This super moist dark chocolate mousse cake combines unsweetened natural cocoa powder and dark cocoa powder for an extra rich flavor. Fill the cake with a simplified chocolate mousse and cover the whole dessert with semi-sweet chocolate ganache. If needed, you can prepare the ganache and mousse ahead of time.
Chocolate mousse is simple divinity in its own right, but when paired with chocolate cake, it’s downright decadent. And then add chocolate ganache to the mix? Have mercy.
This spectacularly rich chocolate cake is such a personal and reader favorite that I knew I had to include it in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101 (which has become a New York Times Best Seller!). The cakes chapter just would not have been complete without it!
It’s actually the first recipe in that chapter, and in the book it’s titled “Chocolate Ganache Cake: 2 Ways,” because I include a second filling option—peanut butter frosting instead of chocolate mousse, just like this recipe for dark chocolate peanut butter cake. Both versions of ganache-topped chocolate layer cakes have received such glowing reviews on my website, I simply couldn’t choose between them… so I found a way to include them both!
This cake basically demands a huge gathering because—trust me—you don’t want to be left alone with its temptation. It WILL call out your name each time you open the refrigerator.
Taunting you.
One reader, Judy, commented: “Don’t make this cake unless you want everyone who has a bite to request that you make it for every special occasion for the rest of time 🙂 I do four layers and follow the recipe exactly, and it has come out perfectly every time. I’ve already made at least ten of these cakes. Fabulous! ★★★★★“
One reader, Cecilia, commented: “OMG! This cake is absolutely divine! It’s a chocolate lover’s dream. The chocolate mousse is heavenly. I made it for my niece’s birthday and ended up making a four-layer cake. There were no leftovers. I don’t need any other chocolate cake recipe. This is it! Definitely the best! ★★★★★“
One reader, Brittney, commented: “This cake turned out amazing! I made it for a birthday party… and it was requested to be the new ‘party cake’! ★★★★★“
3 Parts to Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake
Let’s break down each component of this intensely rich cake:
- Dark Chocolate Cake: This is actually a variation of my tuxedo cake, which originated from my chocolate cake recipe. In recent years, I’ve found that replacing sour cream for some of the buttermilk gives the cake more structure.
- Chocolate Mousse: I researched simplified ways to make a fluffy chocolate mousse filling without the use of eggs or gelatin. This chocolate mousse filling combines real chocolate and homemade whipped cream. Or our whipped frosting would make a wonderful alternative filling if you don’t want to make the chocolate mousse!
- Chocolate Ganache: Top the whole cake with 2 ingredient semi-sweet chocolate ganache. You should be a chocolate ganache pro by now!
Video Tutorial: Chocolate Mousse Cake
Stick-to-the-back-of-your-fork moist. This is every chocolate lover’s dream!
Dark Chocolate Cake
Use this chocolate cake as the starting point. For a sturdier, yet moister crumb, swap some sour cream in for the buttermilk and reduce the hot liquid. The acidity in both sour cream and buttermilk is a must to properly leaven this cake. (If desired, see my posts on Baking Powder vs Baking Soda and Baking with Buttermilk for more information.) This cake has a natural dark chocolate taste, but to deepen that flavor, use a mix of natural cocoa and Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder. A touch of espresso powder and hot coffee further enhances the chocolate flavor. The cake will not taste like coffee. Rather, the two add depth to the cake’s chocolate flavor.
- Why hot liquid? The hot liquid encourages the cocoa powder to bloom and dissolve. If you don’t drink coffee, you can use hot water.
You have options! You can make this cake into 2, 3, or 4 layers. I highly recommend 3 or 4 layers because there’s over 4 cups of chocolate mousse to spread inside. You can use 8 inch or 9 inch pans. The bake times are similar, see recipe notes.
A cup of chocolate chips adds even more chocolate flavor. I used 1 cup (180g) of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips in this pictured cake, but left them out in the video. They’re optional, but definitely worth the addition!!
You can also see this exact cake batter baked as three layers in both my chocolate peanut butter cake and chocolate raspberry cake (try one of those next!).
Simplified Chocolate Mousse
The chocolate mousse adds a creamy and light contrast to the dark chocolate layers. You need 6 ingredients:
- Hot Water
- Cocoa Powder – natural or dutch-process
- Melted Chocolate – use two 4-ounce chocolate baking bars found in the baking aisle
- Heavy Cream
- Confectioners’ Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
Whisk the hot water and cocoa powder together. Pour into melted chocolate. The hot water breaks up the chocolate, adding to the airy mousse consistency. Cocoa powder creates additional chocolate flavor. Fold this chocolate mixture into whipped cream—a combination of heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract.
Whipped cream + our chocolate mixture. ↑
Fold them together to make our chocolate mousse filling. ↓
Baker’s Tip: The chocolate mousse must chill in the refrigerator before using, so it’s a good idea to make it ahead of time or as the chocolate cake layers are cooling. The mousse is best cold, so I actually recommend serving the cake cold. (Additionally, the cake is much easier to assemble if the mousse is cold!)
By the way, this chocolate mousse also makes for a wonderful alternate filling in homemade eclairs!
Chocolate Ganache
I won’t go into a lot of detail about the chocolate ganache because I have a complete chocolate ganache tutorial for you! Like the chocolate mousse, it’s imperative to use pure chocolate. Wait about 20 minutes for the ganache to thicken before pouring onto the cake.
How to Assemble & Decorate Chocolate Mousse Cake
Chocolate ganache enrobes 4 cake layers and 3 mousse layers. Place bottom cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Using a large icing spatula, evenly cover the top with about 1.5 cups of chilled chocolate mousse. Top with 2nd cake layer and another 1.5 cups of mousse. Top with the third cake layer, then spread another 1.5 cups mousse evenly on top. (Save a large spoonful of mousse for a thin crumb coat.) Top with final 4th cake layer. Spread any remaining mousse around the sides as a crumb coat. Run a bench scraper around the cake to smooth it out. Refrigerate cake for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Chocolate mousse is pretty fluffy, so the cake won’t hold its shape unless it’s properly chilled.
Pour ganache on top then run a bench scraper around the sides to smooth it out. You can serve the cake immediately or wait for the chocolate ganache to set. 🙂
What About Cupcakes?
Instead of a big cake, you can make chocolate mousse cupcakes. Use my chocolate cupcakes recipe and halve the chocolate mousse and chocolate ganache recipes below. Fill the cupcakes with chocolate mousse using my Sugar Plum Fairy Cupcakes as an example. Drizzle cooled cupcakes with ganache. Eat your heart out!
You can also use the chocolate mousse instead of pastry cream in homemade mille-feuille!
More Indulgent Chocolate Desserts
- Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding
- German Chocolate Cake
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Black Forest Cake
- Chocolate Lava Cakes
- Chocolate Mousse Pie
- Mint Chocolate Cake
Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake
- Prep Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (includes chilling)
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours, 55 minutes (includes cooling)
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This super moist dark chocolate cake combines unsweetened natural cocoa powder and dark cocoa powder for an extra rich flavor. Fill the cake with a simplified chocolate mousse and cover it with semi-sweet chocolate ganache. If needed, you can prepare the ganache and mousse ahead of time (see Notes). This recipe is also in my New York Times best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (64g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder* (see Notes)
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder (optional)*
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (180g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (113g/120ml) vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g/ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120g/ml) hot water or black coffee*
- 1 cup (170g) semi-sweet mini chocolate chips tossed in 1 Tbsp flour (optional)
Chocolate Mousse
- 1/2 cup (120g/ml) hot water
- 1/4 cup (21g) unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 8 ounces (226g) quality semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped*
- 2 cups (480g/ml) heavy cream, cold
- 2 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
- 8 ounces (226g) quality semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 cup (240g/ml) heavy cream
- optional, for garnish: fresh berries and/or chocolate shavings
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease four 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- In another large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or you can use a whisk) mix the sour cream, oil, and eggs together on medium-high speed until combined. Add the buttermilk and vanilla and mix until combined. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, add the hot water/coffee, and whisk or beat on low speed until combined. Fold in the floured mini chocolate chips, if using. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.
- Bake for 19–23 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans set on a cooling rack for 1 hour. Run a knife around the edges to help loosen the sides, remove the cakes from the pans, peel off the parchment, and place on the rack to finish cooling. The cakes may slightly sink in the middle as they cool—that’s expected.
- Make the chocolate mousse: In a small bowl, whisk the hot water and cocoa powder together until smooth. Melt the chopped chocolate in a double boiler or use the microwave. If using the microwave: place the chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Microwave for 20-second increments, stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth. Pour hot water/cocoa mixture into the melted chocolate and stir until thick and smooth. Set aside. In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract together on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3 minutes. Medium peaks are between soft/loose peaks and stiff peaks. Pour in the chocolate mixture and gently fold together with a spatula. Do not overmix, as this could deflate it. Cover the mousse and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Makes about 4.5 cups (about 900g).
- Assemble the cake before preparing chocolate ganache: First, level the cakes (if needed): using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Using a large icing spatula, evenly cover the top with about 1.5 cups (200g) of chocolate mousse. Top with the second layer, upside down, and evenly cover the top with the same amount of chocolate mousse. Top with the third cake layer, right side up, and again cover with the same amount of mousse. Top with final cake layer. Spread the remaining mousse on top and around the sides of the cake as a crumb coat. Run a bench scraper around the cake to smooth out the sides. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Prepare the ganache while the cake is chilling.
- Make the chocolate ganache: Place the chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat just until it begins to gently simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil—that’s too hot!) Pour the warm cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 2–3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate. With a metal spoon or small spatula, slowly stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. The finer you chopped the chocolate, the quicker it will melt with the cream. If it’s not melting, do not microwave it. If needed, see Troubleshooting Chocolate Ganache. Refrigerate the ganache for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour to thicken.
- Pour/spoon the thickened ganache on the chilled cake. Smooth the top and sides with an icing spatula. Top with optional garnish such as fresh berries and/or chocolate shavings. Serve cake immediately or chill, uncovered, for up to 4–6 hours before serving. Cake can be served at room temperature or chilled.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare cake through step 4. Wrap the individual baked and cooled cake layers tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature, make mousse filling, then continue with step 6. You can prepare the chocolate mousse in advance. See step 5. You can also prepare the chocolate ganache ahead of time too. Refrigerate prepared ganache for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before spreading onto cake. You can freeze cake for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or serve cold. See How to Freeze Cakes for more information.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-inch Round Cake Pans or 9-inch Round Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack | Double Boiler | Cake Stand or Cake Turntable | Large Icing Spatula | Bench Scraper | Cake Carrier (for storage)
- 3-Layer Cake: You can also prepare this as a 3-layer cake. Divide batter between three 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans in step 1 and bake for 24–26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Use about 2 cups of chocolate mousse between each layer.
- Espresso Powder/Coffee: Espresso powder and coffee will not make the cake taste like coffee. Rather, they deepen the chocolate flavor. I highly recommend them both. You can find espresso powder in the baking aisle at many grocery stores or online. If coffee isn’t your thing, you can leave out the espresso powder and use hot water instead of the hot coffee.
- Cocoa Powder: For the best dark chocolate flavor in the cake, I recommend using a blend of unsweetened natural cocoa powder (1/4 cup; 21g) and Hershey’s “Special Dark” cocoa powder (1/2 cup; 43g). Hershey’s Special Dark is actually a mix of natural cocoa powder (an acid) and Dutch-process cocoa powder (a base) and it worked fine in this recipe. This recipe needs acidic natural cocoa powder, so do not use ALL Dutch-process cocoa powder. For best results, use 3/4 cup (64g) natural or the blend of natural/Special Dark I used. For the chocolate mousse, you can use either unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder (or the Hershey’s Special Dark).
- Why Room Temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read more about why room-temperature ingredients are important. Instead of sour cream, you can use plain yogurt. The cake won’t taste as rich, but it’s a fine substitute.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for this recipe. You can make your own DIY buttermilk substitute if needed. Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1/2 cup. (In a pinch, lower-fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
- Chocolate in Mousse & Ganache: Mousse & ganache will only set if the correct chocolate is used. You can use high-quality chocolate chips if needed (I prefer Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips), but I recommend using pure chocolate baking bars. You can find them right next to the chocolate chips in the baking aisle. They are sold in 4-ounce (113g) bars. I like Baker’s or Ghirardelli brands.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hi Sally in your video did you use 8 or 9 inch pans?
Hi Kate, we typically use 9 inch pans for this recipe. 8 inch pans would produce slightly thicker layers.
Hello Sally! I’m making this cake in Australia and can’t find natural cocoa powder in the supermarket, I have raw cacao powder and Dutch, should I use a mix of both? Thanks ☺️
Hi Tegan, cacao powder and natural cocoa powder are not the same, and we haven’t tested this recipe with cacao powder so we’re unsure of the results. Cacao can be more drying and bitter. This recipe needs acidic natural cocoa powder, so do not use all dutch-process cocoa powder either. You can read more on the difference between the two in this blog post. If at all possible we recommend sticking with natural cocoa powder—can you order some online perhaps? Hope this helps!
This cake is a winner! I followed all the steps as Sally instructed and the result was amazing (that ganache is everything)! My family was so impressed – they thought I bought it from a bakery! Decadent & delicious. Definitely took some time, but so worth it! I will 100% be making it again.
My family agreed this is the best chocolate cake ever! I will never make a chocolate buttercream frosting again. This chocolate mousse frosting is to die for! The only change I made was adding raspberry sauce in the layers, which I would definitely recommend. If you are a chocolate lover, THIS is your recipe.
Could this be made into cupcakes? And how long would you bake?
Sure can. See “What About Cupcakes?” section in the post for more details.
Can this cake be made in 2 12x17x1″ pans and then cut each in half to make 4 layers? 🙂
Hi Del! Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes.
Thank you for the link for the pan conversions…. could tell me how cups of batter this cake makes? Thank you 🙂
This recipe yields about 6 cups of batter.
can this cake be made square, using 8×8 or 9×9 brownie pans? Would something need to be adjusted?
You should be able to use 8×8 pans here instead of 9 inch rounds.
Hi Sally and team! I am planning on making this cake for my son’s 3rd birthday and would love to use fresh fruit in between the layers. Would embedding the fruit in the mousse be the best way to do so?
Thank you!
Hi Marina! Yes, that would definitely work!
Also, I only have two cake pans. Will half of the batter do okay at room temp on the counter while I bake the first two cakes?
Hi Melissa! Yes, that will be fine.
Excited to try this today! Do the chocolate chips melt in the cake? I am hoping they do…
Hi Melissa! Not completely, they add nice texture.
Can I use gluten-free flour?
Hi Kika, we haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour, so we’re unsure of the exact results. Let us know if you do decide to give it a try.
I’ve made this with King Arthur’s GF flour and it came out superb every time! Currently baking as a gf cake for my friends wedding!
This is a 10 star cake but the rating system only allows 5! INSANELY delicious! My family said it was the best cake they’ve ever tasted! I followed the recipe exactly. Baked the cake a day in advance, made the mousse the following day and chilled it for 4 hours before topping the first layer, waited an hour before doing the second, and so on – did not have any problems with the layers slipping with this approach. My kitchen was warm so I let the ganache rest for over an hour before I topped the cake, which led to it being thicker and very spreadable. I was afraid it would be too dark and perhaps not sweet enough, but it was absolutely perfect – deep and rich chocolate flavor and not overly sweet. 10 stars.
Delicious chocolate cake! I have made this recipe probably at least 10 times and it is delicious every time! I swap the sour cream for Greek yogurt and I make my own buttermilk. Decaf coffee is great if you are baking for little ones! I’ve even put fruit in the layers when it needs a little something extra. I will keep this recipe forever. Thank you for your delicious recipes Sally!
Is it possible to leave the cake overnight? Or leave both the mousse and sponge overnight to construct the next day? Thanks for the recipe!
Yes, absolutely. See make ahead instructions in the recipe Notes.
Hello Sally, I’m a big fan and will make this cake soon but I was curious how to incorporated mashed bananas into cake batter? How much? And what ingredients need to change if any? And cook time? Love your recipes and your energy. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Janio, we haven’t tested a chocolate banana cake, so can’t offer much advice. Let us know what you try! You may also love our Chocolate Marble Banana Bundt Cake recipe.
This was the best chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten! I’ve decided that I need to make one every single week and it will guarantee a 6x increase in my overall happiness.
Could I use just 2 cake pans (same size) and slice the cakes in half horizontally? How much longer to bake?
Hi Doris, we fear baking the batter in just two pans will cause it to rise and bake unevenly. What we’d do is still make the cake in four layers (or three layers as detailed in the recipe Notes), baking two layers at a time and leaving the remaining batter covered with a towel at room temperature. Once the two cake layers have baked, cooled, and been removed, you can proceed with baking the remaining batter. Hope this helps and that it’s a hit!
Made this cake a couple of years ago for friends we were staying with for vacation. Everyone went back for seconds and thirds. One of the best cake recipes I’ve ever made. Making it soon for a fundraiser auction.
Love this recipe! How would I make it as cupcakes? I’m thinking to fill with the mousse.
See “What About Cupcakes?” section in the post for more details. Enjoy!
I know you shouldn’t leave a comment before you’ve tried a recipe, but I have to tell you that I cannot waittt to make this. I know it will be decadent and over the top delicious. Just reading all those awesome ingredients equals the perfect chocolate cake. Thank you in advance Sally ♥️.
Let me know if you try it and how it goes!
This looks delicious! How can I adjust this recipe to a 6” cake?
Hi Katherine, For a 6-inch cake, we’d recommend using this chocolate cupcakes recipe as the batter to make a 3 layer 6 inch cake. See our 6 inch cake recipes post as a guide. Halve the chocolate mousse and ganache from this recipe so there’s just enough. Hope this helps!
Sally, am I not seeing it or is there no difference in the baking time of the 8 or 9 inch cakes? I would think the 9 inch would bake for a shorter period of time.
Hi Macky, Bake for 19-23 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. It will likely be just a minute or so shorter if using a 9-inch pan. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Rich, light, absolutely scrumptious! Looks beautiful too. One of the best cakes I ever made.
Love this recipe. If I wanted to make only a 2 layer cake in 9-inch round tins, can I just cut the entire recipe in half?
Hi Olive, yes, that should work just fine!
Made this cake for my grandsons birthday. It was AMAZING…even my mum who hates chocolate cake loved it. Thank you for sharing
This is the BEST Chocolate Cake ever. I want to share it with my friends but they are all gluten free. Can I use GF Flour for the recipe without compromising the flavor?
Hi Aranda, we’re so glad it was a hit! We haven’t tested this recipe with a 1:1 gluten free flour blend, so we’re unsure of the exact results. Let us know if you do decide to give it a try.
Hi Sally, made this cake last year and it was a hit truely amazing recipe. I have a good friends birthday i want to make this cake for, but they are GF. I wanted to ask your thoughts about using your GF flourless chocolate recipe and for the cake bases instead, should i double the recipe for four layers? Would it be more stable with just two without the flour?
Hi Kara! Unfortunately we do not recommend layering our flourless chocolate cake. It is much too fragile. You could try doing just 2 layers, but again, it may be quite fragile when stacking and cutting.
This is the best chocolate cake ever. I’m old. I’ve made them all:) Look no further.
Hi Sally. Am baking this beautiful cake for my husband’s 70th birthday. Do I measure out the cocoa powder by weight or cups?….I ask because normally when I bake with cocoa powders the ratios are always off by alot. Example; a recipe may call for 3/4cup
of cocoa powder or 62gms (like your recipe) but when I weigh cocoa powder by cup it weighs way more than 62gm!! So which do I use, the cup or gm method?
Hi Brenda, While spooning and leveling our cocoa does get us 62 grams per 3/4 cup, we always say that “A cup isn’t always a cup, but a gram or ounce is always a gram or ounce!” Basically, when in doubt go by the weight!
Can I use Callebaut callets for ganache or do I need the stabilizer that is usually in chocolate chips?
Hi Nanciejeanne, we really recommend baking chocolate bars for best results, but those high-quality chocolate chips should work. Same amount. Enjoy!