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
This cake was an absolute hit with my family, thank you for the great recipe! Can I use the chocolate mousse made in the recipe to pipe decorate the outside of this cake on top of the ganache?
Hi Sally. I made this cake today and the cake part itself is fab! However, I stumbled at the mousse. When I added the water/cocoa powder mix to my melted chocolate it turned to cement. Any idea what went wrong? Thanks a lot.
Hi Jamie-Lee, are you using pure chocolate baking bars? I recommend Ghirardelli or Baker’s brands. And don’t discard what you have! You can warm it back up/thin it out in a double boiler over low heat. Stir until it comes together. I hope this helps!
This is literally my favorite cake! I have made it for all my kids birthdays this year. I make the cake exactly as directed and then make sallys buttercream to decorate! We made an Elmo cake, a ninja turtle cake, and today a rodeo cake. The ganache is such a nice base to decorate on top of and with the buttercream on top it’s such a nice contrast of flavors. I only make 3 layers tho which seems to be perfect. Wish I could include pics! Thanks sally you have given me an excellent recipe and confidence to make homemade cakes for my kids
This is the Best chocolate cake I’ve ever had! I can’t believe I’ve been making boxed mixes all this time! Your directions are easy to follow & I like how you separate the steps. I was introduced to your website by our favorite Disney YouTubers Tim & Jenn Tracker, they’ve featured several of your recipes on their vlogs! We also tried your banana bread recipe at their suggestion, and again, why did I use box mixes! Next on the list brownies! Thank you for sharing!
Planning to bake this for a bday party. But I ordered the wrong pan sizes…ughh. I now have two 9inch and two 8 inch pans. Can I bake this in two 9 inch pans and cut into layers?
Hi Neha, It’s too much batter to only use 2 pans. Instead, bake the first two layers and keep the remaining batter covered at room temperature while the first 2 layers bake. Hope you enjoy it!
Hi Sally,
First, I love every recipe of yours that I have tried (and I have tried quite a few lately!). I want to make this cake for my birthday but have a couple of questions. I was planning on cutting the recipe in half and making this as a 6 inch cake but I only have one 6 inch springform pan to work with. How many layers would half a recipe make? Can I make just 2 layers (one at a time) from a half recipe or a single thicker layer and cut it in half? Can I put a single thick layer of mousse between them? Would the mousse hold up to that without the gelatin for structure (I’m OK adding gelatin if needed but how much)? I do love chocolate (and coffee) so I would use dark and bittersweet all the way. This is a chocolate lovers dream cake.
Hi Shelly! I’m happy to answer your questions. (1) I’m unsure exactly how many 6 inch cake layers half of this recipe would make, but my guess is 3 layers. (2) Using half the recipe, there is definitely too much batter for 2 6 inch cakes. They would be too thick and I can’t see them baking very evenly. (3) No need for gelatin in the chocolate mousse.
Hi Shelly, hope I can help you out… I’ve made this recipe a couple of times and I make 3 6-inch layers with HALF the cake recipe! I bake the layers for 23-25 minutes.
Sally, I adore you and your recipes!!! Every recipe I’ve tried is a huge hit…every single time! I tried the chocolate mousse cake recipe yesterday m, And even though it was lip smacking…the cake structure itself was a disaster, it toppled over, starting as the leaning tower of chocolate and then eventually the layers slid off. I somehow managed to save it and cut out slices! Phew! Can you advise what Possibly I did wrong? I’ll be frank, I used Kirkland chocolate chips instead of chocolate bars for the ganache and mousse. I chilled the mousse for maybe 1 hour and the ganache was definitely runny.
Hi Nisha, I’m glad you love my recipes– thank you! If you try this recipe again, I recommend pure chocolate baking bars for the ganache and mousse. Additionally, it sounds like the cake could have benefited from extra time in the refrigerator. The colder it is, the more stable it will be. Also, make sure the cake layers cool completely before assembling. You can even place the cooled cake layers in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes so they’re nice and cold when you assemble the cake.
Hello Sally! This was my first time ever making a cake, and I chose this recipe. I drizzled salted caramel over half the finished product (I’d made it a few months ago and it was just languishing in my fridge). I garnished the cake with fresh strawberries. I used ALL the optional ingredients, too. The result was perfect, and it was a huge hit. You gave such clear, concise instructions that even I was able to follow them.
Two takeaways:
Even after I greased the pans, the sponge wanted to stick. If I hadn’t used parchment paper, the result would have been disastrous! I also wonder if I can use ramekins to make mini-cakes. I’m not too keen on cupcakes, but mini-cakes are the BEST!
Thanks again for a great first-time baking experience!
Hi Sally! I love your website and am making this cake for my mom! Can I make the mousse the night before I plan to assemble the cake? And how long will the cake last with the mousse? Thanks so much!!
Hi Katelyn, Yes, you can make the mousse and chill in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The assembled cake can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. See the make ahead directions in the recipe notes for more details!
Hi Sally!
This looks delicious! I want to make it for a friend’s birthday but she isn’t a big fan of super sweet desserts but LOVES chocolate mousse cake. Would you recommend this dessert?
Also, I’m not able to get my hands on the Hersheys “Special Dark’ Cocao in my country. What would I substitute it with?
Thank you!
Hi Nahal! This cake is still pretty sweet, but you can use unsweetened chocolate in the mousse and even *slightly* reduce the sugar in the cake to 1 and 1/2 cups. (300g) Use regular natural unsweetened cocoa powder if you can’t get your hands on the special dark variety.
Hi all,
I was looking for a chocolate mousse recipe and I came across this one. My only quibble is that the addition of the hot water/cocoa mix to the melted chocolate caused mine to seize and become the consistency of cement. I was doing all of this in a microwave so maybe the temperature was off, maybe the AC in my place is too high, maybe i angered the chocolate gods i dont know but it was a mess.
I ended up adding in (one at a time) tablespoons of hot water to unseize the chocolate and while it never got as silky as the pictures above, at least it was moving again. I added the whipped cream and am now waiting to see what happens!
I’m surprised no one else had this issue but its something to be aware of! I think next time id just melt the chocolate alone and add the cocoa to the whipped cream.
Oh, Sally! Wow is all I can say. I used the cake recipe from your triple chocolate cake and the mousse and ganache from this one. Best recipe ever. The cake was rich, moist and the mousse was so delicious – light, fluffy and so easy to make. The ganache sent it over the top. I made this for a tea party…baked on a sheet pan, cut in small circles, used acetate collars to layer the mousse and topped with ganache. So impressive. Can’t wait to make this again. (Served your blueberry scones to great reviews too!) Thank you so much!!!
Hi Sally
There does not come much batter in one tin does there? Just want to make sure because it seems so little to divide into four tins.
Thank you
Julie
Hi Julie, This recipe yields about 6 cups of batter. It won’t look like a lot when divided between four 8 or 9 inch pans but it does rise quite a bit!
I can’t find espresso powder where I live. What would be a good replacement? Instant coffe? Or Italian ground coffee for the mocca? I don’t know if it dissolves… Thank you
Hi Maria, use instant coffee instead. I recommend 2-3 teaspoons of it.
Made this and it came out perfect! Was just curious though, can I use Milk Chocolate baking bars for the mouse and ganache?
Absolutely! The mousse and ganache will taste sweeter, of course.
Hi sally,
When making the mousse – I am a bit confused, do I leave the mousse to sit for 2 hours before layering it between the cake?
Correct. 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.
Made half the recipe for a two 9″ layer cake. Turned out perfect. Everyone raved about it and requested I make it again.
Thank you
The most delicious chocolate mousse cake ever!! I have made it twice now for my chocolate-holic mom and is her go-to request when I ask what cake she wants for her birthday. The first time I made it, I included the chocolate chips in the cake batter but was disappointed that they all sank to the bottom. This time I did without and it came out spongy and light and decadent! The mousse holds up against the layers without deflating in the slightest. Must try this recipe! Thank you so much!
I can’t wait to try this! My cake batter came out real thin, but it baked nicely. I’m not sure what I did wrong since I weigh all of my ingredients. I did mess up the mousse the first time. I think I just didn’t chill it long enough, so when I put it on the cooled cake, everything just started to slide all over the place. So I scraped it off and discarded and made a new batch. This time it will be in the fridge over night. It doesn’t help that Florida is so hot and my kitchen stays warm 🙁 other than that, the cake is delicious (I just eat the pieces I cut off to level haha)! Thank you for this fun (and challenging) cake to make!
Hi!
Hands down the best chocolate cake ever! Made it a couple of times already and my family loved it.
How can I modify the recipe if I wanted to make a white chocolate mousse instead? What do I replace the cocoa powder with? I am also worried that the cake will be too sweet overall. Should I reduce the sugar in the actual cake batter?
Any tips appreciated! Thank you 🙂
Hi Arshi! So glad you enjoyed this chocolate mousse cake. I’ve actually never made white chocolate mousse before, so I recommend finding a white chocolate mousse recipe you love and using that as the filling.
Thanks for the reply!
Do you recommend reducing the sugar in the cake batter because white chocolate will be sweeter than semi-sweet? If so, by how much?
Hi! This cake looks delicious!! I am so excited to try it. I do have a question though. I want to make a 4 layer cake. How many cups of batter does this recipe make? Also, I only have 2 9-inch cake pans. Can I bake this in batches; two cake layers at a time? Will keeping the remaining cake batter standing by while the first two layers bake, adversely affect the cake batter and hence the texture of the last two layers?
Hi Ana, this recipe yields about 6 cups of batter. You can keep the remaining batter covered at room temperature while the first 2 layers bake. Hope you enjoy it!
I made this for my family and the only thing they didn’t like was that there wasn’t enough for thirds! The tasty cake definitely makes washing all those dirty dishes worth it 🙂
I made this cake gluten free (I make all of your cakes GF) but with pistachio butter cream instead of mousse. It was INSANE. Sally- you are a baking genius. This chocolate cake is to die for!
This cake!!!!!! Your recipes never fail me!!! Literally if it is posted by you, I am sure it will turn out good. And this Chocolate Mousse Cake was no exception. Everyone loved it!!! Honestly made me so happy. Thank you for this amazing recipe!! <3
Hi Sally i just started intense baking in this quarantine days. This is the 3rd cake im baking from your recipes. I made your red velvet cake, pista cake too. Everything turned out to be awesome with all the instructions we need to bake. If at all we had more queries, i could find them in the comments section for which you have responded promptly. Thank you so much for making me feel happy by baking wonderful cakes. Pista cake was my personal favorite and didnt want to share it with anyone..LOL..thanks again
Hi Sally, thanks for sharing this recipe! My mom’s birthday is tomorrow and I was hoping to make her this cake since it is everything she loves, but she also loves coffee and I wondering if I put instant coffee or regular coffee in the cake, how much would you recommend I put so that the cake tastes a little like coffee?
Hi Buthaina, For more of a coffee flavor you can increase the espresso powder in the cake (don’t add more liquid coffee). You can even add some to the mousse. I hope your mom has a great birthday!
Hi Sally, I have tried a couple of your recipes and all of them turned out amazing. I have made some of my best cakes with your recipes. Now I can wait to try this cake as well!
I just had one quick question, I want to make this cake for my sisters birthday and she’s allergic to eggs, so I was wondering if there is a way I could make it without eggs or with an egg substitute?
Much Love,
Shivani
Hi Shivani, We are so happy you have been enjoying the recipes! We haven’t tested this recipe with any egg substitutes but let us know what you try.
Hi Sally, can I half this recipe? I’m trying to make a small smash cake for my nieces birthday.
Yes, sure can!
So I just made this today, but instead of the mouse and ganache, i used the chocolate buttercream frosting from the Triple Chocolate Cake recipe. Holy richness! I couldn’t get through one slice of cake because it was soooo chocolatey! (this is a good thing!). I also added the optional chocolate chips in the batter, and also decorated the top with some crushed chocolate chips. It was truly amazing. I was rushing when I was making it and forgot the baking soda (oops). I realized when i removed my 3 layers from the oven and they were a little flatter than expected. This made the cake sliiiighttlyyy denser than ideal, but nobody noticed! Such a RICH, flavorful, chocolatey DREAM!
Hi Sally,
Quick question! I’m planning on making this cake for a friends birthday and I’m looking into ways of transporting the cake to the party. Do you have a rough idea of how tall the cake is once assembled? I’m trying to find a carrier case for the cake.
or if you have any other suggestions on transporting it, that would be great!
Thanks 🙂
Hi Natalie! I’m not exactly sure how tall this cake comes out to be, but an 8 or 9 inch tall cake carrier should be plenty big.