A triple chocolate mousse cake made from a light cocoa sponge and three layers of luscious milk, dark and white chocolate mousse

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Why should you make this cake?
Ingredients
How to assemble the cake
Frequently Asked Questions
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

Why should you make this cake?

If you love chocolate but don't want a super rich and heavy cake this is the one for you. This is perfectly balanced in sweetness, while still having a deep chocolatey flavor. Plus the mousse gives the whole cake a super light texture that melts in your mouth.

While this cake does have quite a few different components, the process to make it is all relatively simple. There isn't much that can go wrong during the making process, and once made I promise you there will be no regrets.

triple chocolate mousse cake dusted with cocoa powder

Ingredients

Chocolate Sponge

Cocoa powder: I like to use dutch processed cocoa powder for a deeper chocolate flavor, but regular cocoa powder works too.
Cake flour: Cake flour gives this sponge cake a lighter texture! All-purpose flour works too if you don't have any cake flour available.
Milk: I like to use whole milk for a more tender cake crumb, but skim milk and milk alternatives will work too.

Vegetable oil: Make sure you use a neutral flavored oil in the cake otherwise the cake will take on the flavor of the oil.
Large eggs: Eggs not only bind the cake together but they form the base of the sponge cake, helping it rise up to the perfect height and texture.
Granulated sugar: Aka white sugar. The sugar here is whipped with the egg whites to form a meringue. This meringue gives the cake its lightness and fluffy texture.

Chocolate Mousse

Heavy cream: Aka thickened cream. This makes up the body of the mousse. I recommend using heavy or thickened cream as it can hold structure a little better than regular whipping cream.
Chocolate: Depending on what layer you are making this will be white, milk, or dark! I like to use block chocolate as it is typically higher quality than chocolate chips.

Whole milk: The milk prevents the mousse from being too rich, while also smoothening out the chocolate so it can be incorporated into the whipped cream easier.
Gelatin sheet: Make sure you use platinum-grade gelatin sheets. These are the strongest gelatin sheets and will ensure that the mousse sets up to a consistency that can stand on its own.

How to assemble the cake

Assembling the cake is pretty simple, all you need is a springform pan with a removable base or a cake ring. Follow these steps for easy assembly and unmoulding:

Line the ring of the cake tin or cake ring with a strip of acetate or baking paper
Place the sponge cake on the bottom (if you're assembling in the cake ring make sure you place it on a baking tray)
Then pour each layer of mousse on top of the next, allowing each layer of mousse to set a little before pouring over the next
Once the cake has completely set dust it with cocoa powder and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does this last?

This cake will last up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Make sure you keep the cake chilled as it will start to melt when left at room temperature. When you are ready to eat simply remove it from the fridge and enjoy!

Can I freeze this cake?

Yes, you can! If you have leftovers you can place the cake in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. When ready to eat simply take it out of the freezer and allow it to defrost in the fridge overnight.

Can I make it with just one kind of chocolate?

Yes, you can! If you don't want to make three different layers of chocolate or prefer the flavor of one kind of chocolate over another you can make all the mousse with one kind of chocolate. Keep in mind that dark chocolate will result in a cake with a much more bitter flavor, while milk and white chocolate will result in a much sweeter cake.

Why isn't my cake setting?

There are a couple of reasons why the cake isn't setting:

The wrong kind of gelatin was used: Gelatin sheets have different grades, some being weaker than others. Make sure your gelatin leaves are platinum grade.
The gelatin wasn't melted properly: This results in a lumpy mousse that doesn't set properly.
The cake hasn't been chilled for long enough: GIve the cake a little more chill time to set up.

Can I use powdered gelatin?

If you have powdered gelatin at home you can use it instead.

Roughly 1 gelatin sheet = 1 teaspoon powdered gelatin.

To use it sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoon cold water and allow it to bloom. Then add the bloomed gelatin to your chocolate mixture.

How should I serve this?

There are so many different ways to serve this cake. I kept it simple with a dusting of cocoa powder but you can garnish the cake with chocolate shavings, chocolate curls, chocolate ganache, or even just melted chocolate.

I like to serve this cake with fresh berries for a fruity and refreshing touch!

Let's Get Cooking

If you liked this recipe make sure to leave me a comment and rating down below, I would love to know how you went. Also don't forget to tag me on Instagram @catherine.desserts so I can see and share your desserts.

Follow me on facebook, pinterest, youtube and tiktok for more of my baking creations and updates! Until next time... happy caking!

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

Why should you make this cake?