Eggless Chocolate Mousse Cake
Feb 12, 2020, Updated May 23, 2023
Eggless Chocolate Mousse Cake with a layer of soft chocolate cake, light chocolate mousse and topped with chocolate ganache. Perfect dessert to celebrate just about any day!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Eggless Chocolate Mousse Cake with an eggless cake topped with a light chocolate mousse and finished with a chocolate ganache.
This is a chocolate lovers dream and a perfect treat to make for any celebration!
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. For more information on my Affiliate and Advertising Policy, please click here.
I have been meaning to share this recipe for a while and what better time than now.
After all, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. And nothing better than chocolate to celebrate it right?
If you love all things chocolate, then you have to try this Eggless Chocolate Mousse Cake.
It has a base layer made of chocolate cake, topped with the mousse and finally finished with a ganache.
So that’s 3 layers of chocolate goodness!
This cake is super easy to put together, don’t get intimidated by the three layers. It is all pretty simple.
Let’s break down this into 3 parts and talk about each in detail.
Chocolate Cake: so the base is a chocolate cake.
I have used the same recipe that I used for my eggless chocolate cake and just halved the recipe for this one.
Since I only wanted this cake as a base, it didn’t make sense to use the full recipe so cutting it in half worked better.
The recipe calls for basic ingredients and results in a moist, soft chocolate cake.
It is my no-fail recipe and I hope you guys give this recipe a try.
My recommendation is to use a good quality cocoa powder, my preference is Anthony’s Cocoa.
Chocolate Mousse: this eggless chocolate mousse is super simple and requires only a handful of ingredients.
It is very important to use a good quality chocolate here. Also a mix of semi-sweet and dark chocolate gives good flavors and that’s what I have used here.
To make the mousse, you only need to melt the chocolate and then fold in the whipped cream.
Super simple right?
Chocolate Ganache: now you may skip making the ganache but if you love chocolate as much as I do, then just go for it!
I used dark chocolate for the ganache here but you may use semi-sweet as well.
To make the ganache, you just need to heat the cream and then add it to the chopped chocolate and then stir until everything comes together.
Remember, you don’t have to boil the cream but heat it well and then add to the chopped chocolate.
The chocolate should be chopped fine, if it’s chopped into bigger pieces then it might not melt as quickly.
And now let’s talk about the size of the cake pan.
For this eggless chocolate mousse cake recipe, I used a 9-inch springform pan.
However, I later felt that I should have used a 7 or 8 inch pan. That would have made the cake look taller.
The mousse and ganache had a thin layer because the cake pan was big. If you want taller layers, use a smaller pan.
If you use a 7 inch pan, you will have to adjust the baking time too. You will have to increase the baking time a little, since the smaller pans will be deeper (less surface area).
Hope you guys give this recipe a try, it is really easy and makes a wonderful simple dessert! 🙂
Method
Chocolate Cake
Pre-heat oven to 350 F degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan with oil spray and set aside.
1- In a large bowl sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2- To a measuring jar or bowl, add 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar to 1/2 cup milk and set it aside for 5 to 10 minutes. This milk will curdle a little, and this is your buttermilk to be used in the recipe.
You can straight away also use 1/2 cup store bought buttermilk in place.
3- To the milk now add the granulated sugar and mix well until the sugar dissolves.
4- Add the oil and mix.
5- And then add the vanilla extract and mix.
6- Now, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients (the flour-cocoa powder mix)
7- Mix until everything is combined but do not over-mix. Few streaks of flour is fine.
9- Pour prepared batter into a lightly greased 9 inch springform pan. Use a spatula to spread the batter in the pan.
9- Bake at 350 F degrees for 18-20 minutes. Mine was done at 18 minutes. Remove cake from oven and let it cool completely.
Chocolate Mousse
10- Take chopped chocolate in a bowl (I used mix of semi-sweet and dark) and add butter to it. Put this bowl on top of a pot of simmering water (not boiling). And the bowl should not touch the surface of the water. This is called double-boiler method.
11- Melt the chocolate using the double boiler method. You can also use a microwave here. Let the melted chocolate cool down to room temperature, this is important so don’t rush this step.
12- Meanwhile, whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks using the wire whisk attachment of your stand mixer (or use a hand mixer). I also add a splash of vanilla while whipping the cream but that’s optional.
Make sure to chill the steel bowl and wire whisk attachment for 15-20 minutes before whipping the cream for best results. Of course, the cream needs to be chilled too.
13- Once, the melted chocolate has cooled down to room temperature, start adding the whipped cream to it in parts. Add 1/4th of the whipped cream first.
14- Then mix using the cut and fold method, moving your spatula in one direction. Do not mix very vigorously else you will deflate all the air from the whipped cream, so fold gently.
15- Similarly, fold in the entire cream until you have a smooth mousse.
16- Transfer the prepared mousse on top of the baked cake. Make sure your cake is cooled completely before you put the mousse on top (this is important).
17- Spread the mousse on top of the cake using an offset spatula. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for minimum of 2 to 3 hours.
Chocolate Ganache
18- Once the cake has chilled, make the ganache. Place chopped chocolate in a bowl.
Heat the cream in a pan on medium-low heat. It should just come to a simmer. Add the heated cream to the bowl of chopped chocolate. Let it sit for 1 minute.
19- Start whisking the chocolate with the milk, until it all melts into a smooth ganache.
20- Pour the prepared ganache on top of the chilled cake. Refrigerate again for 1 hour.
To serve the eggless chocolate mousse cake, sprinkle cocoa powder on top and then cut into slices and serve.
I would suggest taking the cake out of the fridge and letting it sit for around 20 minutes before serving, the mousse tastes better that way :)!
If you’ve tried this Eggless Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram to see what’s latest in my kitchen!
Eggless Chocolate Mousse Cake
Ingredients
Eggless Chocolate Cake
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour 98 grams
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder 24 grams
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup milk 4 oz/120 ml, I used 2%
- 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar 100 grams
- 1/4 cup oil 2 oz/60 ml, canola oil or any flavorless oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Mousse
- 1 cup chopped chocolate 6 oz, use good quality chocolate, I used mix of semi-sweet and dark chocolate
- 1.5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream 8 oz/240 ml, chilled
- splash vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
- 2 oz chocolate chopped, I used semi-sweet
- 1/4 cup heavy cream 2 oz/60 ml
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Pre-heat oven to 350 F degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan with oil spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- To a measuring jar or bowl, add 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar to 1/2 cup milk and set it aside for 5 to 10 minutes. This milk will curdle a little, and this is your buttermilk to be used in the recipe.You can straight away also use 1/2 cup store bought buttermilk in place.
- To the milk now add the granulated sugar and mix well until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the oil and mix and then add the vanilla extract and mix.
- Now, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients (the flour-cocoa powder mix)Mix until everything is combined but do not over-mix. Few streaks of flour is fine.
- Pour prepared batter into a lightly greased 9 inch springform pan. Use a spatula to spread the batter in the pan.
- Bake at 350 F degrees for 18-20 minutes. Mine was done at 18 minutes. Remove cake from oven and let it cool completely.
Chocolate Mousse
- Take chopped chocolate in a bowl (I used mix of semi-sweet and dark) and add butter to it. Put this bowl on top of a pot of simmering water (not boiling). And the bowl should not touch the surface of the water. This is called double-boiler method.Melt the chocolate using the double boiler method. You can also use a microwave here. Let the melted chocolate cool down to room temperature, this is important so don't rush this step.
- Meanwhile, whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks using the wire whisk attachment of your stand mixer (or use a hand mixer). I also add a splash of vanilla while whipping the cream but that's optional.Make sure to chill the steel bowl and wire whisk attachment for 15-20 minutes before whipping the cream for best results. Of course, the cream needs to be chilled too.
- Once, the melted chocolate has cooled down to room temperature, start adding the whipped cream to it in parts. Add 1/4th of the whipped cream first.
- Then mix using the cut and fold method, moving your spatula in one direction. Do not mix very vigorously else you will deflate all the air from the whipped cream, so fold gently.Similarly, fold in the entire cream until you have a smooth mousse.
- Transfer the prepared mousse on top of the baked cake. Make sure your cake is cooled completely before you put the mousse on top (this is important).
- Spread the mousse on top of the cake using an offset spatula. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for minimum of 2 to 3 hours.
Chocolate Ganache
- Once the cake has chilled, make the ganache. Place chopped chocolate in a bowl.Heat the cream in a pan on medium-low heat. It should just come to a simmer. Add the heated cream to the bowl of chopped chocolate. Let it sit for 1 minute.
- Start whisking the chocolate with the milk, until it all melts into a smooth ganache.Pour the prepared ganache on top of the chilled cake. Refrigerate again for 1 hour.
- To serve the eggless chocolate mousse cake, sprinkle cocoa powder on top and then cut into slices and serve.I would suggest taking the cake out of the fridge and letting it sit for around 20 minutes before serving, the mousse tastes better that way.
Notes
- Remember to use good quality chocolate here for the mousse and ganache.
- You may use a little bit of instant coffee in your cake or ganache to intensify the chocolate flavor.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can this be made ahead of time and frozen?
I have not tried freezing it but you can definitely make it 2 days in advance
Isnt it similar to chocolate whipped cream? No offense here i am just trying to understand how is it different from chocolate whipped cream!
Thank you :).
you can add some gelatin or agar agar flakes if you want it firmer. This works fine for me and that’s why I shared it 🙂
Can this be made days in advance?
yes 2-3 days should be okay
Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.
In the chocolate mousse, can we use salted butter instead?
u may, it will little salty that’s all
Hi Manali can I use self flour instead of plain flour in this recipe
sorry recipe not tested with self raising flour, and self raising flour replacement works okay if recipe has baking powder, but this has baking soda so it might not work
Hi Manali, My cake is not rising well enough. In this cake’s ingredients there is no baking powder. Don’t we need baking powder?
we don’t since there baking soda which is the leavening agent in this recipe which reacts with vinegar in the recipe to make the cake rise. This cake won’t rise much since we are using a large pan the batter quantity is very less. We are using this as a base, if you want to make a proper chocolate cake, use this recipe: https://www.cookwithmanali.com/eggless-chocolate-cake/
I’ll try this chocolate cake. Thank you so much.
Any substitute for vinegar? I want to make eggless cake
the cake is eggless
Hi, any substitute for unsaltes butter? Like maybe some oil or mixture of salted butter & oil? Also instead of chocolate bar, would cocoa powder give similar result?
for the mousse, do not use oil please. and do use good chocolate for the mousse
You have mentioned unsalted butter under the chocolate mousse ingredients..but in the method there is no mention of when we have to add the butter..do we add it while melting the chocolate??…also can I make white chocolate mousse using the same measurements?
I can see it mentioned “Take chopped chocolate in a bowl (I used mix of semi-sweet and dark) and add butter to it.”
I haven’t tried white chocolate mousse with this recipe but you can try.
I tried it and it came out amazing ??
Can u recommend any alternative to heavy cream. Cause it’s not available.
sorry you need heavy cream with a fat percentage of at least 35% to make mousse
Can I make just the mousse and serve it just like that? Do you think that will taste good?
sure, it is a chocolate mousse and a dessert in itself!
Superb. Amazing recipe. Came out really well
I made this cake, it was genuinely too good.. all cake lovers must try this
happy to hear!
What if the convection’s max temp is 250deg only.. Could i still follow this recipe for the cake?
the temperature mentioned is in fahrenheit (I live in the US). It calls for 350 F which is 180 C for your oven.
This really turned out lovely. I added a bit of a bite by spreading some raspberry jam over the cake and scattering some chopped toasted macadamia nuts over the jam before putting up the mousse layer and finishing off with the ganache topping. Thank you very much for this recipe. ??
glad to know 🙂 love those additions!
Hello Manali,
Is it ok if I use Lindt cocoa dark chocolate bars – https://www.costco.ca/lindt-excellence-bars%2C-70%25-cocoa-dark-chocolate%2C-24-%C3%97-35-g-(1.2-oz).product.100411864.html , wherever this recipe mentions chocolate?
I can’t see that link but yes you can use any good quality chocolate bar!
Thanks, also do you think if I use two 6 X 2 inch pans, this recipe will work out ? I am thinking of layering this up and making a tall cake.
it should, increase the baking time
It turned out really good Manali. Your recipes are always full proof. 🙂 Now I am planning to use three 6 X 2 inch pans to make the cake taller and use 1.5 times of the ingredient list.
Hello Manali:
I made this several times and we love it. I noticed that because its eggless, it turns a bit dry by day 2 or 3. If I want to make this cake with eggs, how many would I use.
Hi Mona, 1 egg should be okay here. But if you are adding egg, it will be better to use a different recipe and not this one. This has been tested without eggs only, and since baking is a science different ingredients react differently so I am not sure if the result will be the same. And if you wrap your cake tightly using a cling sheet and then place it an airtight container, it will not become dry.