Layered Chocolate Mousse Cake

This decadent Layered Chocolate Mousse Cake is the perfect dessert for any celebration. Perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays!

This dreamy Chocolate Cake Recipe is a chocolate extravaganza with layers of cake, mousse, and ganache! A masterpiece!!

Why You Must Make

One of my dear friends and her husband invited us over for crab cakes and a lobster boil. If you’re aware that we live in land-locked Indiana, you know this is an offer you don’t refuse.

• It was on our wedding anniversary, so I volunteered to bring dessert for the gang. And it had to be chocolate for the guy I’ve been hitched to for 28 years. This is a dream dessert for chocolate lovers.
• Plus, his birthday was the next Monday so unbeknownst to him, we were celebrating that, too! This Layered Chocolate Mousse Cake, in fact, is the perfect dessert for any celebration, birthdays, anniversaries, and, this time of year, Easter.
• This chocolate cake contains nearly 3 pounds of chocolate, so a little slice is all you need. This cake is ideal when you have a large gathering as a thinner-than-usual-sized slice is perfect.

Expert Tips

This cake was a HUGE hit, and the birthday boy was quite pleased.

• For an easier version, skip the splitting of the layers, make half of the ganache and mousse, and do all the chocolate melting in the microwave. You could even try one big mousse layer in the center.
• All the components are divine, but there are a lot of steps. The cake layers, the ganache, and the mousse can all be made the day before.
• The ganache and mousse need to be refrigerated, and the ganache needs to be gently warmed to make it spreadable.
• PRO-Tip: This recipe calls for both baking soda and baking powder. Note that Baking Powder (affiliate links in blue) has a much shorter shelf life than baking soda and isn’t used as often. Therefore, it usually expires before you can use it all. To test to see if yours is still active, put a spoonful of your baking powder into a cup of very hot water. If it’s fresh, it will bubble vigorously. If it doesn’t, replace it before you start this recipe.
• PRO-Tip: When measuring the Karo Syrup, first spray the measuring cup with Pam to make it slide right out.
• Using raspberry jam with seeds works fine. I’ve used both seedless and with seeds. Note: the jam helps moisten the cake.
• The cake sinks a bit in the middle after it’s baked, but as long as it’s cooked through, you can trim it or just use it as is. 

How to Assemble

1. Cut each cake layer in half. You will only use 3 of the layers for this dessert.
2. PRO-Tip: Insert toothpicks halfway down the sides of each cake around the perimeter. This will help guide your knife as you cut it in half.
3. Place one layer, cut side up on the bottom of a round tart pan, cardboard round, or baking sheet. Repeat with a second layer, also cut side up.
4. Spread jam over two of the layers and chill.
5. Top each of the chilled jam-covered layers with 1 cup of ganache, and chill.
6. Top each of those layers with 3 cups of mousse and spread. Chill.
7. Top with the third layer, cut side down. Reserve the 4th layer for another use.
8. Spread 1 cup of mousse on top of the cake.
9. Frost the sides with ganache.
10. Chill for at least 3 hours before serving.
11. Decorate with fresh berries, if desired.

How to Use Leftover Chocolate Cake

It’s not often you have plain, unfrosted, leftover chocolate cake. Here are a few ideas for how to use it.

• Make a trifle. Layer cubes of cake, whipped cream, and berries in a glass serving bowl.
• Make parfaits. Similar to trifle, but individual servings in glasses. Layer with pudding, whipped cream, and cake.
• Make cake pops!
• Make a dirt dessert.

Frequently Asked Questions

You May Also Like 

Make sure to bookmark your favorites for the holiday! These are all scrumptious!

• Italian Easter Torta from La Bella Vita Cucina
• Easter Cake Pops 
• Best Holiday Pies
• Easter Bread Recipe
• Coconut Easter Nests
• Tunnel of Mousse Cake
• Easter Cookie Cake
• Best Easter Recipes
• Plus More of the Best Cake Recipes from my recipe index.

Continue to Content

Print

The Recipe:

Layered Chocolate Mousse Cake

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Yield 16 servings

An exquisite chocolate dessert with layers of cake, mousse and ganache!

4.8 Stars (17 Reviews)

Ingredients

For cake:

Toggle ingredient group

• 2 ¾ cups cake flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 ¾ cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ¾ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

For ganache:

Toggle ingredient group

• 3 cups whipping cream
• 1 ½ pounds semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

For mousse:

Toggle ingredient group

• 4 ⅓ cups chilled heavy whipping cream
• ½ cup light corn syrup
• 1 ¼ pounds bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

For assembling:

Toggle ingredient group

• ⅔ cup seedless raspberry jam
• Fresh raspberries, cherries, small strawberries, blueberries and blackberries to garnish

Instructions

To make cake:

1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
2. Butter and flour two 10-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides; line each with a round of parchment paper or waxed paper.
3. Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl; whisk to blend well. Using an electric mixer, beat sugar, eggs, and egg yolks in a large bowl until a very thick and heavy ribbon falls when the beaters are lifted, about 6 minutes.
4. Add oil, sour cream, and vanilla, then dry ingredients all at once to the egg mixture. Beat at low speed until just blended, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl.

Beat at high speed until well blended, about 3 minutes. Fold in chocolate chips; divide batter between prepared pans (about 3 ¾ cups of batter in each).

1. Bake cakes until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
2. Cool cakes completely in pans on racks.
3. Cover; let cakes stand at room temperature overnight.

To make ganache:

1. Bring cream to a simmer in a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth.
3. Transfer ganache to a glass bowl. Let stand until thick enough to spread, about 4 hours.

To make mousse:

1. Using an electric mixer, beat 3 ⅓ cups cream in a large bowl until peaks form; refrigerate.
2. Combine the remaining 1 cup of cream and corn syrup in a heavy medium saucepan and bring to a simmer.
3. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until melted, smooth, and still warm to the touch. Pour the warm chocolate mixture directly onto the whipped cream and fold in gently.
4. Chill until the mousse is set, at least 8 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
5. Cut around pan sides; turn out cakes. Peel off the paper.
6. Cut each cake horizontally in half. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on a 9-inch tart pan bottom or 9-inch cardboard round.
7. Place another layer, cut side up, on a clean baking sheet. Spread each with ⅓ cup raspberry jam. Chill until jam sets, about 15 minutes
8. Drop 1 cup ganache by rounded teaspoonfuls over each jam layer. Using an offset spatula, gently spread ganache to cover the jam.
9. Drop 3 cups of mousse by heaping spoonfuls onto each ganache layer; gently spread to cover. Refrigerate cake layers for 30 minutes.
10. Using large metal spatula, place the cake layer from the baking sheet, mousse side up, atop the cake layer on the tart pan bottom.
11. Place the third cake layer, cut side down, on the cake (reserve the remaining cake layer for another use). Spread 1 cup of mousse over the top of the assembled cake.
12. Using a long offset spatula, spread the sides of the assembled cake with enough ganache (about 1 ½ cups) to fill gaps and make smooth surface. Transfer the cake on tart pan bottom to the platter.
13. Chill the cake for at least 3 hours and up to 1 day. Mound fruit atop the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

Adapted from Bon Appetit.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1273Total Fat: 84gSaturated Fat: 44gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 35gCholesterol: 213mgSodium: 354mgCarbohydrates: 132gFiber: 7gSugar: 100gProtein: 13g

HOW MUCH DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest