Moist and Delicious Chocolate Mousse Cake
Moist chocolate cake layered with rich chocolate mousse topped with creamy chocolate buttercream. The perfect chocolate cake.
Equipment
- Round Cake Pans
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Liquid measuring cups
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Kitchen scale
- Silicone spatula
- Cake turn table
- Cake boards
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 ¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (60 g) dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cups (288 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk, room temperature
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup (240 g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup (112 g) vegetable oil
- ½ cup (113 g) hot water
Chocolate Mousse
- ⅓ cup (74 g) dark chocolate chips
- 1 ¼ cup (300 g) cold heavy whipping cream, divided
- 1 teaspoon gelatin
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 2 tablespoons boiling water
- ¼ cup (30 g) powdered sugar, measured then sifted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Buttercream
- 2 cups (454 g) unsalted butter
- 5 cups (600 g) powdered sugar, measured then sifted
- ½ cup (40 g) cocoa powder
- ¼ cup (60 g) heavy whipping cream
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 325° F (160° C). Spray three 8 inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Place parchment round on bottom of pans and spray with nonstick cooking spray again and set aside.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, add all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Mix until just combined.
- In a mixing bowl, mix buttermilk, sour cream, eggs, vanilla, vegetable oil, and hot water.
- With the mixer on low speed, add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix until combined. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl and mix until combined.
- Pour batter into prepared cake pans evenly; about 24 ounces of batter in each pan.
- Bake cake for 20-25 minutes. Cake is done when the center no longer giggles and there are a few moist crumbs on a toothpick.
- Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool in pans for about 15 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and place on cooling rack to cool completely.
Chocolate Mousse
- Place metal bowl and whisk attachment in freezer for 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, add chocolate chips. Set aside.
- Heat ¼ cup heavy whipping cream for 30 seconds in microwave. Pour hot cream over chocolate chips. Stir until smooth. Set aside and cool.
- Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in small bowl. Let sit for 1 minute. Add boiling water and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Cool slightly.
- In chilled metal bowl, beat remaining 1 cup heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; mix until combined. Pour in gelatin mixture and beat until well blended.
- Fold in chocolate ganache until well blended.
- Spread over cooled cheesecake and refrigerate for two hours. If cheesecake is not cooled, refrigerate until cake has cooled.
Chocolate Buttercream
- In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter for about five minutes.
- Add sifted powdered sugar and mix until combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, add cocoa powder and mix until combined.
- Add heavy whipping cream, salt, and vanilla and mix on medium speed for another 5-10 minutes until smooth.
Assemble
- On a cake board or cake stand, place one layer of cake bottom side down. Pipe a rim of buttercream around the cake. You can use a ziploc bag and cut one corner to pipe a rim around the cake.
- Evenly spread half of the chocolate mousse on the cake layer. Top with another cake layer, bottom side up and repeat.
- Place last cake layer on top with bottom side up. Frost cake using a cake spatula or a butter knife. Smooth buttercream with cake scrapper or use the back of a spoon for a rustic look.
- Refrigerate cake for an hour, then wrap in plastic wrap until an hour before ready to serve. Remove cake from refrigerator 30 minutes to an hour before serving.
Notes
*Recipe serves 16-20 people.
*This recipe makes one three layered 8 inch cake or four layered 6 inch cake. If you want to make another tier, you’ll need to make another batch.
*In the pictures shown above, I baked one half batch of cake and baked it in two 6 inch cake pans for the top tier. I cut the layers in half and used three of the four layers. I also made a half batch of mousse and buttercream for the top tier.