Simple Chocolate Mousse Cake

Low lift, high reward

Hello!

I have barely an athletic bone in my body, but I am an Olympics Fan. This means all baking projects for the next couple of weeks must fit neatly between every figure skating event and all the other winter sports I last watched in 2022.

Enter: this simple chocolate mousse cake. It’s easy, but still elegant. It’s a low lift, high reward bake that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day or, frankly, any day you need a dose of chocolate.

We start with a single layer of my popular simple sourdough chocolate cake, a stir-together affair that yields a soft and rich yet sturdy cake. (I’ve got non-sourdough instructions too, don’t worry.)

The mousse layer contains just eggs (cooked over a double boiler, so safe for littles and immuno-compromised friends), sugar, melted chocolate, and whipped cream. Peep that set texture: lush, chocolate-forward, yet still airy. Heavenly!

Baker’s Notes:

• My favorite pan for assembling this cake is an 8x3” removable base pan (sometimes called a cheesecake pan). It works double duty in this recipe: first, to bake the cake portion; and second, to set the final assembled cake. You could also bake the cake in a regular 8” cake pan, then assemble in an 8x3” springform or cake ring if that’s what you have available.

• Use a good quality chocolate for the mousse and stick to the cocoa solids percentage listed. If you use chocolate with a lower percentage the mousse may not set; and anything higher may be too bitter and stiff.

• Pay attention to the temperatures listed: if the chocolate or eggs are too cold, they will be difficult to incorporate without losing volume or becoming grainy.

You Might Want to Bake These:

• Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake (if you’re looking for a project!)

• Vanilla Swirl Custard Buns

• Old Fashioned Donuts

---

Today’s recipe is available below for paid subscribers. To access all 90+ recipes in the archive, consider upgrading to a paid subscription for $5/month or $50/year. Thank you for supporting my work!

---

Simple Chocolate Mousse Cake

Makes one 8” cake