Baked Chocolate Mousse Cake

This decadent chocolate mousse cake has a rich flavor and light texture, making it a perfect dessert for entertaining that's well worth the prep time.

• Preparation Time: 45 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 5 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins
• Calories: 603 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 8 eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 0.25 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 cup vegetable oil
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 1.5 teaspoons baking soda
• 0.75 cup boiling water
• 1.75 cups white sugar
• 0.5 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1.75 cups cake flour
• 0.5 cup sifted Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1.5 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 0.75 cup sifted Dutch-process cocoa powder

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Step 2

Mix boiling water and cocoa powder for cake together in a small mixing bowl until smooth. Let cool, about 10 minutes.

Step 3

Meanwhile, sift flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center, pour in oil, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and cooled cocoa mixture. Mix using a wooden spoon just until smooth.

Step 4

Sprinkle cream of tartar over egg whites in a large mixing bowl. Beat using an electric mixer on high speed until very stiff peaks form. Pour cake batter over egg white mixture and fold gently using a whisk with an under-and-over motion; be sure not to overmix, but to also fully incorporate ingredients. Pour batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cake cool in the pan for 1 1/2 hours. Loosen with a spatula and transfer to a plate.

Step 6

Add cold water to a glass bowl and sprinkle gelatin on top; allow to soften. Place bowl over a saucepan filled with simmering water. Heat and stir until gelatin is fully dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Step 7

Cut a 1-inch slice crosswise from the top of the cooled cake and set aside. Outline a cavity in the cake using a sharp knife, leaving 1-inch walls around cake side and bottom. Carefully remove cake from the cavity using a spoon; reserve.

Step 8

Measure 2 1/2 cups of mousse filling and fold in gelatin. Fill the cake cavity and replace top of cake. Mix 1/2 cup filling with cake crumbs and fill center hole of cake. Frost the top and sides with remaining filling. Refrigerate until set, 2 to 3 hours.

Step 9

Combine heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, cocoa, vanilla extract, and salt in a large bowl. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Beat mixture using an electric mixer until stiff; keep mousse in refrigerator until needed.