Three different chocolate mousse layers, almond vanilla cake and a passion fruit topping. The only sweetness in the mousse layers comes from the added chocolate or passion fruit juice. This chocolate mousse cake is made quickly and perfect to make ahead.
My sister makes this cake for any occasion, if it is a birthday or just a Sunday tea with the family. I was always impressed on how difficult it looks until I finally made it myself and I am glad I tried it. Let me tell you it is definitely not as complicated as it looks!
Looking for a simple cake to impress others? Make this easy three chocolate mousse cake with dark, milk and white chocolate mousse. Perfect to prepare the day before.
Use quality chocolate and let the cake chill accordingly.
When making this cake it is important to use quality chocolate. I get mine at trader joes supermarket. They have pound plus Belgium chocolate which has good quality for an affordable price. Other chocolate that I can recommend is Ghirardelli or Merckens.
Key to success for this cake is to let the cake chill long enough so that each mousse layer has enough time to set. The waiting time is the biggest part of making this cake, which is also good since you have enough time to clean the bowls and to prepare the next chocolate mousse layer in between.
Using gelatin powder instead of sheets? Substitute 1 sheet gelatin with 1 teaspoon powdered gelatin
A few trouble shooting tips ahead: When working with gelatin it is important to never let the gelatin cook since it would loose its gelation properties. Additionally, try to work fast after adding the gelatin chocolate mixture to the whipped cream since it tends to set quickly which would make it difficult to fill into the cake ring. Which actually happened to me while recording this recipe. When you watch my video check the consistency of the dark chocolate mousse. It was pretty set already when I layered it on top of the almond cake. It was more difficult to smooth it out without leaving air gaps underneath but it was still ok.
With all these tips you are set to make this beautiful cake without any complications. If you have any questions feel free to write me or leave a comment!
Triple chocolate mousse cake
Ingredients for 1 8-inch cake layer
Vanilla Almond cake:
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
1 cup (120 g) cake flour
3 tbsp almond meal
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt, optional
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (120 ml) butter milk
1/4 cup (25 g) unsalted butter, very soft
1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
Dark chocolate mousse:
1 1/4 cups (300 ml) heavy cream
4 oz (113 g) dark chocolate
1 sheet gelatine or 1 tsp gelatine
1 large egg
2 tbsp water
Milk chocolate mousse:
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
4 1/4 oz (120 g) milk chocolate
2 sheets gelatine or 2 tsp gelatine
1 large egg
2 tbsp water
White chocolate mousse:
1 1/4 cups (300 ml) heavy cream
5 1/4 oz (150 g) white chocolate
3 sheets gelatine or 3 tsp gelatine
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp water
Passionfruit layer:
2/3 cup (160 ml) passion fruit juice
2 sheets gelatine or 2 tsp gelatine
2 passion fruits or 4 tbsp of passion fruit pulp, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Start off with a medium sized bowl. Sift in cake flour, baking soda and baking powder. In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar, butter, salt, and oil. Mix for about 4 minutes. The mixture should be very fluffy and lighter in color. Add eggs, butter milk and vanilla. Mix it until fluffy. Add the flour mixture and almond meal. Mix the batter until everything is just combined.
Step 2:
Fill the batter in a prepared 8-inch cake pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each layer comes out clean. Cool the layer in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 3:
For the dark chocolate mousse layer soak gelatin in cold water. If you are using granulated gelatin let it bloom in 2 tbsp of water for 5 minutes. Melt the dark chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second intervals until completely melted and smooth. In a heatproof bowl mix one egg with water and place it on a double boiler, a pot with boiling water. Make sure that the water of the pot is not touching the bowl. Whisk it until it is foamy and begins to thicken for about 3 to 5 minutes. Mix in gelatin and melted chocolate. Mix until smooth. Remove the water bath. In a tall bowl or measuring cup whip the whipped cream until completely whipped and it holds it's shape. Mix in the chocolate mixture. If the chocolate mixture is set already soften it in the microwave for about 10 seconds before mixing it into the whipped cream.
Step 4:
If needed level the cake layer and place it on to a cake drum or straight plate. Cover it with a cake ring and fill the dark chocolate mousse layer on top. Smooth the cake and place it in the freezer for about 20 minutes or let it chill it in the fridge for about 1 hour.
Step 5:
In the meantime make the milk chocolate mousse layer. Repeat the steps from Step 3 but use milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate. Fill it on top of the dark chocolate layer. Smooth and freeze it for 30 minutes or place it in the fridge for about 1.5 hours.
Step 6:
For the white chocolate mousse layer soak gelatin in cold water. In a heatproof bowl mix egg yolks with water and place it on a double boiler. Make sure that the water of the pot is not touching the bowl. Whisk it until it is foamy and begins to thicken for about 3 to 5 minutes. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave. Into the egg yolk mixture add gelatin and melted chocolate. Mix until smooth. Remove the water bath. In a tall bowl or measuring cup whip the whipped cream until completely whipped and it holds it's shape. Mix in the chocolate mixture. Fill it on top of the milk chocolate layer. Let it chill for about 2 hours or freeze it for 30 minutes.
Step 7:
To make the top layer soak gelatin in cold water for about 5 minutes. In the meantime heat up the passion fruit juice but do not let it boil. Remove the gelatin from the water and mix it into the warm juice. Mix until smooth. Add passion fruit pulp if desired and fill it on top of the white mousse layer. Let the cake chill for at least 2 hours.
Enjoy!
**Pro Tips**
Substitute cake flour with 1 cup (120 g) all purpose flour and cornstarch. Remove 2 tbsp of flour and add 2 tbsp of cornstarch. Sift at least 5 times.
After filling in the mousse layer level it and clean the top part of the cake ring to give the cake a pretty and clean look.
Fill in the mousse layer while it is still a bit soft. to prevent air pockets to form.
Make this cake in a 10 inch cake pan for a larger but less high cake.
To remove the cake ring slowly cut with a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen the top layer. This prevents tearing of the cake. Then slowly open the cake ring and try to loosen the cake carefully. After removing the cake ring use a hot cake comb or palette knife and smooth its sides.
Instead of a cake ring you can use a springform pan (and bake the cake in the springform pan). Line the sides with parchment paper to increase the height of the pan)
