Chocolate Mousse Cake

5 from 4 votes

14 Comments

• Pin
• Share

By: Jill Mills Updated: Apr 23, 2025

Moist chocolate cake is topped with airy chocolate mousse and rich ganache in this Chocolate Mousse Cake. The best part is that it’s way easier to make than you may think!

I love the light, airy texture of chocolate mousse. I also love adding mousse to other desserts, like chocolate mousse brownies and chocolate mousse cupcakes. This chocolate mousse cake is the latest addition to my repertoire of chocolate mousse desserts. With chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, and chocolate ganache, it’s truly a chocolate lover’s dream!

Why This Chocolate Mousse Cake Is A Must-Make

I’ll definitely be making this cake every chance I get!

• Rich chocolate flavor. With cocoa powder in the cake and semi-sweet chocolate in the mousse and ganache, every bite of this cake is filled with chocolate-y goodness. This is definitely one for the chocolate lovers out there.
• Egg-free mousse. Classic mousse is made with egg but I decided to stick with just heavy cream for this mousse cake. There’s no fear of raw egg and no stress over tempering the egg just right. But the light texture remains!
• Stunning yet easy. This chocolate mousse cake is a show-stopper. It’s definitely one of those cakes that looks way harder and more intricate to make than it actually is. In fact, the hardest part of the recipe is just waiting for each layer to cool or chill before digging in.

Recipe Ingredients

There’s chocolate in every layer of this cake! Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the exact measurements.

Cake layer:

• All-purpose flour
• Sugar
• Cocoa powder – Adds the rich chocolate flavor.
• Baking powder & baking soda – Help the cake rise and achieve the perfect texture.
• Salt
• Milk – Whole or 2% are best.
• Vegetable oil – Adds richness and moisture to the cake.
• Egg
• Vanilla extract
• Hot water – Helps to activate the cocoa powder and enhances the chocolate flavor.

Mousse layer:

• Heavy cream – Helps the mousse whip up to be light and airy.
• Chocolate chips – I like to use Ghirardelli brand.
• Vanilla extract

Chocolate ganache:

• Semi-sweet chocolate – I like to use a bar of Ghirardelli chocolate and chop it into small pieces.
• Heavy cream – Turns the melted chocolate into a pourable ganache.

How To Make Chocolate Mousse Cake

This cake may appear fancy but it’s actually quite easy to make. Just be sure to allow plenty of time for the layers to chill. The printable version of the instructions is in the recipe card below.

• Prep. Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray the cake pan with baking spray and line it with flour.
• Make the cake batter. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix in the oil, egg, warm milk, and vanilla. Slowly stir in the hot water.
• Bake. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. Bake for 23-27 minutes. Cool completely.

• Make the mousse. Melt the chocolate chips for 30 seconds then in 10-15 second intervals until smooth. Let cool slightly. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Fold in the melted chocolate.
• Assemble the cake. Use a knife to level the cake if needed. Spread the mousse on top with a straight edge spatula to smooth the top. Chill for at least 2 hours.

• Add the ganache. Heat the chocolate and heavy cream in the microwave, starting with 30 seconds then 10-15 second intervals. Stir until smooth. Let it sit for 2 minutes. While it’s still pourable, pour the ganache over the mousse layer, letting it drop down the sides of the cake.
• Chill. Refrigerate the cake until the ganache is set. Enjoy!

Proper Storage

• Fridge. Store leftover chocolate mousse cake in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last for 3-4 days.
• Freezer. The cake can also be frozen. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

More Chocolate Cake Recipes

• Chocolate Depression Cake
• Best Chocolate Bundt Cake
• Black Forest Cake
• German Chocolate Cake
• Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

5 from 4 votes

Chocolate Mousse Cake

Moist chocolate cake is topped with airy chocolate mousse and rich ganache in this Chocolate Mousse Cake. The best part is that it's way easier to make than you may think!

Servings: 12 to 16 slices

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 27 minutes mins

Total: 47 minutes mins

Print Rate Save Saved!

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Cake layer:

• ▢ 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 cup sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 3/4 cup milk
• ▢ 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/2 cup hot water

Mousse layer:

• ▢ 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• ▢ 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate ganache:

• ▢ 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 8” cake pan with pan spray (or butter) and flour.
• In a large bowl, add flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk everything together. Add the vegetable oil, egg, milk (warmed) and vanilla and mix together until all the dry ingredients are mixed in. Slowly add the hot water to batter and stir until mixed through.
• Pour the batter into the 8” pan and place in the oven to bake for about 23-27 minutes. The cake will be done when a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely
• While the cake is baking, mix the mouse. Melt the chocolate chips slowly in the microwave starting with about 30 seconds, adding 10-15 seconds each time to melt a little more. Set aside to cool slightly. In a medium bowl add heavy cream and vanilla and whip with a hand mixer until the cream forms stiff peaks. Fold in the cooled chocolate trying not to deflate the cream.
• Start the cake assembly, if your cake is domed, level the cake with a knife and spread the mousse over the cake. Use a bench scraper or straight edge spatula to smooth on the sides of the mousse and move the excess to the top and then smoothing the top of the mousse. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to set.
• Make the ganache by adding the chocolate chips and heavy cream to a small bowl and heat in the microwave slowly by starting with about 30 seconds and then adding just 10-15 more seconds if you need to heat further. Stir until smooth and allow to set for about 2 minutes.
• When the ganache is cooled but still able to pour, pour it over the chilled mousse layer and allow it to drip down the sides of the cake. Refrigerate the cake again until the ganache sets and you’re ready to serve. Enjoy!

Last Step:

Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 610kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 171mg | Potassium: 422mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 650IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 4mg

Did You Make This?

Leave a comment & rating below or tag @kitchenfunwithmy3sons on social media!