Foolproof triple chocolate mousse cake
If you’re looking for a no-fuss, to-die-for dessert that will impress your guests, this foolproof triple chocolate mousse cake is the perfect choice. A simple, elegant, and delicious dessert composed of three airy chocolate mousses layered one over the other. These include a dark chocolate mousse, a milk chocolate mousse, and a white chocolate mousse, set over a soft chocolate sponge and a praline crunch.
The mousses in this triple chocolate cake are easy to make, requiring no crème anglaise (custard) or pâte à bombe (whipped egg yolks with syrup). You’ll be able to succeed every time, even if you’re new to pastry-making. It’s ideal for any occasion, birthdays, Christmas, Easter, or just a moment of indulgence. Rich in chocolate flavor yet neither heavy nor overly sweet, it always pleases.
A chic and indulgent dessert, so easy you could make it with your eyes closed.
Table of Contents
Details on ingredients:
Chocolate: I recommend using good quality chocolate, which has the advantage of being less sweet than supermarket chocolate. Use couverture (high-quality) chocolate, which is more fluid. Couverture chocolate contains a higher percentage of cocoa butter. It is known for its excellent melting and tempering properties, making it ideal for coating, dipping, molding, and creating delicate decorations.
It is often preferred by professional pastry chefs and chocolatiers for its consistent results and luxurious taste. The mousse cake will be a great success even if you use an ordinary brand, but for the best visual and taste results, I recommend Cacao Barry or Valhrona chocolates. In all cases, whatever the brand, choose white chocolate at 35%, milk chocolate at 40% and dark chocolate between 60% and 72% cocoa.
Cream: Use full-fat cream with 30% fat content. Heavy cream or whipping cream are perfect. It whip well and adds creaminess to mousses.
Gelatin: You can use either sheet or powdered gelatin, with the same quantity for both. Soak the gelatin sheets in very cold water. For powdered gelatin, rehydrate it in six times its weight in water. The gelatin typically found in supermarkets works just fine.
Video Recipe
I’ve done my best to make the video as clear as possible, and I hope you’ll find it helpful. It’s important to see the texture of the whipped cream and know the right moment to incorporate it into the chocolate. This is the key to achieving a mousse that spreads evenly in the mold.
Ingredients
NB: Find the printable recipe card at the end of the article.
For a 9-inch (23 cm) cake ring, 3 inches (7 cm) high.
Soft chocolate sponge cake (Valrhona)
- 2 eggs
- 60 g granulated sugar
- 40 g unsalted butter
- 40 g honey
- 10 g Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 70 g all-purpose flour
- 35 g almond flour
- 70 ml heavy cream
- 30 g dark chocolate 61-72% cacao content (Valrhona or Cacao Barry chocolate)
- 4 g (1 tsp) baking powder
Praline crunch
- 100 g praline paste
- 47 g feuilletine flakes or crumbled crêpes dentelles (crêpes Gavotte in supermarkets)
- 34 g milk chocolate
Dark chocolate mousse
- 140 g dark chocolate (61-72% cocoa)
- 100 ml whole milk
- 200 ml heavy cream (over 30% fat)
- 1 gelatin sheet (2 g at 200 blooms). You can also use 3 g sheets at 150 blooms (the result is the same)
Milk chocolate mousse
- 160 g milk chocolate
- 100 ml whole milk
- 200 ml heavy cream with over 30% fat content
- 1 1/2 gelatin sheet ( 3 g at 200 blooms)
White chocolate mousse
- 200 g white chocolate
- 100 ml whole milk
- 200 ml heavy cream (over 30% fat)
- 2 gelatin sheets ( 4 g at 200 blooms)
Chocolate and cocoa mirror glaze without glucose or condensed milk
-
- 225 g granulated sugar
- 125 ml water
- 150 g dark couverture chocolate (66% -72% cocoa content)
- 30 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 65 ml heavy cream 32% – 35% fat
- 5 gelatin sheets (10 g if the sheets are 2 g at 200 blooms) or sheets at 150 blooms
- or 10 g gelatin powder (200 blooms) (rehydrated in 60 ml of water.) For a deep black glaze, add a small amount of black food coloring.
Preparation steps :
I recommend reading the full recipe, including the tips and tricks, before getting starting.
Soft chocolate sponge cake (Valrhona)
You can also watch the preparation on video 👉 chocolate sponge and praline crunch
Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).
Grease a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and the butter separately. Set aside.
Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Add the almond flour and mix well.
Whisk the eggs, sugar, and honey, without aiming to lighten the mixture too much.
Add the dry ingredients and mix well.
Incorporate the heavy cream and the warm melted butter. Finally, add the warm melted chocolate and mix until smooth.
Pour the batter onto the baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes.
Once cooled, cut out a 9-inch (23 cm) disk. You can bake the batter directly in a ring mold, but using a baking sheet gives you more control over the thickness of the sponge. You can see both methods in the video.
For the praline crunch layer:
This step is also shown in the chocolate sponge video above.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, then stir in the praline paste.
Mix well, then add the feuilletine (crushed crêpes Gavotte). Stir again and spread it evenly in a thin layer with the back of a spoon over the chocolate sponge cake.
Start by covering the inner edge of the cake ring with acetate collar and placing the biscuit with the praline crunch inside. Then proceed with making the mousses.
Upright assembly steps👇
Place the biscuit with the praline crunch at the bottom of the cake ring, then pour the dark chocolate mousse over it. Once it has set (about 20 minutes in the freezer), pour the milk chocolate mousse on top. Let it set for at least 20 minutes in the freezer, but feel free to leave it longer if needed.
Finish by pouring the white chocolate mousse. Place in the freezer overnight.
The next day, pour a mirror glaze on top or simply dust with cocoa powder. Let it set, then remove the cake ring.
See the upside-down assembly instructions at the end of the recipe.
Dark chocolate mousse:
Soak 1 sheet of gelatin in very cold water for 5-10 minutes.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler.
Bring the milk to a boil.
Squeeze out the gelatin and add it to the hot milk off the heat. Mix well.
Incorporate the milk into the chocolate in several additions through a strainer.
Gradually mix to create a smooth emulsion. The chocolate should be smooth and shiny. Set aside in the double boiler off the heat to ensure its temperature doesn’t drop too far below 44°C (111°F).
Whip the cold heavy cream into soft peaks.
Strain the chocolate through a sieve to remove any particles, no matter how fine. This step is optional, but recommended. The chocolate should be liquid and warm to the touch. If it’s too cold, the mousse will become thick and difficult to spread in the mold.
Add a small amount of whipped cream and mix gently. The mixture should be smooth. Add the remaining whipped cream in 2 or 3 batches, using the J-fold technique after each addition (This involves gently lifting and folding the mixture to maintain its airiness). Do not whisk.
Once you have a homogeneous mousse, pour it over the sponge with the crispy layer. Tap the work surface to remove air bubbles.
Place it in the freezer while preparing the second mousse (minimum 20 minutes). The dark chocolate mousse sets faster than the other two.
Milk chocolate mousse :
The process is identical to the dark chocolate mousse, except for the temperature of the chocolate. Its temperature should be 42°C (107°F) or a little less. It should be neither hot nor cold. Follow the same steps as for the dark chocolate mousse above.
Pour it over the set dark chocolate mousse in the cake ring and place it in the freezer until it sets, while preparing the final white chocolate mousse.
White chocolate mousse:
The process is identical to the dark and milk chocolate mousse. The temperature of the chocolate should be 42°C (107°F) or a little less. It should be neither hot nor cold.
Follow the same steps as for the dark chocolate mousse above. Pour into the cake ring over the set milk chocolate mousse and freeze for at least 8 hours. Preferably prepare it the day before.
Chocolate and cocoa mirror glaze:
(Prepare the day before) See recipe chocolate and cocoa mirror glaze
To glaze just the top of the dessert, you can divide the mirror glaze recipe by 2 or 3, depending on the size of your dessert. If you make all the mirror glaze, you can freeze the rest for up to 1 month.
The next day, remove it from the freezer and glaze the top immediately. Once the glaze has set, unmold and carefully remove the acetate collar.
Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours before enjoying.
If you want to do an upside-down assembly:
- Wrap the bottom of the cake ring with cling film to seal it, pulling up the outer edges. Line the inner sides with an acetate collar and place the ring flat on a tray.
- Pour in the white chocolate mousse and allow it to set.
- Next, pour in the milk chocolate mousse and allow it to set.
- Finish by pouring in the dark chocolate mousse, let it set slightly, then place the chocolate sponge cake with the crunch praline against the mousse.
Tip: If you don’t want the chocolate sponge cake to be visible when unmolded, make it 2 cm smaller than the cake ring. For instance, if your cake ring is 9 inches (23 cm), make the sponge cake 8 inches (21 cm).
Tips and Tricks
1. Using a cake ring and acetate sheet (cake collar): Place your cake ring (expandable or not) on a rigid tray so it stands level and can be moved easily to the freezer. For a perfect unmolding and clean, well-defined layers, place an acetate collar along the inner edge of the ring.
2. Whip the cream to soft peaks: For airy mousses and smooth, well-defined layers, whip the cream to soft peaks. The resulting mousses should be pourable.
3. Use melted chocolate at the right temperature: The melted chocolate combined with the milk should be warm enough, but not too hot, or it will melt the whipped cream. I’ve provided the temperatures to follow.
Proceed as follows: Add a little whipped cream to the melted chocolate, then gently fold it in 2 or 3 times into the rest of the whipped cream. If, during the first addition, you notice that the chocolate is making the cream too runny, wait a bit before adding the rest. If you use cold melted chocolate, your mousses will be firm, and you’ll need to spread them in the ring. This will result in uneven layers.
4. Use chocolate with the right cocoa content: This is an important point if you want the dark chocolate mousse to distinguish itself from the milk chocolate mousse. White chocolate and milk chocolate won’t pose problems.
If you use dark chocolate with 55% cocoa content, the color difference with the milk chocolate mousse won’t be significant, and the layers won’t be well-defined. Use dark chocolate with a cocoa content between 60% and 72%. Ideally, use 70%. However, if the contrast between the layers doesn’t bother you, you can use 55%.
Important: If you don’t have space in your freezer, you can easily leave this dessert in the refrigerator overnight. The layers will remain distinct, but instead of having a smooth texture, they will be more mousse-like, which is not a bad thing. It will give a beautiful look, as you can see in Coralie’s creation below. However, in this case, opt for a decoration with cocoa powder, chocolate shavings, or chocolate balls, etc. The glaze requires the dessert to be frozen.
How to store it?
You can keep it in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days without any problem. However, to protect it from the odors of other foods, place it in a cake storage box or under a cake dome.
It keeps perfectly well in the freezer for up to a month. Decorate it on the day you plan to serve it.
Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake
INGREDIENTS
For a 9-inch (23 cm) cake ring, 3 inches (7 cm) high.
Soft chocolate sponge cake (Valrhona)
- 2 eggs
- 60 g granulated sugar
- 40 g unsalted butter
- 40 g honey
- 10 g Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 70 g all-purpose flour
- 35 g almond flour
- 70 ml heavy cream
- 30 g dark chocolate 61 - 72% cacao content Valrhona or Cacao Barry chocolate
- 4 g 1 tsp baking powder
Praline crunch
- 100 g praline paste
- 47 g feuilletine flakes or crumbled crêpes dentelles crêpes Gavotte in supermarkets
- 34 g milk chocolate
Dark chocolate mousse
- 140 g dark chocolate 61-72% cocoa
- 100 ml whole milk
- 200 ml heavy cream over 30% fat
- 1 gelatin sheet 2 g at 200 blooms. You can also use 3 g sheets at 150 blooms (the result is the same)
Milk chocolate mousse
- 160 g milk chocolate
- 100 ml whole milk
- 200 ml heavy cream with over 30% fat content
- 1 1/2 gelatin sheet 3 g at 200 blooms
White chocolate mousse
- 200 g white chocolate
- 100 ml whole milk
- 200 ml heavy cream over 30% fat
- 2 gelatin sheets 4 g at 200 blooms
Chocolate and cocoa mirror glaze without glucose or condensed milk
- 225 g granulated sugar
- 125 ml water
- 150 g dark couverture chocolate 66% -72% cocoa content
- 30 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 65 ml heavy cream 32% - 35% fat
- 5 gelatin sheets 10 g if the sheets are 2 g at 200 blooms or sheets at 150 blooms
- or 10 g gelatin powder (200 blooms) (rehydrated in 60 ml of water.) For a deep black glaze, add a small amount of black food coloring.
PREPARATION
- I recommend reading the full recipe, including the tips and tricks, before getting starting.
Soft chocolate sponge cake (Valrhona)
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).
- Grease a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and the butter separately. Set aside.
- Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Add the almond flour and mix well.
- Whisk the eggs, sugar, and honey, without aiming to lighten the mixture too much.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Incorporate the heavy cream and the warm melted butter. Finally, add the warm melted chocolate and mix until smooth.
- Pour the batter onto the baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes.
- Once cooled, cut out a 9-inch (23 cm) disk. You can bake the batter directly in a ring mold, but using a baking sheet gives you more control over the thickness of the sponge. You can see both methods in the video.
For the praline crunch layer:
- This step is also shown in the chocolate sponge video above.
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, then stir in the praline paste.
- Mix well, then add the feuilletine (crushed crêpes Gavotte). Stir again and spread it evenly in a thin layer with the back of a spoon over the chocolate sponge cake.
Preparation of the Mousses
- Start by covering the inner edge of the cake ring with acetate collar and placing the biscuit with the praline crunch inside.
- Then proceed with making the mousses.
Upright assembly steps👇
- Place the biscuit with the praline crunch at the bottom of the cake ring, then pour the dark chocolate mousse over it.
- Once it has set (about 20 minutes in the freezer), pour the milk chocolate mousse on top. Let it set for at least 20 minutes in the freezer, but feel free to leave it longer if needed.
- Finish by pouring the white chocolate mousse. Place in the freezer overnight.
- The next day, pour a mirror glaze on top or simply dust with cocoa powder. Let it set, then remove the cake ring.
Dark chocolate mousse:
- Soak 1 sheet of gelatin in very cold water for 5-10 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler.
- Bring the milk to a boil.
- Squeeze out the gelatin and add it to the hot milk off the heat. Mix well.
- Incorporate the milk into the chocolate in several additions through a strainer.
- Gradually mix to create a smooth emulsion. The chocolate should be smooth and shiny. Set aside in the double boiler off the heat to ensure its temperature doesn’t drop too far below 44°C (111°F).
- Whip the cold heavy cream into soft peaks.
- Strain the chocolate through a sieve to remove any particles, no matter how fine. This step is optional, but recommended. The chocolate should be liquid and warm to the touch. If it's too cold, the mousse will become thick and difficult to spread in the mold.
- Add a small amount of whipped cream and mix gently. The mixture should be smooth. Add the remaining whipped cream in 2 or 3 batches, using the J-fold technique after each addition (This involves gently lifting and folding the mixture to maintain its airiness). Do not whisk.
- Once you have a homogeneous mousse, pour it over the sponge with the crispy layer. Tap the work surface to remove air bubbles.
- Place it in the freezer while preparing the second mousse (minimum 20 minutes). The dark chocolate mousse sets faster than the other two.
Milk chocolate mousse :
- The process is identical to the dark chocolate mousse, except for the temperature of the chocolate. Its temperature should be 42°C (107°F) or a little less. It should be neither hot nor cold. Follow the same steps as for the dark chocolate mousse above.
- Pour it over the set dark chocolate mousse in the cake ring and place it in the freezer until it sets, while preparing the final white chocolate mousse.
White chocolate mousse:
- The process is identical to the dark and milk chocolate mousse. The temperature of the chocolate should be 42°C (107°F) or a little less. It should be neither hot nor cold.
- Follow the same steps as for the dark chocolate mousse above. Pour into the cake ring over the set milk chocolate mousse and freeze for at least 8 hours. Preferably prepare it the day before.
Chocolate and cocoa mirror glaze:
- Prepare the day before
- To glaze just the top of the dessert, you can divide the mirror glaze recipe by 2 or 3, depending on the size of your dessert. If you make all the mirror glaze, you can freeze the rest for up to 1 month.
- The next day, remove it from the freezer and glaze the top immediately. Once the glaze has set, unmold and carefully remove the acetate collar.
- Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours before enjoying.
If you want to do an upside-down assembly:
- Wrap the bottom of the cake ring with cling film to seal it, pulling up the outer edges. Line the inner sides with an acetate collar and place the ring flat on a tray.
- Pour in the white chocolate mousse and allow it to set.
- Next, pour in the milk chocolate mousse and allow it to set.
- Finish by pouring in the dark chocolate mousse, let it set slightly, then place the chocolate sponge cake with the crunch praline against the mousse.
- If you don’t want the chocolate sponge cake to be visible when unmolded, make it 2 cm smaller than the cake ring. For instance, if your cake ring is 9 inches (23 cm), make the sponge cake 8 inches (21 cm).
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