This Cranberry Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake is a to-die-for addition to your holiday tables! Layers of milk chocolate brownie, creamy white chocolate mousse, and decadent dark chocolate mirror glaze encase a homemade cranberry jelly.
If Thanksgiving is all about the pies, then Christmas is clearly a showstopper kind of holiday.
Boy, do I have one for you.
Between watching and re-watching every season of The Great British Baking Show, and binge-watching Zumbo’s Just Desserts in just one day…
…You could say my desire to make over-the-top cakes has increased exponentially.
The fact that Christmas is right around the corner doesn’t help, since my baking gears are as high as they get all year long.
I usually get a rare brave streak and try crazy recipes that I’d otherwise avoid, just to try to impress my friends and family after dinner.
This Triple Chocolate Cranberry Mousse Torte is one of those.
It’s a nod to those fancy French entremets you can find in every fine European bakery right now.
I didn’t quite assemble it the way they do (because, for some reason, I don’t own an 8-inch cake pan?) but I think it still turned out pretty stunning.
(You can bet your ass that I ordered a couple, though. I’m getting it perfect next time!)
How to make triple chocolate mousse cake
LAYER 1:
The milk chocolate bottom layer is…made from brownie mix. I can’t lie.
I cheated and used a whole box in two separate recipes, but you could easily put your favorite brownie or cake recipe in there. As long as it’s relatively thin!
If you end up using a box mix like I did, only pour half of the mixed batter into your baking tin and use the rest in a separate pan.
Or you could bake it all in a cookie sheet and cut your cake round out, and use the scraps for a trifle. Or a snack. Whatever floats your boat.
LAYER 2:
The white chocolate mousse makes up half of the cake and is what keeps each bite light. I promise, the mousse is not as intimidating as you might think!
My experience using gelatin in desserts has been limited, to say the least.
And I’m not talking about boxed Jello, either. I’ve played with mousses in the past, but not terribly often. Even though I love mousse, most of the time I’m too lazy to mess with the gelatin part of things.
Eating whipped cream with some chocolate ganache gets the job done for me. Don’t judge.
Watching those Brits and Aussies go through leaf after leaf of the stuff in every episode got me really curious, though. I ordered a couple packs from Amazon and started researching recipes.
Fine Cooking provided me with exactly what I was looking for, and now that I have a base recipe, I’m looking forward to trying more flavor combinations.
I’m not normally a white chocolate person, but I do enjoy it in baked goods. This torte is truly a fabulous way to enhance the flavors of the otherwise most boring of the chocolates!
LAYER 3:
Between the layers of chocolate mousse sits a disc of cranberry jelly, which is very similar to the infamous canned sauce that I love so much.
Except…you make it yourself and it’s even better.
After simmering the berries for a while, you strain out the juices and usually discard the solids.
I’m not about that. Feel free to do it if you want to, but I pressed those babies right back on top of the jellied sauce before I chilled it.
They brought a nice, subtle texture to an otherwise soft, one-note slice of cake.
LAYER 4:
The entire Triple Chocolate Cranberry Mousse Torte is really easy to make, but it does take quite a bit of patience. Once the layers are assembled, it’s frozen (or just chilled if you’re eating it the same day) and then smothered in the prettiest dark chocolate mirror glaze ever.
Mirror glaze is another one of those things I’d never made before, but it’s very similar to ganache (which I am extremely familiar with.) More temperamental for sure, but similar.
When it’s poured on and setting, it’s ridiculous how very shiny it is. Photographing it was actually quite a challenge because I kept snapping myself reflected back in it!
Aside from the flavors, my favorite part of the cake is definitely the decoration.
Have you ever made something and been so completely chuffed with yourself about how pretty it came out?
That doesn’t happen to me often anymore (because I am my own harshest critic, and I can find a flaw in everything I make.)
But this? The beauty of this torte, with its frosted rosemary, frozen cranberries, and chocolate curls…it’s got me into that holiday spirit, for sure.
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- A mousse cake mold (or springform pan)
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Triple Chocolate Cranberry Mousse Torte
Ingredients
Brownie Layer
- 1 box brownie mix plus ingredients on box
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
Cranberry Jelly Layer
- 4 cups frozen cranberries
- ½ cup water separated
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon powdered gelatin or 4 leaves
White Chocolate Mousse Layer
- 8 ounces white chocolate chopped
- 2 ½ cups heavy cream separated
- 1 tablespoon gelatin or 4 leaves
- ¼ cup cold water
Chocolate Mirror Glaze
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- ¾ cup dark chocolate chopped
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup cold water separated
- 1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon powdered gelatin or 4 leaves
- 3 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
Instructions
Brownie Layer
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray an 8-inch cake pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Spray with a cooking spray over the parchment. Set aside.
- Combine brownie mix, box ingredients, and extra ingredients in a large bowl and mix until smooth. Pour half of the batter into the prepared cake pan (bake the other half separately.) Bake for 18-22 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes inside the pan; transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Cranberry Jelly Layer
- Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water (or place leaves in 3 cups of cold water.) Let it bloom for 5-10 minutes. Line the inside of an 8-inch cake pan with a double layer of plastic wrap and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, remaining water, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently, until all cranberries have burst and released their juices.
- Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, returing liquids to the saucepan and reserving solids. Whisk bloomed gelatin into the warm cranberry juice liquids until dissolved and incorporated.
- Pour the cranberry mixture into the prepared cake pan, spreading the solids in an even layer on top. Refrigerate or freeze for 2-3 hours until set.
White Chocolate Mousse Layer
- Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water (or place leaves in 3 cups of cold water.) Let it bloom for 5-10 minutes.
- Place the chopped white chocolate in a large bowl. Heat 1/2 cup of heavy cream in a small saucepan; bring it to a boil, then remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Let it stand for 1 minute, then stir with a spatula until smooth and incorporated. Add the bloomed gelatin to the warm chocolate mixture, then let it cool to room temperature.
- Beat the remaining heavy cream to stiff peaks. With a rubber spatula, fold half of the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate mixture. Add the remaining whipped cream and fold gently until smooth, but retaining streaks of chocolate.
Assembly
- Line a 9-inch mousse mold or springform pan with parchment paper. If using a mousse mold, place a 10 inch cardboard cake circle on the bottom.
- Place the chocolate brownie layer on the bottom. Spread 1/3 of the white chocolate mousse on top.
- Carefully remove the cranberry jelly from the pan, grabbing the ends of the plastic wrap and peeling them away from the jelly. Using both hands, place the jelly layer on top. Add the remaining mousse and spread it into a smooth, even layer. Freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Chocolate Mirror Glaze
- Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water (or place leaves in 3 cups of cold water.) Let it bloom for 5-10 minutes.
- Bring remaining water and sugar to a boil in a saucepan, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and add condensed milk and cocoa powder, whisking to combine. Add bloomed gelatin and stir to melt.
- Place chopped dark chocolate in a bowl. Pour mixture over the chocolate, stirring constantly until chocolate is melted. Gently whisk in corn syrup.
- Let the glaze cool to about 95 degrees F (~36 Celsius), using a thermometer to check.
- Remove the cake from the freezer and loosen the pan by heating it gently with a hair dryer on medium heat for 10-15 seconds, directing the hot air around the cake pan. Place the cake on a cooling rack, then set the rack over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Pour the warm glaze over the cake, making sure the top and sides are completely covered. Smooth top with an offset spatula if needed, and pop any small air bubbles with a toothpick. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to set the glaze.
- Garnish with frozen cranberries, frosted rosemary, and chocolate curls.
Notes
Mirror Glaze recipe adapted from Jacques Torres.
Jessica says
WOW!!! This is so incredible, and looks almost too pretty to eat! I loved reading about how you made this cake, and can’t wait to check out the rest of your site!
Anna says
I made this cake and took it to church today. I decorated it the same way you did – I used a rosemary twig and some fresh cranberries and some confectioners sugar for dusting. Looked very impressive. It was huge hit and people were scraping the plate when all the pieces were gone! Thank you for the great recipe!
Erica says
I love hearing this, and I’m so glad everyone loved it! It was definitely my favorite of all of my holiday desserts, as well. Thanks so much for the feedback!
Lisa says
I have been wanting to try this recipe for a year now. Going to be brave this holiday season and give it a go 😊. Wondering tho. How long ahead of time can I make it? Thanks
Kendall says
Hi! I just read through this recipe and had a few questions before I decide if I will make it. First, will this travel well? We have an hour drive for Christmas and I don’t know how I would pack this for travel. Next, when putting the layers together, will the cranberry jelly hold together without breaking apart easily? Thirdly, would this hold up for a week in advance and just glaze it when we get to our destination?