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A slice of layered chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling.

Supreme Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mousse Filling

Prep Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
cool: 1 hour
Total Time: 3 hours
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 646kcal
For serious chocolate lovers! This decadent chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling is THE thing to satisfy your chocolate craving!
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Ingredients

For cake:

  • 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup (90 g) unsweetened cocoa powder either natural or Dutch-processed Note 1
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon table salt
  • ½ cup (120 ml) hot water
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder Note 2
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 cup (240 ml) milk at room temperature Note 3
  • ½ cup (120 ml) Greek yogurt at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

For mousse filling:

  • ½ cup (120 ml) hot water
  • 4 tablespoons (30 g) unsweetened cocoa powder Note 4
  • ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder
  • 1 ½ cup (260 g) chocolate chips Note 5
  • 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream cold
  • 2 tablespoons granulated 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.

Notes

Note 1: While natural and Dutch-process cocoa powders are not typically interchangeable, you can use either one in this recipe.
Note 2: Espresso enhances the chocolate flavor in this cake. You won't taste it, but you'll notice how much richer and bolder the chocolate flavor is in this cake with added espresso.
Note 3: I've used whole and 2% milk. But any type of milk will work.
Note 4: You can use either natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder.
Note 5: Milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate chips all work great. For a sweet and mild mousse, use milk chocolate. For an intense mousse, use dark chocolate chips. 
Storing Tips: 
- Store leftover cake covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. 
- I don't recommend freezing this recipe as it's likely to become soggy once thawed! 

Nutrition

Servings: 1 serving
Calories: 646kcal
Carbohydrates: 77g
Protein: 10g
Fat: 35g
Sugar: 51g
Sodium: 360mg
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