Your search for a holiday showstopper ends with this Double Chocolate Mousse Cake! Fluffy chocolate cake topped with dark and white chocolate mousse, ganache, and a festive herb wreath garnished with sugared cranberries. If the holidays are long over, fresh berries would make for an equally beautiful cake!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, French
Keyword chocolate mousse cake
Prep Time 1 hourhour
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Chilling Time 12 hourshours
Total Time 1 hourhour30 minutesminutes
Servings 12
Calories 758kcal
Author Erica
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
1cupall-purpose flour
1cupgranulated sugar
½cupcocoa powder
1teaspoonbaking soda
½teaspoonsalt
½teaspoonbaking powder
2large eggs room temperature
½cupmilk
¼cupunsalted buttermelted
¼cupboiling water
1teaspoonvanilla extract
Dark Chocolate Mousse
2teaspoonsgelatin powder
3tablespoonscold water
6ouncesdark chocolatecoarsely chopped
2tablespoonsgranulated sugar
1 ½cupsheavy creamcold
White Chocolate Mousse
2teaspoonsgelatin powder
3tablespoonscold water
6ounceswhite chocolatecoarsely chopped
1tablespoongranulated sugar
2cupsheavy creamdivided; cold
Chocolate Ganache
1cupheavy cream
8ouncessemi-sweet chocolatecoarsely chopped
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line one 9-inch cake pan with a parchment round, then coat with baking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and whisk until blended. With a spoon, create a well in the middle.
Add eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla and stir until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the boiling water. Whisk until well combined.
Pour batter in the prepared cake pan and bake for 28-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, with only a few crumbs.
Allow cake to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.
Trim the cake if necessary, then place it on a cake plate. Wrap the cake snugly with a layer of plastic acetate and tape it shut. Alternatively, you can place the cake in a 9-inch springform pan.
Dark Chocolate Mousse
In a small bowl, combine water and gelatin and set aside to bloom for 8-10 minutes.
Place the chopped chocolate in a larger glass or metal bowl set over a double boiler. Melt the chocolate, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula to help the process. Set aside to cool.
Liquify the bloomed gelatin by microwaving it for 10 seconds. Whisk the gelatin into the melted chocolate.
Use a stand mixer or electric mixer to whip the heavy cream and granulated sugar to soft peaks on medium speed, 2-4 minutes.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the melted chocolate using a rubber spatula until fully combined.
Spoon mixture into the prepared pan over the cooled cake layer. Smooth is out and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
White Chocolate Mousse
In a small bowl, combine water and gelatin and set aside to bloom for 8-10 minutes.
Place the chopped white chocolate in another glass or metal bowl. Set aside.
In a small sauce pot, bring 1 cup of heavy cream to a simmer. Add bloomed gelatin and whisk until fully dissolved. Remove from heat and cool slightly, then pour over white chocolate, whisking until melted and smooth. Cool to room temperature.
Use a stand mixer or electric mixer to whip the heavy cream and granulated sugar to soft peaks on medium speed, 2-4 minutes.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the melted chocolate using a rubber spatula until fully combined.
Carefully transfer white chocolate mousse over the set dark chocolate layer. Smooth the top, then chill for 3 hours or overnight.
Chocolate Ganache
Place the chopped chocolate in a glass or metal bowl. Set aside.
In a small sauce pot, bring cream to a bare simmer. Pour over the chopped chocolate. Let it stand for 1 minute, then stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
Allow the ganache to cool and thicken slightly for 10 minutes, while remaining pourable. Pour over the white chocolate mousse layer and smooth.
Remove the acetate film and allow ganache to drip down the sides of the cake.
Garnish with rosemary, sage, and sugared cranberries.
Video
Notes
You can use a box mix easily for the cake layer! Mix the box, pour half of it in your 9-inch cake pan, then make some cupcakes with the rest of the batter. You could even make cute festive cake balls with the rest to decorate the cake with!