Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake
Everything you could ever want in a chocolate cake is right here in this dark chocolate mousse cake! It consists of four layers of incredibly moist chocolate sponge, decadent dark chocolate mousse, and silky dark chocolate ganache. It’s a chocolate on chocolate dessert yet it isn’t overwhelmingly rich, it’s just the right amount of decadence to satisfy that chocolate craving.
Ingredients
For the chocolate cake:
- 160 g (1 ⅓ cups) all-purpose flour
- 224 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) granulated sugar
- 21 g (¼ cup) dutch process cocoa powder
- 21 g (¼ cup) black cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 150 g (⅔ cup) whole milk, room temp
- 100 g (½ cup) neutral oil
- 2 eggs, room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 75 g (⅓ cup) freshly brewed hot coffee or espresso
For the dark chocolate mousse:
- 227 g (1 ⅓ cups) dark chocolate
- 283 g (1 ¼ cups) heavy cream, divided
- 1 egg, room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the chocolate ganache
- 150 g (⅔ cup) heavy cream
- 85 g (½ cup) dark chocolate
Instructions
For the chocolate cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9" square pan with parchment paper.
- Soak cake strips in ice water.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powders, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk until just combined.
- Lastly, whisk in the hot coffee until fully combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and wrap the soaked cake strips around the outside of the pan. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan completely. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until ready to assemble.
For the dark chocolate mousse:
- In a medium bowl, add the chocolate and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, bring 170g (¾ cup) heavy cream to a simmer (or about 190 degrees F), then pour over the chocolate and mix until smooth.
- Whisk in the egg, vanilla, and salt until fully combined.
- In a separate small bowl, add the remaining 113g (½ cup) heavy cream and use an electric mixer to beat until stiff peaks form.
- Add the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture and gently fold with a rubber spatula until fully combined.
- Pour into a shallow dish and press plastic wrap up against the surface and chill for at least one hour.
For assembly:
- Line a pullman pan with parchment paper.
- Cut the cooled cake in half, and each half into two layers, giving 4 layers measuring roughly 9x5. You may need to trim the sides to make them fit in the pan.
- Add the first cake layer to the bottom of the pan and top with ⅓ of the mousse. I used a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop and added 4 scoops to each layer.
- Repeat with the remaining cake layers and mousse. Set aside.
For the dark chocolate ganache:
- In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer (or about 190 degrees F), then remove from heat, add the chocolate, and mix until smooth.
- Pour the warm ganache over the assembled cake and spread into an even layer.
- Place the cake in the fridge uncovered and chill for at least two hours before serving.
Notes
- Use a cake strip to create a flat cake. Soak these wilton cake strips in ice water before starting the cake batter. Just before baking, wrap the cake strips around the pan. The cold temperature on the outside of the cake will prevent the edges from baking faster than the center, resulting in an evenly baked flat cake.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion the filing. To add an even amount of filling to each layer, use a cookie scoop. I used a 3 tablespoon scoop and added 4 scoops to each layer.
- Chill the cake for at least two hours. To ensure the mousse and ganache have thickened up and the cake cuts easily, chill it uncovered for at least two hours!
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 607kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 203mg | Potassium: 391mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 744IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 5mg
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