Chocolate Mousse Cake
Rich chocolate cake layers smothered in a light, silky chocolate whipped cream icing — a chocolate spin on my mother-in-law's classic sponge cake with chocolate whipped cream.
- Prep Time
- 25 min
- Cook Time
- 35 min
- Total Time
- 1 hr
- Servings
- 12 servings
Every year for my husband's birthday, his mom makes his favorite cake from childhood — a light sponge cake layered with chocolate whipped cream icing. Simple, light, and exactly what he wants every single time. Last time she made it, we got to talking about what it would taste like with chocolate cake layers instead of the angel food base, and our daughter's eyes lit up at the idea of pairing that chocolate whipped cream with actual chocolate cake, so I got to work.
This icing is a bit richer than my mother-in-law's version, mostly because I use more chocolate in it. I thought about smothering the whole thing in ganache, but held back since I wanted to keep the icing light rather than going full traditional buttercream — so I let a generous pile of chocolate curls do the decorating instead.
The result is that perfect combination: rich chocolate cake under a cloud of chocolate mousse.
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup cocoa
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup strong coffee
For the Chocolate Mousse Icing
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1/2 packet unflavored gelatin (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- 1Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl or standing mixer.
- 2Add the buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla, and coffee, and beat at medium speed for 1-2 minutes, until smooth.
- 3Divide the batter evenly between three greased 8-inch cake pans. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- 4Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove the cakes to cool completely on cooling racks.
- 5For the icing: heat 3/4 cup of the heavy cream in the microwave for 60-75 seconds, until it starts to bubble. Pour over the chocolate chips in a small bowl and whisk until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
- 6In a standing mixer, beat the remaining 3 cups of heavy cream with the granulated sugar until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in the gelatin for extra stability, and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- 7Gently fold the cooled chocolate ganache into the whipped cream until no streaks remain and the icing is one solid color.
- 8Layer the cooled cake with the chocolate mousse icing, garnishing with chocolate curls if desired. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
