or a casual sweet tooth, this Chocolate Mousse Cake is a celebration of taste, tradition, and the simple joy of treating yourself. Indulge a little – because life is too short for ordinary desserts!
Also, explore these other Festive Sweet Treats
Salted Caramel Millionaires Tart
Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding
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Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipe
Chocolate Mousse Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Sponge Base
- 25 grams Cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp Boiling water
- 100 grams Butter (soft and room temperature)
- 2 large Eggs
- 100 grams Caster sugar
- 100 grams Self raising flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 2 tbsp Brandy (optional for a more grown up version)
Chocolate Mousse
- 200 grams Milk chocolate (dark chocolate for a more grown up version)
- 300 grams Double cream
Instructions
Prep
- Weigh/ measure your ingredients
- Chop the chocolate into small pieces to help it melt
To Make Sponge
- Pre-heat the oven to 350℉/ 180℃/ 160 fan
- Grease and line a 7 inch/ 18 cm spring form tin (See recipe notes)
- In a stainless steel bowl add your cocoa powder and boiling water and mix to a paste with a hand held mixer or a hand whisk
- Add the soft butter cut into small pieces and mix well
- Add the eggs and mix well
- Add the sugar, flour and baking powder and mix with the whisk and then a spatula
- Place your prepared spring form tin on a baking tray and, using the spatula, pour the cake mixture into the tin
- Encourage the cake mix into the edges with the spatula and level and smooth the top but no need to be too fussy
- Bake for 23-25 minutes, keeping the door closed until you need to check it. Dip the cake with a skewer or something similar and if the skewer comes out clean, the cake is done. If the melty cake coats the skewer, cook for a further two minutes and test again.
- Remove from the oven and place to the side to cool for 5-10 minutes. Remove the tin and paper and place the cake upside down on a wire rack to cool properly. Cooling it upside down will help the final texture of the cake
- When the cake has cooled enough to handle, carefully cut a thin slice off the top to create a flat base for the mousse. If using the brandy, brush it onto this cut surface at this time and allow to cool completely
To Make Mousse
- Chop the chocolate into small pieces to aid the melting process and melt over a bain-marie (See recipe notes). Once melted, set aside to cool just a little while you prepare the cream
- Whip the cream to a soft peak and gently fold in the melted chocolate until smooth and well blended
To Build The Cake
- Cut another piece of grease-proof/ parchment paper to line the inside of your tin but make this one 8-10 cm tall as the final cake might be taller than your spring-form tin
- Place your sponge base back inside the freshly lined tin and pour/ scrape your mousse on top. Gently encourage the mousse to the edges of the tin with a spatula and smooth the top
- Gently cover with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hrs or overnight
To Serve
- Cut into slices (use a warmed knife if you want to make the slices look as crisp as possible) and serve with cream, ice cream or perhaps some fruit. I like the sharpness of raspberries to compliment the chocolate but the choice is, of course, yours
Notes
- To line your tin with grease-proof/ parchment paper. firstly lay the tin on the paper and trace a circle around it. Cut out. For the sides of the tin, wrap the paper around the tin to mark the required length. Cut this length to a width that slightly exceeds the height of your tin. Rub a little soft butter over the base and around the interior sides of the pan and press your paper smoothly against it.
- A bain-marie is the french term for a double boiler. Very simply, boil a little water in a small pan and reduce to a simmer. Sit the bowl containing your chocolate on top of the pan ensuring the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stirring often, the heat from the steam will gently melt the chocolate without burning it