This Chocolate Mousse Cake has all the flavors you desire in a decadent dessert. Moist chocolate cake base, rich and creamy mousse, and a thick raspberry jam, what not to love?
If you are a major chocolate lover, then you need to try this fudgy Nutella Cake and Drunken Chocolate Cherry Cake.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
This Chocolate Mousse Cake is beautiful, decadent, and absolutely delicious. I love making this recipe for my family, but also to serve at get-togethers and parties.
- TASTE: The flavors are amazing in this Chocolate Mousse Cake. From the sweet chocolate mousse to the rich ganache, to the tart raspberry, it’s a delight.
- TEXTURE: A moist chocolate cake base, rich and creamy mousse, and a thick raspberry jam. This cake has it all.
- TIME: This recipe will take an hour to make.
- EASE: This dessert has a handful of steps, but they are nice and easy. Just follow the step-by-step images and instructions and you’ll have a gorgeous cake in no time.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- All-purpose Flour– This makes up the base of your cake batter.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder– These are leaving agents that will give the cake its airy, fluffy texture.
- Salt- This will balance the sweetness and make the chocolate flavor more intense.
- Granulated Sugar– The sweetener in this sweet dessert.
- Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder– This type of cocoa powder is less bitter than others and perfect for a sweet, decadent dessert like this Chocolate Mousse Cake.
- Eggs– These are both a leavening agent and a binder, holding the wet and dry ingredients together.
- Buttermilk– As opposed to regular milk, this will add a little tang to the flavor as well as make the cake extra moist.
- Butter– The cake will be moist, rich, and buttery with the addition of this ingredient. Use unsalted so there isn’t too much salt in the cake batter.
- Heavy Whipping Cream– This will be the liquid portion of the chocolate mousse, as well as part of the ganache. If you prefer a more dense mousse, use 40% fat heavy cream (Costco has it). If you don’t mind a slightly lighter mousse, use 36%. But you don’t want to use anything lower in fat.
- Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips– These will make up the chocolate mousse and ganache. Semi-sweet gives it a slight bitter edge that’s perfect in this dessert.
- Raspberry Jam– This can be homemade jam or store-bought. It will be spread between the cake and the mousse.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute another jam- You can also make this Chocolate Mousse Cake with Homemade Strawberry Jam, peach, blueberry, watermelon, or cherry.
- Add espresso powder- Kick the flavor up a notch by adding espresso powder to the cake. Coffee enhances the nature flavors of chocolate beautifully.
- Make it allergen friendly- You can make this with less allergens by using gluten-free flour and plant-based, dairy-free butter, cream, buttermilk, and chocolate chips.
- Substitute the chocolate- Try this recipe with white chocolate chips, dark chocolate, or milk chocolate for a slightly different flavor.
How to Make Chocolate Mousse Cake
- Sift the dry ingredients and add the wet. In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, and Dutch cocoa powder together. Then make a well in the center and add 2 eggs and whisk them in. Then mix in the buttermilk and melted butter.
- Bake. Line a 10-inch round baking pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray. Pour the chocolate cake batter into the pan and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 18-20 minutes. Once it’s baked, flip it onto a cooling rack.
- Smooth the top of the cake. After the cake is completely cooled, slice off the top “dome” portion of the cake using a serrated knife to make it smooth and flat.
- Put the cake in a springform pan. Place the cake on the platter or cake stand you plan to serve it on. Open up a 9-inch spring form pan and remove the bottom of it. Place it on top of the cake, squeezing every bit inside.
- Spread on the jam. Now evenly spread the raspberry jam all over the top of the cake.
Pro Tip: Slicing off the rounded top of the cake is how you get a perfectly flat layer cake. And bonus: you can also eat the piece you just cut off 😉
- Make the mousse. Melt the semisweet chocolate chips and let them cool for about 2 minutes. Then whisk the heavy cream on high speed in a stand mixer until right before stiff peaks form. Pour in the melted chocolate while continuing to mix.
- Add the mousse to the cake. Pour the chocolate mousse on top of the raspberry jam and smooth it out with a decorating spatula. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours.
- Place the cake on a cooling rack. After the cake has chilled and the mousse has set, slowly remove the springform and transfer the cake to a cooling rack with a baking sheet on the bottom.
- Make the ganache. In a saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer and pour it over the chocolate chips. Let it sit for about a minute, then stir with a whisk until smooth.
- Add the ganache to the Chocolate Mousse Cake. Pour the chocolate ganache over the cake and chill in the refrigerator for another hour, or until the ganache sets. Decorate and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Mix the cake batter thoroughly- Make sure there are no lumps in the cake batter by sifting the dry ingredients and combining thoroughly.
- Use a springform pan for structure- Until the mousse becomes stiffer, you use a springform pan to help hold the mousse together on the cake. Otherwise, it will slide off.
- Add a generous amount of jam– Depending on how much you like raspberry jam, add a layer as thick as you like. Don’t go too little or the flavor will be lost in the chocolate.
- Keep it clean- Make sure you use a cooling rack with a baking sheet on the bottom so it can catch all the extra chocolate that dips off when you add the ganache. This saves on clean up time.
FAQs
What is chocolate mousse cake made of?
Chocolate mousse cake is made with a cake layer on the bottom, followed by a layer of raspberry jam, and then chocolate mousse on top. The mousse is simply made with melted chocolate and whipped cream. The whole cake is topped with chocolate ganache and fresh berries.
Does chocolate mousse cake have raw eggs?
Not necessarily. While many mousses have eggs in them, this Chocolate Mousse Cake only uses 2 ingredients to make the mousse: melted chocolate chips and whipped heavy cream.
Serving Suggestions
Everyone loves chocolate, right? You can serve this versatile Chocolate Mousse Cake with Raspberry after any meal or as dessert for a party.
- Main courses: Make this the dessert following a meal of Ribeye Steak, Juicy Air Fryer Pork Chops (VIDEO), Braised Beef Stew Recipe, or Baked Potato Soup.
- Cakes: Pair this with other desserts, like this New York Style Cheesecake, Tiramisu Cake (VIDEO), Chocolate Lava Cake (Video), or Honey Raspberry Cake.
- Cookies: Serve this Chocolate Mousse Cake with some White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies, Double Chocolate Cookies (VIDEO), or Chewy Nutella Cookies.
- Coffee: Enjoy a slice with a cup of coffee, or a specialty drink like this Pumpkin Spice Latte, Iced Caramel Macchiato, or Hot Chocolate.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: You can make the cake base and mousse ahead of time and store them, layered and wrapped in plastic wrap, in the fridge. Just make the ganache, add it on top, and serve.
Storing: Store this Chocolate Mousse Cake with Raspberry covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freeze: You can freeze this cake wrapped in foil and plastic wrap for up to 3 months. It might form ice crystals on the ganache and the mousse may get a bit runny as it defrosts though.
More Decadent Desserts!
This recipe was originally posted on February 1, 2016, we’ve tweaked it a bit since then.
Full Recipe Instructions
Chocolate Mousse Cake
This Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipe with Raspberry has all the flavor you desire in a decadent dessert! A moist chocolate cake base, rich and creamy mousse, and a little bit of tartness from the raspberry jam will make your mouth water.
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Servings: 14
Calories: 700kcal
Ingredients
For the chocolate cake
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup Dutched cocoa powder
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter melted
For the mousse
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream 36-40% fat
- 2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
For Jam and Ganache
- 1 lb. raspberry jam
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- In a large bowl sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, and Dutched cocoa powder.
- Make a well in the center and add 2 eggs and whisk them in. Then mix in the buttermilk and melted butter.
- Line a 10-inch round baking pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray. Pour the chocolate cake batter into the pan and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 18-20 minutes. Once it's baked flip it onto a cooling rack.
- After the cake is completely cooled, slice off the top "dome" portion of the cake using a serrated knife. This will help ensure a smoother flat top to the final cake. You can go ahead and eat the top that's been sliced off.
- Place the cake on the platter or cake stand you plan to serve it on. Open up a 9-inch spring form pan and remove the bottom of it. Place it directly on top of the cake making sure to squeeze every bit of the cake inside. The springform will help hold the mousse together until it stiffens.
- Now that the cake is inside the springform, evenly spread the raspberry jam all over the top of the cake.
- Melt 2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips. Let them cool for about 2 minutes.
- In a stand mixer, whisk the heavy cream on high speed right before stiff peaks form.
- Pour in the melted chocolate into the heavy cream while continuing to mix.
- Pour the chocolate mousse on top of the raspberry jam and smooth it out with a decorating spatula. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours.
- After the cake has chilled and the mousse has set, slowly remove the springform and transfer the cake to a cooling rack with a baking sheet on the bottom to catch all the extra chocolate that dips off.
- In a saucepan, bring 1/2 cup of heavy cream to a simmer. Pour it over 1 cup of chocolate chips. Let it sit for about 1 minute then stir with a whisk until smooth.
- Pour the chocolate ganache over the cake and chill in the refrigerator for another hour or until the ganache sets. Decorate the sides of the cake with anything you want. I used finely chopped chocolate. I also topped it with chocolate-covered berries.
Nutrition
Calories: 700kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 27g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 240mg | Potassium: 421mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 1110IU | Vitamin C: 3.1mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 4mg
Did you make this recipe? Snap a photo of it and tag me on Instagram @simplyhomecooked or use the hashtag #simplyhomecooked so I can see it and feature it!
Hi, I’m Dina, so glad you stopped by! I believe life is too short for bad coffee and boring meals. With my easy to follow step-by-step recipes, you’ll be surprised at how quickly a wholesome and delicious meal can come together. I hope you find something you enjoy!
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Jill Kerby says
Any chance you could provide metric measurements?
Dina says
Hi Jill, if you scroll down to the recipe card you will see an option to convert the ingredients to metric. Enjoy 🙂
Jazzybaker says
Hello,
Looks delicious! Would it be okay to leave the raspberry layer off and just have a plain chocolate mousse cake?
Thanks!
Dina says
Yes of course! I hope you love it!
Lexy says
Quick question. Do you let the cake cool a bit before you “flip it out” on cooling rack.
Dina says
Hi Lexy 🙂 Yes, you let it cool for a few minutes before you place the cake on a cooling rack. You don’t want to wait too long though because the bottom of the cake can become moist and soggy. I hope that helps and I hope you love this chocolate mousse cake 🙂
Donna olsen says
Very easy to follow instructions. I made in a 9″ springform. Increased baking by 5 min. Used a acetate cuff to add mousse. Worked very well. Rave reviews!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you so much Donna! You are too kind 🙂 Glad that you loved this chocolate mousse cake and that the recipe was easy to follow 🙂 Thank you so much for your awesome review and I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog 🙂
Holly says
I forgot to put the ham between the cake a mouse, could i put it on top of the mousse and then pour the ganache over?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Holly, I don’t think putting jam on top of the mouse would be a good idea. In order to smooth it out properly, you would end up pressing over the mouse and cause it to lose its shape. I wish I could be more helpful.
Phuong DeBellis says
This looks divine! I am going to try it exactly as you instructed but also wonder what to do for a sugar free version? We tried a sugar free chocolate raspberry mousse cake at a bakery in the Paris hotel, Las Vegas and the hubby loved it; which means I need a recipe to try for his upcoming birthday!
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Phuong, I’m so glad you came accross this recipe 🙂 A great sugar free substitute would be erythritol (I used swerve brand). And for the raspberry jam, just use a sugar free raspberry jam. I hope you and your hubby enjoy this recipe!
Phuong DeBellis says
Thanks! I’m still a novice when it comes to baking so I will definitely give it a try and let you know how it turns out. 🙂
ALINA l Yatsyuk says
I made this for my daughters birthday! It was a hit so rich and flavorful thank you! I bake very seldomly but your recipe was to the point and easy to follow and it turned out great!
simplyhomecooked says
Alina I’m so glad to hear this recipe was easy to follow and turned out great! Happy birthday to your daughter 🙂
Frida Moses says
Absolute best cake EVER! Without a doubt this is my favorite, I’m so thankful I found this recipe
simplyhomecooked says
Wow, thank you for your kind words! I am so happy to hear you love this cake recipe so much.
Beth says
Do you think the cake would be okay in the fridge for 2 days? I would do the ganache the day of. Thanks! Looks wonderful!
simplyhomecooked says
Hello Beth, yes the cake should be totally fine in the refrigerator for 2 days. Enjoy 🙂
Annie says
this looks amazing! my husband doesnt like chocolate so if i was making half the recipe, what size cake pan should i use? or if i do 1/4 of the recipe, can i use a mini 4 inch pan? sorry if its a silly question
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Annie, thank you! I’ve never tired making this cake in a smaller cake pan so I can’t say too much about how well it will turn out.
Dee says
I made this for valentine’s day and it’s absolutely delicious! My husband is a chocolate lover and requests only that so I’m always on the hunt for new chocolate cakes. This was rich and delicious….the Raspberry goes very well with it. We added sliced strawberries on top and it was perfect….thank you for the recipe!
simplyhomecooked says
I’m so happy you found my recipe! Thank you for leaving such great feedback! 🙂
Alyona says
I actually attempted to make this cake, my cousin said it should be sold at our Russian store… I did change some things to my liking but overall very chocolatey and the raspberries go so well with chocolate! I didn’t have a 10″ baking pan so I baked my chocolate cake in a 9″ pan and it worked out just fine with the springform rim. My cake didn’t look as pretty as yours as I didn’t pour the ganache over all the cake but just spread it out while still in the springform. So when I removed the springform pan you could see all the layers (cake, jam, mouse and ganache). Very creative, thank you!
simplyhomecooked says
Alyona thank you for the great feedback! I’m so happy it turned out well for you 🙂
CakePants says
This looks marvelous! I’ve never made a mousse cake before, so your discussion of the types of ingredients was really helpful.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you! Glad I could help 🙂
Alyona says
I so want to try this! How beautiful! Great Job!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Alyona!