This chocolate mousse filling is creamy and rich with a light and airy texture and an intense chocolate flavor! It’s perfect for filling layer cakes, roll cakes, and decorating cupcakes.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe:
Don’t be fooled by its glossy sheen, pillowy texture, and decadent chocolate taste.
Chocolate mousse frosting is quick and simple to make! It’s essentially whipped cream folded into melted chocolate. The chocolate stabilizes the cream and imparts a rich chocolate flavor.
- The best filling for chocolate cake
- Customize it with milk, dark, or semi-sweet chocolate
- Easy to make in just 25 minutes
I could eat this chocolate mousse icing by the spoonful, but my favorite way to use it is in chocolate layer cakes!
Try it in roll cakes, ice cream cakes, cupcakes, or even use it to fill strawberries! Yum!
Key Ingredient Notes:
- Hot water – Hot water blooms the cocoa powder. When you bloom cocoa powder, you mix it with a hot liquid to draw out and intensify its flavor.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – A combination of cocoa powder and melted chocolate provide a robust, rich chocolatey taste. For a dark and intense filling, swap regular cocoa powder with dark cocoa powder.
- Instant espresso – If you’re not a coffee fan, don’t sweat it! Instant espresso enhances the flavor of the chocolate. You won’t even know it’s there.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips – I used semi-sweet chocolate which varies in cacao content from 40 to 60 percent. For a sweeter filling, swap with milk chocolate and for a deep, intense filling, use dark chocolate. For best results, use high-quality chocolate chips like Ghirardelli or Callebaut brand. A chopped chocolate bar works perfectly too.
- Heavy cream – Heavy whipping cream stiffens as you whip it, until it reaches whipped cream. Always keep the cream cold or it won’t whip properly.
- Sugar – For a touch of sweetness! Sugar helps stabilize the whipped cream.
How to make this recipe:
My chocolate mousse cake filling is simple, I promise! Here’s step-by-step instructions with photos to guide you through it.
- In a small bowl, dissolve the cocoa powder and instant espresso in hot water. Stir it with a mini whisk or spoon.
- In a small saucepan, bring two inches of water to a simmer. Place the chocolate chips into a large heatproof bowl and set it over the pot of simmering water. Stir until the chocolate chips are melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and let it cool slightly.
- Stir the cocoa mixture into the melted chocolate.
- In a mixing bowl with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream with the sugar until stiff peaks form. Stiff peaks means the whipped cream will hold a peak or point without falling over.
Tip
Be careful not to overwhip the cream or it will separate and curdle. It should look smooth yet stiff.
- Add a third of the whipped cream to the cooled chocolate mixture and fold until combined.
- Combine the chocolate mixture with the remaining whipped cream and fold until no white streaks remain.
Tips for Success:
- Let the melted chocolate cool before you add the whipped cream. If the chocolate is hot, it will melt the whipped cream and make chocolate soup.
- If you don’t want to use a double boiler to melt the chocolate, you can also use the microwave. Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each addition. Do not overheat, or the chocolate will burn and clump.
- Keep your heavy cream chilled! Warm heavy cream doesn’t whip properly. Warm cream won’t reach stiff peaks, no matter how long you whip it.
- Don’t overwhip the cream, or it will curdle. Overwhipped cream gets clumpy, separates, and eventually turns into butter.
Ways to use chocolate mousse filling:
- Spoon it into a glass, top with whipped cream & sprinkles, and enjoy it by the spoonful!
- Use a paring knife to hull fresh strawberries, then pipe in the chocolate filling. Dip in melted chocolate & chill.
- Cut the center out of kahlua cupcakes and pipe the chocolate mousse icing inside.
- Use it to make a chocolate layer in a homemade ice cream cake or creamy cheesecake!
- Scoop it into a trifle and spread evenly for a decadent chocolate layer.
Storing Tips:
- Chocolate mousse filling is best the day you make it, however it can be made a day in advance.
- Transfer to an airtight container, or cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- Let the filling sit on the counter to soften before you use it to fill a cake.
FAQs:
It depends on the recipe! Chocolate mousse can be made with melted chocolate and whipped cream, or with egg yolks, butter, and whipped egg whites. Both ways include chocolate and sugar!
A layer cake can be filled with different types of frostings or fillings. Try Swiss meringue buttercream, French buttercream, American buttercream, jam, cream filling, pie filling, custard, citrus curd, or chocolate ganache.
No, double cream has a higher fat content than heavy cream. Double cream contains 48% milk fat, while heavy cream only 36%. If you do use double cream, be careful not to overwhip it.
Yes, chocolate mousse filling is meant to be enjoyed chilled. It loses its shape and fluffy texture if it sits out too long. It also contains whipped cream, which perishes if its not refrigerated.
More Mousse Recipes:
Chocolate Mousse Filling
Ingredients
- ½ cup (120ml) hot water
- 4 tablespoons (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder Note 1
- ½ teaspoon instant espresso coffee
- 1 ½ cups (260g) semi-sweet chocolate chips Note 2
- 2 cups (480ml) heavy cream cold
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Equipment
- small bowl
- heatproof bowl
- small saucepan
- mixing bowl with the whisk attachment
Instructions
- In a small bowl, dissolve the cocoa powder and instant espresso powder in hot water.
- In a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips until nice and smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and cool slightly.
- Stir the cocoa mixture into the melted chocolate.
- In a mixing bowl with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream with the sugar until hard peaks form.
- Add 1/3 of the whipped cream and fold until mostly combined. Then combine the mixture with the remaining whipped cream and mix well until no white streaks remain.
Tips & Notes
– Chocolate mousse filling is best the day you make it, however it can be made a day in advance.
– Transfer to an airtight container, or cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
– Let the filling sit on the counter to soften before you use it to fill a cake.
Nutrition
The recipe seem to have come out somewhat loose, and I would like it to be stiffer in consistency. What can I do to the recipe to thicken it up a little bit?
Hi, Amber. You can put it in the fridge to thicken it. As the chocolate cools, it makes the frosting stiffer. Hope this helps.
Can you substitute Cool Whip for the whipped cream? I am trying to replicate a Mexican Chocolate Pie, and would add the other ingredients to the chocolate mixture.
Hi, Linda! Hmm, I don’t see why you couldn’t, but I can say for sure as I haven’t tested this recipe with cool whip. One thing to keep in mind is that Cool Whip is sweet, and this mousse will be sweeter.
I made this as a topping for an espresso cheesecake and it was decadent!
Yay, so happy you tried and loved the recipe, Amy! Thank you so much for your feedback!
Made this and couldn’t be happier! Great taste enhanced the cake I filled with it.
Woo-hoo!! So happy you tried and loved my favorite chocolate filling!! Thank you for your feedback, Phyllis!
Absolutely delicious and so easy 👍thanks for your recipe ❤️