Ingredients
To make this irresistible chocolate mousse cake, you will need just a few key ingredients, and the exact quantities are listed in the recipe card below. These simple ingredients come together beautifully, creating a rich and smooth mousse that will melt in your mouth. I’ve always found that having a clear recipe card is essential, as it makes following the steps easier and ensures you get the perfect results every time. The ingredients required are common, but the way they come together in this dessert is pure magic!
Chocolate Sponge Cake
The chocolate cake used as the base for this mousse is a chocolate genoise sponge, which is light and airy. This texture is perfect for balancing the rich and creamy mousse on top. To make the cake, you’ll need a few simple ingredients, including eggs (preferably at room temperature), granulated sugar, all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. When combined, these ingredients create a cake that perfectly complements the mousse. The cake’s lightness adds a wonderful contrast to the creamy mousse, creating a dessert that’s truly a delight for the taste buds.
Chocolate Mousse
For this chocolate mousse, we’re making the simpler version of the mousse, which is ganache based mousse instead of the more complex custard based mousse. Although I think custard-based mousse has a more luxurious taste, the ganache version gets the job done with fewer steps and is just as delicious! The key ingredients are chocolate (I recommend using semi-sweet or milk chocolate that you truly enjoy), such as Cadbury Dairy Milk, which gives the perfect balance of sweetness and deep chocolate flavor. You’ll also need heavy cream with at least 35% fat content, so it can be easily whipped into a smooth, fluffy texture. For an extra touch, sprinkle some cocoa powder for decoration to make your mousse even more tempting!
How to Make This Easy Chocolate Mousse Cake
Making this easy chocolate mousse cake takes a bit of patience because of the cooling time, but the active time involved is under 30 minutes! The steps are simple, so even a beginner can get this dessert ready without any hassle. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you can put everything together. Just remember that the cooling process is what takes the most time, so be sure to plan accordingly. Once the cake is cool, you’ll be ready to enjoy this irresistible treat in no time.
1. Make the Chocolate Genoise Sponge
To begin, pre-heat your oven to 350F and line a 9×9″ pan with parchment paper. If you prefer, you can also make it in a 9″ round cake pan! The most important part of this step is to whip air into the eggs and sugar to get the perfect genoise texture. Whisk them for about 3-5 minutes until they turn pale yellow, fluffy, and reach the ribbon stage. This means that when you lift the beater, the mixture should fall off in a ribbon. Once that’s done, sift in the dry ingredients and fold them in gently to combine, being careful not to knock out all the air. Next, transfer the batter into the lined pan and bake for 13-15 minutes until the cake is done. Once baked, transfer it to a wire rack and let it cool completely.
2. Prepare a Ganache
To make the ganache, first bring the cream to a boil and pour it over chopped chocolate in a bowl. Cover the bowl with a plate and wait for about 5 minutes to allow the chocolate to melt. After that, stir the mixture until it becomes a shiny and smooth ganache. If you notice any lumps of solid chocolate, simply microwave the mixture for 10-15 seconds and then stir again. Once the ganache is smooth, let it cool down in the fridge for about 20 minutes (or you can speed this up by placing it in the freezer). The ganache should still be runny, not solid, so keep an eye on it!
3. Make the Chocolate Mousse
To make the easy chocolate mousse, you’ll need to mix the ganache with whipped cream. Start by taking chilled heavy cream and whisking it with the balloon whisk attachment of your stand mixer until it reaches the stiff peak stage (be careful not to overwhip it). Once your cream is ready, gently fold it into the cooled ganache in batches to keep the air in the cream, which will give the mousse its light texture. This step is crucial for achieving that fluffy, airy consistency! Sometimes, if I want to get a bit fancy, I reserve some of the ganache to use as another layer in my cake.
4. Assemble the Cake
To assemble the cake, start with a clean 9×9″ pan and layer it with two sheets of parchment paper. This will allow you to easily pull out the cake once it has set. Place the cooled chocolate sponge at the bottom, then pour the chocolate mousse over it. Spread the mousse evenly and place the pan in the fridge for about 20 minutes so that the mousse becomes somewhat set. For the final touches, spread a layer of whipped cream on top and dust generously with cocoa powder. If your genoise sponge cake feels a bit dry, especially if it was over baked, brush on some simple syrup before adding the mousse to help keep it moist.
5. Chill and Serve!
Once the cake has been assembled, let the cake set in the fridge for about 1-2 hours, or you can speed up the process by placing it in the freezer. After the mousse has set, carefully pull out the cake from the pan using the parchment paper. Then, cut the cake into cubes and serve. I personally love the texture of the cake when it’s somewhere between fridge and freezer temperature, so I often place my slice of cake into the freezer for 10-15 minutes before eating. This gives it just the right consistency to enjoy!
