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! For the mousse – can I use semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate bars? Thanks!
Hi Mimi! We recommend using pure chocolate baking bars to ensure the mousse will set. See recipe note for details!
Sally is it possible for me make the cake (with dutched process cocoa and no mousse) as a sheet cake? How long would it take to bake?
Thank you!
Hi Melissa! You can make this recipe as a sheet cake (same oven temperature, about 35-40 minutes bake time), but you need mostly natural cocoa powder for the batter (see recipe notes for details).
Thanks Trina!
Additional question – should I cover the cake with aluminum foil half way through or is it unnecessary?
Made this for my son’s 20th as I wanted an impressive cake and it did the trick. I used Bakers brand chocolate and a Starbucks Via instant coffee stick for the espresso powder and it couldn’t have been better. Thanks for posting. One question- what kind of knife do you use to make a nice cut? It is so rich that I was trying to make thinner slices but was butchering it. The cake was chilled before cutting and I wiped the knife clean after each cut. Any suggestions?
Hi Mona! We just use a large, sharp knife. It can be tricky to get perfect slices with such a tender crumb!
I have a request for Chocolate cupcakes with a chocolate Mousse .. I have never made chocolate mousse and came across this recipe when googling. I have read thru all the comments.. This is for a wedding .. What is the recommendation time for chilling the mousse before applying to cupcakes and it keeping its shape using a 1M tip. And how long is the stability of the mousse being in a room temperature enviroment.
Hi Kim, If you need to let the cupcakes sit out, we recommend filling the cupcakes with the mousse (see the above paragraph called “What About Cupcakes” and then frosting them with chocolate ganache (you can whip the ganache if you would like to pipe it). Refrigerate the cupcakes until setting them out – they should be ok for an hour or two at room temperature.
This is the best cake I have ever had! I made this last weekend and my boyfriend and I cut a slice right when it was done. We were in awe of how good it was. I am an avid baker and we both agreed this is the best thing I have ever made. Sally you are truly one of the best and I use many of your recipes. Everyone please go make this!
Hi Sally, what would happen if I used a little less hot water in the mousse? Would it still work? wondering if the reduction in water will make it more stable. Thanks!
Hi Mandy, we haven’t tested it but I would assume that would help keep the mousse thicker.
Absolutely love this cake!! I’m a complete novice at baking, but I have complete trust and faith in this recipe as it always works out in the end. Thank you for such an amazing recipe Sally! I wanted to ask you a quick question. I tried your other chocolate cupcake recipe and my cupcakes came out really dense. Is there a way to make it more fluffy? Also, can I use this recipe as a cupcake base?
Hi Fariha! Check out this post for some great cupcake baking tips to help troubleshoot. Yes you can use this batter for a larger quantity of cupcakes, it will yield between 2 and 3 dozen cupcakes.
What a wonderful dark chocolate cake recipe. I’ve been looking for a chocolate cake recipe that everyone will love and this is it. I made it for Valentine’s Day and delivered it to my parents as well as my brother’s family. Their review was “Wow, it was really good!” My family loved it as well. All the components of the recipe came together beautifully. I used the 1/2 C. cocoa/ 1/4 C. special dark cocoa recommendation in the recipe. I decorated it with fresh strawberries and mini sandwich cookies ( I used the left over ganache for the cookie filling). Thank you for another great recipe!
We love this recipe! We have made it at least 4-5 times during the pandemic and every time my kids devour it.
Sally, we’re snowed in and I have all the ingredients for this recipe, with the exception of all-purpose flour. I do have cake flour, so I wanted to ask if you by chance have a formula for the conversion. If so, thank you in advance for sharing!
Hi Devyn, we don’t recommend using cake flour in this recipe. Chocolate cakes already have cocoa powder— which is a VERY fine dry ingredient. The combination of cake flour and cocoa powder usually results in a flimsy cake.
Hi Sally,
I absolutely love this recipe for the super moist dark chocolate mousse cake. My query is, do you have a recipe for a super moist white chocolate mousse cake? My grandson’s birthday coming up and he doesn’t like dark or milk chocolate.
Thanks & regards
Hi Maggie, We’ve actually never made white chocolate mousse before, so we’d recommend finding a white chocolate mousse recipe you love and using that as the filling. Or you might be interested in this tuxedo cake where we use white chocolate ganache between the layers. We’d love to know what you try!
Hi Sally,
How do I convert this recipe for a 2 layer, 6 inch cake? Also, can I add gelatin to the mouse so it doesn’t start collapsing after it’s been sitting out for a while?
Thank you!!
Hi Alisha, if you halve the recipe, it will likely get three 6 inch layers. You can use this guide to find out exactly how much you’ll need for a 2 layer 6 inch cake. No need for gelatin in the chocolate mousse. Hope you love it!
This is an amazing recipe!! I was wondering if you had a cheesecake mousse recipe? I want to put it in between layers in a white cake! Kind of like Costco’s sheet cake if you had it!
This cake was AMAZING! And gone very quickly. If you love chocolate and cream you will love this cake. Will definitely make again!!
Awesome cake Sally. Thank you all the from Africa
Hi Sally,
Can I sub the small chocolate cake (6 inch) recipe for this to make a smaller cake? Ideally I would do a 3-layer 6 inch cake with the chocolate mousse between layers and the chocolate ganache on top. Would this work?
Hi Kate! Sure, you can make a smaller cake. Here’s our recipe for a 3 layer 6 inch cake. Would love to hear how it goes.
C’est très bien!
I made this cake two times last year. I made it the first time, for my daughter’s 21st birthday and it was excellent! Followed the recipe exactly, except I didn’t use the optional espresso powder. Then, I made it for my son’s 19th birthday. Out of necessity, due to Celiac Disease, I needed to use gluten free flour which was the only change. Again, didn’t use espresso powder. Anyone who has baked gluten free knows the challenges but this cake held up excellent. The texture was very similar to the first, gluten version I made and the taste was excellent! I used a cup for cup gluten free flour. I intend to make this cake again for my sister’s birthday. It is really a chocolate lovers cake. The addition of the optional semisweet chips, in my opinion are a must, not optional. 🙂 I should add my daughter loves chocolate but does not like cake. She loved this cake!
Try putting the bowl and whisk youre using in the freezer for 5-10 minutes before whipping. Also, keep the heavy cream cold and mix on high.
Try mixing in smaller amounts. If you mix too much at once it has a tendency to act up and try and turn into butter and skip stiff peaks
I made this for my husband for our anniversary and it was so amazing that I made him make it for my birthday (with a lot of help and a box mix for the cake, because he didn’t even know how to whip cream!) So delicious!!! Now, I just have to think of another occasion that requires this cake, because my birthday cake didn’t last long.
Hi! I was wondering would this cake taste nice with chocolate buttercream instead of chocolate mousse?
Hi Alisha, absolutely. We recommend using the chocolate buttercream ratios from this recipe to ensure you have enough. Enjoy!
This. Is. The. Best. Cake. Ever!!!! My hubby said it’s the only cake he will ever ask for again! And I’ve baked a ton of cakes!!! It’s marvelous!!!
Yummy! I made this cake, but forgot to put it in the refrigerator overnight. Will it still be ok to eat?
Hi Sally, huge fan. However, I seem to have a problem with ALL the cakes where they come out moist and delicious but crumbly on the sides. Crumb coats are extremely difficult to make smooth and beautiful because bits of cake fall off every time. I measure all of my ingredients and let the cakes cool in their pans completely. I use Wilton cake strips, parchment paper, and I butter the sides of the pans. Things always stick to the bottom edge though. I’ve even tried freezing the cakes before frosting which helps a little but I don’t want to rely on that anymore! The only thing I ever deviate from is I use olive oil instead of vegetable or canola. Could that be a part of the problem?
Hi Kiersa, It’s the butter! Butter contains water and milk, neither of which is particularly useful in preventing your cake from sticking. Butter will also brown the outside of your cake more quickly. We always spray our cake pans with a nonstick baking spray, line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper, and give it another light spray. After the cake cools, run a sharp knife around the outside of the cake just to be sure the sides won’t stick before you turn it over.
Wow that is such a quick fix! Is there a type of nonstick spray you recommend? Will butter also make the bottom of the cakes stick more to the parchment paper?
Thank you Stephanie for your response! I can’t wait to try another cake recipe to see if that’s all it is!
This recipe is really good. My son and I made it for my birthday, with two changes, one intentional and one not. The intentional change was to make 50% more mousse. The unintentional change was to omit the sugar in the batter.
Despite the lack of sugar in the batter (but it did have semi-sweet chocolate chips in it), it was really good. We compensated when serving by putting cherry pie filling and/or whipped cream on top. And the extra mousse helped.
We’ll have to wait for my son’s birthday to see just how much better it is with sugar in the batter.
Hi, do you know how I could use a white chocolate mousse? I know the obvious answer is to substitute white chocolate bars instead of the regular chocolate, but what about the cocoa powder?
OMG, I made this cake today for my mother’s birthday. It is divine and much lighter than I anticipated. I knew that I had to make it as soon as I read the recipe and it did not disappoint. Thank you.
Hi Sally!
I really want to make this cake for my step son’s birthday. He’s asked for a mocha chocolate mousse cake. If I used strong coffee or espresso to replace the hot water in the mousse do you think that would be mocha enough?
Thanks so much!
Thanks Kiersa! Much helpful
Chocolate lovers dream! Made this cake for my brother-in-law’s
birthday, he requests “anything chocolate” every year. The cake was a definite hit! I wanted to create a Milk Bar style cake but couldn’t quite get the cake pan conversion right in my head so I went ahead and made the four cakes and cut out six-inch layers with my cake ring. I added chocolate crumbs from Milk Bar recipe and layered the cakes with the addition of crumbs and a milk soak. The ganache frosting went on with such ease after freezing the cake overnight. The end result was magnificent! Thank you so much for an excellent recipe that hit the “sweet spot” for a milestone birthday.
As a major chocolate lover, I absolutely loved this cake! My boyfriend and I made this cake for my birthday, and I’m very glad we chose this recipe. It was time-consuming but not too technically challenging to make, and it turned out delicious!
Hey Sally, LOVE this recipe! I have a part question…. If I refrigerate this cake after decorating it , would the mousse harden up, and have to be room temp before serving? Or could it be Served right out of the fridge?