For serious chocolate lovers! This decadent chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling is THE thing to satisfy your chocolate craving!
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I have to warn you, this cake is SO delicious it might just become a reason for a fight in your family. 🙂
I made this chocolate cake for my husband for Valentine’s Day. The cake turned out amazing. Rich and moist, irresistibly chocolaty. Although just two of us could have finished the whole cake without problem, we shared it with our family. (Yep, we’re that awesome! 😉
Couple weeks later when I was visiting, my mother-in-law told me about the drama over the last piece of cake. My father-in-law loves chocolate and, apparently, he was savoring the cake one small piece at a time. When he came back to enjoy his last piece of this heavenly dessert, it was nowhere to be found. No one knew where it is, and no one would admit eating it. Yep, just like that, the last slice of the cake had disappeared without a trace. Sadly, my poor father-in-law had been grumpy for a week, wondering about the mystery of the missing cake.
That was a great excuse for me to bake this cake again.
The first one had a small issue that I needed to fix. The problem was that I was lazy and baked the whole cake in one deep 9-inch cake pan, instead of two. This caused an ugly sinkhole in my final cake. See below.
I know it doesn’t really matter, as it still tastes wonderful.
However, I think it’s important to understand the reason behind the problems, so we can avoid them later. So, here is the explanation.
Since the batter is very runny due to high amount of liquid, there isn’t enough structure to hold a high rise even after the cake is baked completely. That’s why it’s important to bake them in two separate pans.
Now, here is the step-by-step instruction for this amazingly delicious cake.
If you don’t have instant espresso powder, use strong coffee instead, or skip it. You really won’t taste the coffee, it just enhances the chocolate flavor.
While the cake is cooling, prepare the chocolate mousse filling.
To assemble the cake:
To slice the cake into even layers, I used this Zenker Layer Cake Slicer Kit. It makes perfectly even layers and I love it. Make sure that the cake is completely cooled before slicing though, otherwise it’ll break easily.
You can find the detailed recipe for chocolate ganache here on my blog.
Voila!
It paired really well with my homemade vanilla bean ice cream!
Hope you’ll try this cake soon. And please don’t fight over that last piece of cake. Enjoy!
Supreme Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mousse Filling
Ingredients
For cake:
- 2 cups 250gr all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups 300gr sugar
- ¾ cup 90gr unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup 120ml hot water
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso coffee
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup 240ml milk, at room temperature
- ½ cup 120ml Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
For mousse filling:
- ½ cup 120ml hot water
- 4 tablespoons 30gr unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon instant espresso coffee
- 1 ½ cup 260gr bittersweet chocolate chips
- 2 cups 480ml heavy cream, cold
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/3 cup Nutella
For chocolate ganache:
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon softened butter optional
Instructions
- To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together water and instant espresso coffee. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, mix together eggs, milk, yogurt and pure vanilla extract until well combined. Add half of the flour mixture for a minute, then add the remaining mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in the espresso water.
- Pour the batter into two cake pans. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Then remove the cakes from the pan and cool completely.
- Meanwhile, let’s prepare the chocolate mousse filling. In a small bowl, dissolve cocoa powder and instant espresso powder in a hot water.
- In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips until nice and smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
- In a mixing bowl with whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream with the sugar until hard peaks form.
- Stir in the cocoa mixture and Nutella into the melted chocolate. Add half of the whipped cream and mix everything together with folding motion. Fold in the remaining whipped cream and mix well until no white streaks remain. Refrigerate until the cake is cooled completely.
- To assemble the cake, slice the cakes horizontally into two equal layers, using a long serrated knife. If your cakes got a small hump as pictured, just slice it off.
- Put the first cake layer into a springform pan and spread about a little less than 1/3 of the mousse filling. Then put the next layer of the cake and spread the mousse and so on until the cake is built. Make sure to leave a bit of mousse to cover the top of the cake. A very thin layer of mousse on top is all you need. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Once the cake is cooled, make the chocolate ganache. In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream to a simmer. Do not boil. Pour hot cream over chocolate chips, and let it sit for good 2 minutes. Then mix well until smooth for couple minutes. Stir in butter to add some shine.
- Remove the springform sides. Pour the ganache over the cake while the ganache is still runny, if you want smooth glaze. Or, you can let it cool and thicken a little bit to spread as a frosting.
Janice A Pas says
One question: is there something I can replace the Nutella with?
Thank you,
Jan
Shinee says
Hi, Janice. You can simply omit Nutella and increase chocolate a little bit to compensate.
Juliette says
LOVE this recipe!!! its amazing just for the mousse! would spice up any average cake but all together this is sooo good! I’ve made it 3 times now and the mousse probably 5 and cannot get enough. My go to cake for chocolate lovers!!
Shinee says
That’s fantastic, Juliette!! So happy you love it so much! Thank you for your feedback.
Reesie says
For the ganache, what kind of chocolate did you use for this recipe?
Reesie says
I see the answer now. Omit the question above
Shinee says
Glad you found the answer, Reesie.
Lynette Ott says
Making this week for daughter’s birthday. In the ganache, what type of chocolate chips are used, the bittersweet?
Lynette Ott says
Just read Teresa’s question and your response. Thanks and have a blessed day.
Shinee says
Glad you found the answer. Hope you all will love it, Lynette.
Angeline says
Hi Shinee, this cake looks amazing. (I can’t see the comment box so I have to write here in a reply)
I want to ask how is the best way for me to make this cake larger for up to 60 people? Can I double this recipe and use a large rectangular tray for baking? I want to make for my sons 16th, but I need it to be large!! Thank you I look forward to hearing from you
Shinee says
Hi, Angeline. Hmm, quite honestly, I’ve never made that big of a cake, and I’m afraid I can’t give you a definitive advice. But you can bake the cake in 9×13-inch, instead of 2 9-inch cake pans. And I’d suggest, instead of doubling the recipe, I’d make it twice. Hope this helps. And good luck!
P.S. Comment box is above the comment thread.
MarieChristine says
hi, the mousse is very delicious and very smooth. I spreaded it easily in layers with the cake. however it hardened the next day so you don’t feel the creaminess anymore while eating the cake. Is there a way for it to stay creamy?
Shinee says
Hi, MarieChristine. Glad you loved the mousse. It helps if you bring the cake to room temperature. Chocolate hardens in the fridge, that’s why the mousse is firm. But bringing it to room temperature should also soften the mousse. About 30 min on the counter should do it. Let me know if that helps. And thank you for your feedback.
Damiana says
Hi, just came across your website and this fabulous chocolate cake. I can tell by the ingredients you used that the chocolate mousse will be amaxing… great depth of chocolate flavor ( I don’t recall seeing bittersweet or semisweet chocolate combined with cocoa powder and Nutella…one of my most favorite things).
Cannot wait to try it! Will be making it soon for a friend’s birthday.
Shinee says
So happy you found this cake. It’s quite delicious cake indeed. Hope you and your friend will love it too. Let us know, Damiana!
Laura says
Made this over the weekend for my daughter’s birthday and it is so addictive! The cake is dense and fudgy, but not too sweet. I loved the mousse!! It’s not overly sweet but takes the cake to the next level! Definitely a keeper. Thanks for sharing.
Laura
Laura says
Also, a question… how long will this cake last in the refigerator?
Adriana says
Thank you for the GREAT cake recipe. I was a bit nervous as I planned to make a very ambitious cake design and I needed a really good recipe to succeed. I decided it might be yours and I am glad I was not wrong. Easy recipe to follow and the quality of the cake and the chocolate mousse is superb!!!! I didn’t made the chocolate as I decided to frost also with the chocolate mousse. I made it for my mom’s 76th birthday. I made 3 x your recipe for my cakes. Thank you, thank you !
Shinee says
Adriana, so happy your cake turned out great. I’d love to see the design you made, it must be a big cake! And I bet your mom was so happy! Happiest birthday to her!!
Chrysoberyl says
Hi thanks for the recipe. What can I substitute in place of Nutella for the mouse filling. Thanks
Shinee says
Hi, Chrysoberyl. You can just omit Nutella, if you want to.
Alescia Brown says
Thank you so much for your recipe! I made a gluten free chocolate cake because I have a sensitivity and used your mousse and ganache recipes for the filling and topping. It was fabulous!!! It was for my son’s 17th birthday and he absolutely loved it. My son even said I need to open a bakery because it tasted so good!
Shinee says
Hi, Alescia. I’m so happy you, and especially the birthday boy, loved the cake!!! Thank you for your feedback.
Cintia Camarillo says
I wonder if I could use milk instead of water to make it more moist I guess
Cintia Camarillo says
Instead of the 1/2 cup of water use more milk , so in total its 11/2 cups of milk
Shinee says
Hi, Cintia. I guess, you could. I’ve never tested it that way, but I don’t see why you couldn’t. Let me know if you give that a try.
Sandi Jester says
Haven’t tried it yet but I’m not a coffee drinker so how can I make the strong coffee just enough for the cake??
Shinee says
Hey Sandi, you can easily omit the espresso, if you prefer. It just enhanced chocolate flavor.
Simon says
sorry I take it back, different dry goods have different weights. It would be easier if I could get myself a decent set of US measuring cups. I will put that on my to do list. 🙂
Shinee says
Hey Simon. Glad you found the information that different dry goods have different weights. And just so you know, I highly recommend scale/ weighing the dry ingredients for baking over U.S. measuring cups. That’s how I bake, it’s much more accurate. When I write my recipes, the weight amounts are not just converted using “google”, I actually weigh them myself. So if you have a scale, you don’t have to get measuring cups. Hope the cake turned out good.
Simon says
Hi Shinee. I completed the cake and it took me a while as it took me most of the day. I must say it came out very well and tasted fanstastic. I didn’t bother cutting off the humps so it was not a flat cake. Yes I used a scale but cups would have been easier.
Thanks for the Recipe.
Shinee says
Yay, so happy to hear you enjoyed the cake, Simon. Thank you for sharing your feedback!
Annue says
I weighed out 90g of cocoa powder and got over 1 cup…
Shinee says
Interesting, Annue. I assume you used standard U.S. measuring cups for dry ingredients. But I’d go by weight, because that’s how I measure my ingredients.
Simon says
Hi, I am in the process of making the recipie and I got a bit confused with the amounts of ingredients. Your conversion between cups to Grams is quite wrong I’m afraidwrong I’m afraid. According to google One cup is 340 grams, (not 2 cups (250gr) all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups (300gr) sugar. These amounts just don’t make sense. But it looks yummy I will make the conversions myself, being a European. 🙂
Ann says
Hi. This cake looks so inviting to me. I wanna make this into 6inches round cake pan in 3 layers. How could i change the procedure. Hopefully you could help me. Thanks n advance.
Shinee says
Hi, Ann. I’ve never tested this recipe in 6-inch pans, so I won’t be able to provide accurate directions.
Jackie says
This has definitely become my go-to recipe for chocolate cake!
I always find though that the melted chocolate hardens in little bits when I fold it into the cream. Any tips/recommendations to prevent that from happening?
Thank so much for your blog!
Shinee says
Hi, Jackie. Happy to hear you love this recipe. As for chocolate hardening issue, do you incorporate half of the whipped cream into chocolate first? Also do you modify anything at all as far as ingredients? Like do you use Nutella, etc?
Jackie says
I definitely love the recipe – it’s a great ‘base’ recipe for moist sponge cakes too! I actually made it again last night for a colleague’s birthday and the chocolate hardening issue didn’t happen anymore 😀 I think that I had let the chocolate cool too much in previous times, and mixing it in with the cold whipped cream made it harden into bits. I did use all the ingredients listed every time. Thanks for getting back to me!
Shinee says
Yay, so good to hear you made it again! And glad you found out why that issue was happening. Thank you, Jackie!
Michelle says
First off, a big thank you for this recipe. I love baking but this was my first try at a cake, and a layered one at that! I followed all the instructions, only thing is since I didn’t have all purpose flour, I used normal flour or maida, as we call it in India. Secondly, before applying the mouse layer, I brushed each cake layer with just a bit of Bailey’s Irish Cream, and lastly, after reading your comments, i let the ganache cool and thicken slightly, as I didn’t want to pour it on. And it was absolutely delicious!! Thank you so much for this recipe. My family loved it.
Shinee says
Yay, Michelle! So happy you made and enjoyed the cake. I love the Irish Cream addition! Thank you for your feedback!
Debbie steinkirchner says
Hello Shinee,
This is the Best Chocolate Cake ever! I made it for my sons Birthday and it was a winner. I couldn’t stop eating it…yummy!
Shinee says
Hi, Debbie! Yay, I’m so glad you all loved the cake! Happy Birthday to your son. And thank you for your feedback!
Karen says
Hi! Shinee. Made this chocolate cake for my son’s 11th birthday today because he requested for one. Made the cake yesterday and the rest today. Boy oh boy!…was it delicious! A BIG thumbs up from the family.
This is my first time baking a cake at this level and I normally sucked at it. Thank you for the recipe and the steps are easy and straight forward. I had a little help from my daughter too.
I made some changes to the recipe to suit our taste as my son doesn’t like bittersweet chocolate and my husband doesn’t like his cake too sweet. This was what I did:
For the cake, instead of sugar, I used raw sugar. Plaistowe Premium Dutch Processed Cocoa powder.
For the mousse filling, instead of bittersweet chocolate, I used 1 cup of milk chocolate melts and 1/2 cup dark chocolate melts.
Finally for the ganache, I used 1/2 cup of milk chocolate melts and 1/2 cup of dark chocolate melts.
Shinee says
Karen, thank you so much for your feedback and the photo!! Your cake turned out stunning! Wow! And I’m so happy that everyone loved it. And thanks for sharing your changes, it’s helpful!
Lubna says
Hello,
This looks amazing! I am planning on making one tomorrow for a birthday! I am wondering…how many cups of batter goes in each pan?
Thanks!
Shinee says
Hey, Lubna. Sorry for delayed response. But I’ve never measured the batter by cup when I pour into the pans. I just eye ball it. Hope the cake turns out great for you. Let me know.
Susan says
Made this cake on Saturday for my daughter’s 18th birthday. She specifically requested a chocolate – chocolate mousse cake. The emphasis you put on letting the cake cool was spot on, this recipe would be a disaster if the cake wasnt cooled. I used floss to cut the layers of cake because I don’t trust myself to cut evenly with a knife. I made the rest of the recipe as it was written. My daughter told me it was the best food she had ever put in her mouth. Husband and sons also loved it! Thanks for the recipe!
Shinee says
Aww, Susan. Your cake turned out absolutely beautiful!!! Thank you for sharing the photo and for your feedback. I’m so happy your daughter loved the cake!