This amazing Chocolate Mousse Cake recipe combines moist chocolate cake layers with a rich chocolate mousse filling and a warm chocolate frosting poured on top. It’s the ultimate chocolate lover’s cake!
Chocolate Mousse Cake is the most magical chocolate cake!
Chocolate Mousse Cake is the most magical chocolate cake!I love this Chocolate Mousse Cake because it’s the perfect balance of elegance and ease. The chocolate mousse couldn’t be simpler to make, and I often prep everything ahead of time so the final assembly is quick and stress-free. It’s a beautiful, impressive dessert that’s sure to wow any crowd, especially the chocolate lovers in your life! Best of all, the combination of moist chocolate cake with creamy mousse filling is absolutely divine. It’s rich without being too heavy, and always a crowd favorite.
Try my other cake recipes, like Chocolate Cobbler, Carrot Cake, Flourless Chocolate Cake, or Dulce de Leche Cake!
How to make Chocolate Mousse Cake:
Bake Chocolate Cake: Mix sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, stir in boiling water and prepare into prepared pans. Bake at 350°F for 30–35 minutes. (A box cake mix can be used if you prefer).
Make Chocolate Mousse: Mix cocoa powder and hot water until smooth. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave or use a double boiler. Add cocoa powder mixture to the melted chocolate and stir until smooth. Let cool to room temperature. Whip the cream and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until very stiff peaks. Add cooled melted chocolate and gently fold the mixture together to combine. Refrigerate until you assemble the cake.
Assemble the Cake: Once cakes are cool, slice each in half horizontally with a sharp serrated knife to create four layers. Place one of the cake rounds on the serving tray then spread a thin layer of chocolate mousse over it. Top with the next cake layer then repeat with the chocolate mousse between all layers. Smooth any extra chocolate mousse over the outside of the whole cake as a “crumb” coat. Refrigerate cake for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1-2 days if it's covered well.
Make Frosting & Serve: Heat milk, cocoa, and butter in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil then remove from heat and beat in powdered sugar with electric mixers to get rid of any lumps. Cool for 15-20 minutes, until pourable but not too warm that it melts the mousse. Pour and smooth over chilled cake. I like to use pieces of parchment papers gently under the edges of the cake to catch the frosting as it drips down. I usually pour it slowly and catch it as it comes down the sides and smooth it along the sides. Serve chocolate mousse cake once set.
Follow me for more great recipes
Recipe
Layered Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup oil (vegetable or canola oil)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water , or hot coffee
Chocolate Mousse:
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
Chocolate Frosting:
- 6 Tablespoons milk
- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup butter (one stick)
- 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Chocolate Cake:
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8 or 9 inch round baking pans. (I like to line the bottom of mine with wax or parchment paper).
- Dry ingredients: Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.2 cups granulated sugar, 1 ¾ cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (the batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.2 large eggs, 1 cup buttermilk, ½ cup oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 cup boiling water
- Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove to wire cooling racks. Cool completely. (You could freeze the cake rounds at this point, if desired.)
Chocolate Mousse:
- Stir the cocoa powder and hot water together. In a double-boiler (or in the microwave) melt the chocolate chips, just until smooth. Add the cocoa mixture to the melted chocolate chips and stir well to combine. Allow to cool to room temperature.½ cup hot water, 4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- In a separate large bowl, beat the cream and sugar until very stiff peaks form. Add the chocolate mixture and fold in with a spatula until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 5 days.2 cups heavy whipping cream, 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
Chocolate frosting:
- In a medium saucepan, add milk, cocoa, and butter. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and mix with electric beaters to get rid of any lumps. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.6 Tablespoons milk, 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ cup butter, 3 ¾ cups powdered sugar
- Torte Cakes: Once cakes have cooled, use a sharp serrated knife to torte each cake (cut each cake evenly in half, horizontally, so that you end up with four, thin, 9'' cake pieces).
- Layer mousse: Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread a big spoonful of mousse on top of that cake layer. Repeat with the remaining cake layers, adding a layer of mousse filling between each layer of cake. Use remaining mousse filling to spread it evenly around the entire outside and top of the cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Chocolate Frosting: (I usually make the warm chocolate frosting while the cake is in the fridge.) Remove cake from fridge and very slowly pour the cooled chocolate frosting over the top. Use a spatula or knife to gently spread the frosting evenly over the outside of the cake as you pour. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Mousse: Place in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Fold it again gently with a spatula before using. But the texture is best the day of.
- Cake Rounds: These can be made in advance and frozen. Once baked, cool them completely and then wrap them in a double layer of plastic wrap. Place in a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Follow Me
*I first shared this recipe in May 2014. Updated May 2018, February 2022 and October 2025.
This post contains affiliate links.
It would be nice if you could include alternate ingredient conversions for instance gluten free flour and sugar substitutes.
Hi, I don’t think it’s messy at all. In fact, it looks wonderful. where is the video? Thanks
Here is the link to the video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSDEiZWbN6U
No,but I’m going to give my honest opinion, the cake looks sloppy. The reason why I’m saying this because, in the video the cake looks like it will literally fall apart. It has no firmness to it, and the cake itself, is a mess. I went to culinary school and I studied patisserie and baking and one of the things, they tell you is that you do not want to have a messy cake. In addition to that, your cake and your frosting ratio needs to be even. In the pictures on this website, they are not even at all. So, I would suggest you make the cake again, and make sure that for every, inch layer cake you have and needs to be a half an inch of frosting and it needs to be even. I was going to attempt to make this cake, by watching the video and looking at the pictures, but it seemed like it would be a big chocolate falling apart mess.
made this for my mom’s birthday and omg, everyone LOVED it. I will never make a different chocolate cake – it’s perfectly moist and amazing even without the mousse. I always do the fresh brewed coffee instead of water and it’s divine. the mousse was easy yet delicious and I realized I didn’t need an overcomplicated recipe to execute a delicious mousse. I didn’t make the frosting as I was nervous of the too drippy problems described in other reviews. I did make a quick chocoalte ganache that I dripped on top of the cake and that was the perfect sweet addition. make sure to use quality chocoalte (though I do just use Target’s unsweetened cocoa powder most of the time and it’s still amazing)
This is the best cake I have ever made! It’s so moist I also turn them into cupcakes, put 50 grams on batter in a cupcake pan lined with liners and bake for 14 mins at 350°. I’m trying to figure out a way to make this cake with out cocoa powder, and have a moist white cake.
I have to agree. My cake did not come out sloppy as some says. My husband loves this cake and I am baking it again as he was away for work. Tomorrow our children and grandson will be visiting so I am busy making the cake again. The taste is amazing and I love the chocolate mouse.. I add my layers of mouse then I put it in the fridge for about 10 min before I add the other layer. Well needless to say this cake will be finished tomorrow for sure. Thanks so much for the recipe.
How much vanilla extract should we use for the mousse and how much vanilla extract should we use for the frosting?
My son requested this cake for his birthday.This will be the third time making this cake, simple, elegant and delicous.
This is my go to never fail indulgent chocolate cake for special occasions (like Easter).I tend to wait till the frosting is cooler and thicker before I add it to the cake with a spatula
Hi I have used this recipe many times and it is amazing! but recently I have difficulty with the cake turning out crumbly and very moist and sunk in the middle! It was in the oven for 45 minutes.
I was wondering could I replace the flour and both leavening agents and use self raising flour instead. Would this solve the problem please?
Also the mousse texture once I take out of the fridge it isn’t smooth….how could I fix this please or do I need to wait for the chocolate mix to completely cool when adding to the cream and that could help?
Please advise thanks
Your “mousse ” is chocolate whip cream. Not a proper mousse. Thank you for crediting Hersheys for their cake recipe though.