This super moist dark chocolate mousse cake combines unsweetened natural cocoa powder and dark cocoa powder for an extra rich flavor. Fill the cake with a simplified chocolate mousse and cover the whole dessert with semi-sweet chocolate ganache. If needed, you can prepare the ganache and mousse ahead of time.
My s’mores chocolate mousse inspired me to play around in the kitchen the other week. I’ve always loved chocolate mousse, back to my childhood when my mom served it as an easy (yet totally elegant) dessert on the holiday table. Chocolate mousse is simple divinity in its own right, but when paired with chocolate cake, it’s downright decadent.
I made this chocolate mousse cake for my husband Kevin’s birthday. This cake basically demands a huge gathering because—trust me—you don’t want to be left alone with its temptation. It WILL call out your name each time you open the refrigerator.
Taunting you.
3 Parts to Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake
Let’s break down each component of this intensely rich cake:
- Dark Chocolate Cake: This is actually a variation of my tuxedo cake, which originated from my chocolate cake recipe. In recent years, I’ve found that replacing sour cream for some of the buttermilk gives the cake more structure.
- Chocolate Mousse: I researched simplified ways to make a fluffy chocolate mousse filling without the use of eggs or gelatin. This chocolate mousse filling combines real chocolate and homemade whipped cream. Or our whipped frosting would make a wonderful alternative filling if you don’t want to make the chocolate mousse!
- Chocolate Ganache: Top the whole cake with 2 ingredient semi-sweet chocolate ganache. You should be a chocolate ganache pro by now!
Video Tutorial: Chocolate Mousse Cake
Stick-to-the-back-of-your-fork moist. This is every chocolate lover’s dream!
Dark Chocolate Cake
Use this chocolate cake as the starting point. For a sturdier, yet moister crumb, swap some sour cream in for the buttermilk and reduce the hot liquid. The acidity in both sour cream and buttermilk is a must to properly leaven this cake. (If desired, see baking powder vs baking soda for more information.) This cake has a natural dark chocolate taste, but to deepen that flavor, use a mix of natural cocoa and Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder. A touch of espresso powder and hot coffee further enhances the chocolate flavor. The cake will not taste like coffee. Rather, the two add depth to the cake’s chocolate flavor.
- Why hot liquid? The hot liquid encourages the cocoa powder to bloom and dissolve. If you don’t drink coffee, you can use hot water.
You have options! You can make this cake into 2, 3, or 4 layers. I highly recommend 3 or 4 layers because there’s over 4 cups of chocolate mousse to spread inside. You can use 8 inch or 9 inch pans. The bake times are similar, see recipe notes.
A cup of chocolate chips adds even more chocolate flavor. I used 1 cup (180g) of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips in this pictured cake, but left them out in the video. They’re optional, but definitely worth the addition!!
You can also see this exact cake batter baked as three layers in both my chocolate peanut butter cake and chocolate raspberry cake (try one of those next!).
Simplified Chocolate Mousse
The chocolate mousse adds a creamy and light contrast to the dark chocolate layers. You need 6 ingredients:
- Hot Water
- Cocoa Powder – natural or dutch-process
- Melted Chocolate – use two 4-ounce chocolate baking bars found in the baking aisle
- Heavy Cream
- Confectioners’ Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
Whisk the hot water and cocoa powder together. Pour into melted chocolate. The hot water breaks up the chocolate, adding to the airy mousse consistency. Cocoa powder creates additional chocolate flavor. Fold this chocolate mixture into whipped cream—a combination of heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract.
Whipped cream + our chocolate mixture. ↑
Fold them together to make our chocolate mousse filling. ↓
Baker’s Tip: The chocolate mousse must chill in the refrigerator before using, so it’s a good idea to make it ahead of time or as the chocolate cake layers are cooling. The mousse is best cold, so I actually recommend serving the cake cold. (Additionally, the cake is much easier to assemble if the mousse is cold!)
Chocolate Ganache
I won’t go into a lot of detail about the chocolate ganache because I have a complete chocolate ganache tutorial for you! Like the chocolate mousse, it’s imperative to use pure chocolate. Wait about 20 minutes for the ganache to thicken before pouring onto the cake.
How to Assemble & Decorate Chocolate Mousse Cake
Chocolate ganache enrobes 4 cake layers and 3 mousse layers. Place bottom cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Using a large icing spatula, evenly cover the top with about 1.5 cups of chilled chocolate mousse. Top with 2nd cake layer and another 1.5 cups of mousse. Top with the third cake layer, then spread another 1.5 cups mousse evenly on top. (Save a large spoonful of mousse for a thin crumb coat.) Top with final 4th cake layer. Spread any remaining mousse around the sides as a crumb coat. Run a bench scraper around the cake to smooth it out. Refrigerate cake for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Chocolate mousse is pretty fluffy, so the cake won’t hold its shape unless it’s properly chilled.
Pour ganache on top then run a bench scraper around the sides to smooth it out. You can serve the cake immediately or wait for the chocolate ganache to set. 🙂
What About Cupcakes?
Instead of a big cake, you can make chocolate mousse cupcakes. Use my chocolate cupcakes recipe and halve the chocolate mousse and chocolate ganache recipes below. Fill the cupcakes with chocolate mousse using my Sugar Plum Fairy Cupcakes as an example. Drizzle cooled cupcakes with ganache. Eat your heart out!
You can also use the chocolate mousse instead of pastry cream in homemade mille-feuille!
More Indulgent Chocolate Desserts
- Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding
- German Chocolate Cake
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Black Forest Cake
- Chocolate Lava Cakes
- Chocolate Mousse Pie
- Mint Chocolate Cake
Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake
- Prep Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (includes chilling)
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours, 55 minutes (includes cooling)
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This super moist dark chocolate cake combines unsweetened natural cocoa powder and dark cocoa powder for an extra rich flavor. Fill the cake with a simplified chocolate mousse and cover it with semi-sweet chocolate ganache. If needed, you can prepare the ganache and mousse ahead of time. See notes.
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 3/4 cup (62g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder* (see note)
- 1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder (optional)*
- 1/2 cup (120ml) canola or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (180g) full fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120ml) hot water or coffee*
- optional: 1 cup (180g) mini or regular semi-sweet chocolate chips
- optional garnish: fresh berries and/or chocolate shavings
Chocolate Mousse
- 1/2 cup (120ml) hot water
- 1/4 cup (22g) unsweetened cocoa powder* (see note)
- two 4-ounce quality semi-sweet chocolate bars (113g each), finely chopped*
- 2 cups (480ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tablespoons (15g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
- two 4-ounce quality semi-sweet chocolate bars (113g each), finely chopped*
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease four 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder (if using) together in a large bowl. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or you can use a whisk) mix the oil, eggs, and sour cream together on medium-high speed until combined. Add the buttermilk and vanilla and mix until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the hot water/coffee, and whisk or beat on low speed until the batter is completely combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, if using.
- Divide batter evenly between 4 pans. Bake for 19-23 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely in the pan. The cakes may slightly sink in the middle as they cool—that’s expected.
- As the cakes cool, prepare the chocolate mousse so it can chill and be ready at the same time as the cake layers. You can also prepare the mousse 1-2 days ahead of time. Whisk the hot water and cocoa powder together. Set aside. Melt the chopped chocolate bars in a double boiler or use the microwave. If using the microwave: place the chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Melt in 20 second increments in the microwave, stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth. Pour hot water/cocoa mixture into melted chocolate and stir until thick and smooth. Set aside. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract together on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3-4 minutes. Medium peaks are between soft/loose peaks and stiff peaks. Pour in the chocolate mixture and using a spoon or rubber spatula, gently fold together. Avoid over-mixing which can deflate/thin out the mousse. Cover mousse and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. Makes about 4.5 cups chocolate mousse.
- Assemble layers before preparing chocolate ganache: First, level the cakes if needed: using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Using a large icing spatula, evenly cover the top with about 1.5 cups chocolate mousse. Top with 2nd layer and evenly cover the top with 1.5 cups chocolate mousse. Top with the third cake layer, then spread another 1.5 cups mousse evenly on top. Save a large spoonful of mousse for a thin crumb coat. Top with final 4th cake layer. Spread any remaining mousse around the sides as a crumb coat. Run a bench scraper around the cake to smooth out crumb coat. Refrigerate cake for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Prepare the ganache as you wait.
- Chocolate Ganache: Place chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil– that’s too hot!) Pour over chocolate, then let it sit for 2-3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate. With a metal spoon or small rubber spatula, very slowly stir until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. The finer you chopped the chocolate, the quicker it will melt with the cream. If it’s not melting, do not microwave it. If needed, see Troubleshooting Chocolate Ganache. Once ganache mixture is smooth, let it cool for 20 minutes at room temperature before spreading on chilled cake.
- Pour/spoon ganache on chilled cake. Smooth the top with an icing spatula and the sides with a bench scraper. Top with optional garnish such as fresh berries and/or chocolate shavings. Serve cake immediately or chill, uncovered, for up to 4-6 hours before serving. Cake can be served at room temperature or chilled.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare cake through step 4. Wrap the individual baked and cooled cake layers tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature, make mousse filling, then continue with step 6. You can prepare the chocolate mousse in advance. See step 5. You can also prepare the chocolate ganache ahead of time too. Refrigerate prepared ganache for up to 2-3 days. Bring to room temperature before spreading onto cake. Frosted cake freezes well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or serve cold.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-inch Round Cake Pans or 9-inch Round Cake Pans | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack | Double Boiler | Cake Stand or Cake Turntable | Large Icing Spatula | Bench Scraper | Cake Carrier (for storage)
- 3 Layer Cake: You can also prepare this cake as a 3 layer cake. Divide batter between three 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans in step 1 and bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Use about 2 cups of chocolate mousse between each layer.
- Espresso Powder/Coffee: Espresso powder and coffee will not make the cake taste like coffee. Rather, they deepen the chocolate flavor. I highly recommend them both. If coffee isn’t your thing, you can leave out the espresso powder and use extra hot water instead of the hot coffee.
- Cocoa Powder: For the best dark chocolate flavor in the cake, I recommend using a blend of unsweetened natural cocoa powder (1/4 cup; 22g) and Hershey’s “Special Dark” cocoa powder (1/2 cup; 43g). Hershey’s Special Dark is actually a mix of natural cocoa powder (an acid) and dutch-process cocoa powder (a base) and it worked fine in this recipe. This recipe needs acidic natural cocoa powder, so do not use ALL dutch-process cocoa powder. For best results, use 3/4 cup (65g) natural or the blend of natural/Special Dark I used. For the chocolate mousse, you can use either unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder. (Or the Hershey’s Special Dark.)
- Why Room Temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read more about why room temperature ingredients are important. Instead of sour cream, you can use plain yogurt. The cake won’t taste as rich, but it’s a fine substitute.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for this recipe. You can make your own DIY version of buttermilk if needed. Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1/2 cup. (In a pinch, lower fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
- Chocolate in Mousse & Ganache: Mousse & ganache will only set if the correct chocolate is used. You can use high quality chocolate chips if needed (I prefer Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips), but I recommend using pure chocolate baking bars. You can find them right next to the chocolate chips in the baking aisle. They are sold in 4 ounce bars. I like Bakers or Ghirardelli brands.
Hi Sally! Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I am planning to bake this on my wedding but I’m just concerned if the mousse can stand being outdoors for a long time (it will be a beach wedding). Do you have any suggestions so that the frosting will last until the cake is served to the guests? Thank you in advance!
Hi Joenelle, This mousse isn’t ideal to leave in the direct heat for a long time. Would it be possible to make the cake and then store it in the refrigerator until an hour or so before serving? If not, perhaps another cake filling would be a better choice – this Tuxedo Cake is just as show stopping and delicious and you can use the ganache on the outside instead of the frosting if you wish.
Planning on transporting this cake an hour away going over bumpy roads and am worried that the mousse won’t be strong enough to hold it together. Would you recommend doweling the cake?
Hi Heather, If the cake is kept chilled during the drive it should be ok, but there wouldn’t be any harm in adding dowels for some peace of mind! Enjoy!
Hello I only have one 9″ round cake pan, and I’m trying to bake each layer one at a time. My question is, what are the measurements for preparing one layer at a time please. Thank you! Can’t wait to try baking this good looking cake.
Hi Desirae, For four layers you would need to use 1/4 of each ingredient to make them one at a time. You can also cut the recipe in half so you only need to make it twice. Then bake one layer and simply leave the extra batter at room temperature while the first layers bakes. Happy baking!
Hello Sally,
I am a bit of a baking novice, sorry if this is an obvious question, but if I want to decorate the top of the cake and edges with a piping bag and icing will the mousse work for this? My guess is it is too soft/delicate to do so but I was curious. Do you have an icing recipe you recommend that would pair well with this to make it a little extra fancy (for top and bottom edges, maybe just plain old whip cream would be good)? I want to make this for my partners B’day and worry certain additional icings might make it too sweet, so we may just stick to berries for decoration!
Hi Veronika, You have a couple of options if you wish to pipe a border around this cake. Since you are already making whipped cream you can make a bit extra and pipe that. Or what I would do is to whip some of the ganache and pipe that around the edges. If you scroll down in this post on ganache, we show you exactly how to whip it to a pipable consistency. Happy baking!
can this be embellished with a layer of raspberry jam between cake layers?
Hi Lee, The addition of raspberry jam sounds delicious! Happy baking 🙂
Hi, what would the instructions be to convert it into a 6-inch cake? Would it be possible to use the same amount of batter to make a taller cake?
Hi Aibhlin, I recommend using this chocolate cupcakes recipe as the batter to make a 3 layer 6 inch cake. See our 6 inch cake recipes as a guide. Halve the chocolate mousse and ganache so there’s just enough.
hi!! i am planning to make this for Christmas! can i use a 9 x 13 pan for this cake?
Hi Marga, You can bake this cake in a 9×13 inch baking pan. Same oven temperature, about 35-40 minutes bake time.
Hi! Could I replace the sour cream with Greek yogurt? Love the blog 🙂
Hi Carolina, Instead of sour cream, you can use plain yogurt. The cake won’t taste as rich, but it’s a fine substitute.
Quick question: about what temperature should the hot water be for the mousse? I have a troubled history with mousses, so I don’t want to make it to hot or cold and mess it up!
Hi Jackie, you want it hot enough to break up and mix with the cocoa powder. It certainly doesn’t have to be boiling (212°F) but close to it.
Hello Sally,
I’m going to try this recipe but I’m not sure if the cocoa powder that I have is Dutch or not. I have on hand Callebaut cocoa powder 100%, will it work?
Thanks
Hi,
I would like to add raspberries to this cake for a raspberry dark chocolate cake. Where and how would you recommend I add the raspberries for the best best flavor without compromising the structure/ texture of this cake?
Hi Shay, For best taste/texture/presentation, we recommend only using berries on top. The mousse may liquefy a bit with berries inside.
Made this for a friend’s birthday this weekend, and it was AMAZING! There are a lot of steps, but it was so worth it and everyone loved it. The only thing it needed was simple decorating ideas for on top of the ganache. Thank you so much!
I made it with 120g of gluten free flour and 100g of almond meal and it tasted incredible!
Just in case the cake was not strong enough, I assembled the cake and mousse inside a springform tin and set it in the fridge.
Wow!! Sally this cake is incredibly delicious!! Honest it came out sooo good. I cut the recipe in half to do a trial and turned into a double layer 6”. It came out perfect. The cake itself has a rich chocolate flavor and so most and fluffy. The mousse is too die for and the ganache was the cherry on top! This is best chocolate cake I’ve ever had thank you for sharing this recipe. My family enjoyed every bite. I added the chips in the cake batter for extra chocolate.
Hi Sally,
I just finished assembling this cake and the mousse wasn’t very sturdy so the cake ended up slipping and I lost a layer. Is there something I did wrong when making the mousse? I made sure to whip the cream to a medium peak and I let the mousse chill for 4 hours in the fridge. The mousse is so delicious so I was a little bummed it sort of messed up the cake.
Hi Taylor, Did you make sure to level each cake layer before stacking? If your mousse seemed like it was the right texture then that was likely the culprit. If you try it again make sure the tops are nice and flat before assembling the cake.
I’ve made this recipe twice and both times the chocolate seizes like crazy when I add the water. Eventually I get it to come together but it’s always chunky. I can never get it smooth again because of the initial seizing. Any advice?
Hi Sally, thank you so much for the wonderful recipe, the texture and flavour are awesome! 🙂
Just 2 quick questions:
1) If i use sunflower oil to replace canola oil, will the cake texture/taste affected much? is it significant or just mild for this recipe? (I’m premium ingredients in it, callebaut chocolate)
2) will reducing sugar by approx 30-40g of sugar in recipe overall affect stability or texture/rising of the cake? ( my family prefers it less sweet abit)
thank you much!
Hi Gina, I’m so glad you enjoy this cake. Thank you for trying it! To answer your questions: 1) Sunflower oil should be fine. I wouldn’t change anything in the recipe if you make the switch. The flavor and texture should remain the same. 2) You could reduce the sugar by 30-40grams with very little issue.
Hi Sally amazing recipe with the chocolate mousse , I have made this and it turned out wonderful , but what I noticed the mousse started melting rather quickly while I was assembling my cake is there a recipe to use gelatin to have it set longer ? I would be very greatful.
Hi Stephanie
I did a practice run for my daughter’s birthday dinner. It was an absolute hit.
What a fabulous Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake recipe!
Now for the wedding on 12 Dec.
I’m going to make this cake in a 30cm square tin. How much mixture would I need per layer and would you recommend baking each layer separately?
My plan is a stiff buttercream crumb coating and then a hard white chocolate ganache icing on top. Do you thing this will work?
Thanks so much!
Jacqui
Hi Sally – this looks amazing! If I wanted to make a white chocolate mousse do you think I could use the same amount of white chocolate as opposed to semi sweet and omit the cocoa powder?
Hi Lucy, We’ve actually never made white chocolate mousse before, so I recommend finding a white chocolate mousse recipe you love and using that as the filling. Or you might be interested in this tuxedo cake where we use white chocolate ganache between the layers!
Hands down one of the best cakes I’ve ever made from scratch, and I’ve made a lot of cake. Perfectly moist, not over-the-top sweet, soft and fluffy chocolate cake enveloped by a whipped chocolate mousse. I didn’t top it with the chocolate ganache, but it was still fantastic without it. This is now my go-to recipe for chocolate cake!
Hello Sally! I loved this recipe! I keep using it … I would like to try making half the cupcake recipe, filling halfway.
Do you think there is a problem? I already checked your recipe your recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes but I want to try them with this one. Will it be possible?
Thanks !!
Hi Jacqueline, You can cut the recipe in half and use it for cupcakes. Enjoy!
Okay so of course rushing around and let the whipped cream get a little too stiff and my mousse looks a little grainy (totally should have just stopped and done another batch of the cream rather than putting the chocolate in but I thought it would smooth it out)…not horrible but not as smooth as I would like. I am planning to use it tomorrow, but on the fence on if I should make another batch to be safe or if I am overthinking it and it will be fine….thoughts?
Hi Sally,
Because I’m a chocolate lover and love cakes from scratch, I had to try this recipe. Sallyyyyy, when I tell you this cake was to die for!!! Cake was so big, I had to call a few girlfriends to come get a slice to go. All of them said, this is the best cake I’ve made so far! Was told this cake could have been sold at a high end restaurant!!! Your step by step recipe and your video helped me out a lot. I’ve used your recipes for tuxedo cake, yellow cake, red velvet cake and now the dark chocolate mousse cake. You are my best friend baker in my head
The cake is time consuming, especially chopping up the chocolate, but it was a Saturday well spent! I made the mousse first and let chill for few hours. I think I will use white chocolate next time I make this yummy cake just to try something different.
Hi Sally, It always taste great whenever I make but it sinks in middle. What am i doing wrong.
Hi Rajal! Expect slight sinking whenever you’re working with cocoa powder in chocolate cake. It’s simply not as structurally strong as all-purpose flour and can’t hold up to all the moisture necessary to make a moist tasting chocolate cake. Of course if it’s sinking too much, though, the cakes could be under-baked. It’s best to test doneness with a toothpick. If the toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, it’s done.
Hi there! First off, this recipe looks absolutely mouth watering. My mother’s birthday is coming up and she requested a mounds birthday cake this year. I was wondering if you think it would be too much to do this recipe with the ganache and mousse as well as a coconut filling layer? Do you think that would be too many things going on in one cake to work well? Thanks! 🙂
Hi Nicole, You can definitely add a coconut filling to this cake!
I’m in the process of making this cake right now and I followed the recipe exactly, but I only had enough batter for 2 (8-inch) cake pans? There wasn’t even enough to fill out the bottom of the 3rd pan. I ended up using it to make 2 cupcakes instead. I thought maybe I overfilled my first 2 pans but the cakes are super thin, only about an inch thick. So I must’ve done something wrong. I didn’t have buttermilk so I followed the note about mixing lemon juice & whole milk, that’s the only thing I can think of that I didn’t do exactly like the recipe.
Hi Sally,
I made this and it was fantastic! This chocolate cake is by far the most rich and indulgent and moist cake I’ve made. Fantastic.
I’d like to make this in a white version for my sons birthday.
The ganache is easy to convert, but the mousse and cake I’m unsure of. Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks so much!
I nearly died of the goodness. Honestly, i wanted to roll around in all the yummy! the ONLY thing i would change. I would do a batch and a half for ganache so that i can pour it all over AND have a bit left over to whip for piping.
Hi Sally!
If I’m using Hershey’s natural cocoa and a dutch processed cocoa that’s not Hershey’s special dark (I’ll be using droste brand) what should the ration of each cocoa be? Thank you!!
Hi Rachel, You can use the Droste Dutch cocoa instead of Hershey’s – same amount that is listed in the recipe notes. Enjoy!
Can you use something like 80% dark chocolate instead of the baking chocolate bars?
Hi. Can I use Nestle semi sweet chocolate chips for the mousse ? Gonna make it first time so worried.
Or Lindt 70% cocoa bar ?
Hi Sumita, The mousse will only set if the correct chocolate is used, pure baking bars are the best. See the recipe notes for details.
I will try this cake. I tried your banana cake, crinkles chocolate cupcakes and its always a hit to my kids and hubby.. can i use chocolate chips for the ganache?
Hi Joy, The ganache will only set if the correct chocolate is used. You can use high quality chocolate chips if needed (like Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips), but we recommend using pure chocolate baking bars. See the recipe note for details.