This chocolate cake is my first time baking something vegan. I wanted to see what it was like in comparison to my usual chocolate cakes, whether flourless or not. It is amazing! The chocolate mousse has only 2 ingredients, and can be a dessert on its own.
Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cake
Whatever name you give to this chocolate strawberry mousse cake, one thing is for sure, it's really delicious and you don't have to be vegan to make it again. It's an awesome choice any way you look at it.
It has none of the traditional ingredients we are used to finding in a cake-like butter, eggs, and milk. This is often a way to save money on baking as well as not needing to run to the store when you are out of a "regular" ingredient.
So this is just a vegan cake. From a book that is not vegan at all. The one that gave me that fantastic recipe for homemade vanilla marshmallows and the killer brownies.
When you read the list of ingredients in this cake, it feels like some non-foodie editor forgot a piece of the recipe. But though it's common to replace butter for oil, the idea of replacing eggs with vinegar is mind-blowing. For me, eggs make up so much of a cake, not only in taste but in volume. Here they are omitted and not missed at all.
My cake sunk in the middle, because I have a habit of using only one pan. I lost all of my oven racks except for one, I suppose from all those moves, so one cake pan is the easiest way. The recipe called for two, and I guess that would've made it possible to have a layer cake. Filled and frosted with the chocolate mousse and fresh strawberries.
Well, you get the same here, just in a different order. The order of things doesn't alter the product.
Two-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate mousse is a wonderful thing, but it can be time-consuming to make and you end up with a pile of dirty bowls, and who wants those right? That is, on top of the ones you used for the cake. So this is a method of making a chocolate mousse I had seen a year ago.
Just two ingredients, chocolate, and hot water.
Chocolate is ruined if you add a few drops of water, but not if you add a lot.
It does work, so well and so simple. Melt chocolate, add hot water and beat the heck out of it over a bowl of ice water. It will suddenly start getting cold and stiff, like a mousse. Nothing will appear to happen for the first few minutes.
But just wait and see. Chocolate mousse in no time. And perfect for filling. If it gets too hard you add a few teaspoons of hot water. And the chocolate flavor is absolute. So use chocolate you love straight from the packet. In my case, it's very dark and very semi-sweet.
Perfect for the chocolate cake and the tanginess of the strawberries, because it's fall here and let's just say that these little red fruits are not in their sweetest mood.
Other recipes you might like:
Dark Chocolate Mousse
Mint Chocolate Mousse Pie
Easy Strawberry Mousse Dessert
Complete Guide to No-Bake Cheesecake
Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it and if you had issues so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here. It's much appreciated.
You might also consider subscribing to our FREE email series to Boost your Home Baking Skills! And our regular newsletter.
And let's connect via Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Cake
A chocolate cake that is amazing and vegan, which means the ingredients are not your typical. But this recipe works so well.
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 ¾ cups soy milk
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 ⅔ cups sugar
- 1 ¼ cups sunflower oil
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
For the chocolate mousse:
- 10 oz. dark semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- ¾ cup hot water
- Ice
- 1 ½ cups fresh strawberries (hulled and sliced)
- Powdered sugar (for sprinkling)
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Butter or grease a 8-inch springform cake pan.
- In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, and salt. Mix a little to combine and make a well in the center.
- Add soy milk, vinegar, sugar, oil and vanilla. Beat or whisk until very well combined. The batter will be quite runny.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake for for about 50 minutes or until a tester comes out with almost no crumbs attached. It will feel springy to the touch.
- Let cool on a wire rack and then unmold onto the serving platter.
- Cover the top with the chocolate mousse and decorate with sliced fresh strawberries. Sprinkle with sugar and serve.
For the chocolate mousse:
- Begin making the mousse right after the cake is cooled and unmolded. Have ready a large bowl with ice and some cold water, enough so that the bottom of the bowl where you melt the chocolate fits comfortably.
- Melt chocolate over hot water or in the microwave. Transfer to a large bowl (or use a large glass bowl to melt the chocolate and mix) and add the hot water all at once. Put the bowl over the one with the ice water.
- With an electric mixer beat at high speed. For a few minutes it will not thicken much, but it will start to do so unexpectedly. And it will thicken stiffly just after that.
- If the mousse is too thick to spread, add a few teaspoons very hot tap water and beat until smooth. Use immediately.
Notes
You can use any fruit you like for the topping and your favorite frosting or whipped cream.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cooling time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: International
Keywords: vegan chocolate mousse cake
Adapted from Tea with Bea.
Sylvia says
I tried this recipe more times and is amazing, do you have any suggestion for gluten free version? Would it work with rice flour? Thanks
★★★★★
Paula Montenegro says
Glad you like it! If I were to try a GF version, I would use almond meal and some rice flour. It will probably be fudgier.
Natividad Robles says
How many calories brings a portion of 100g, is there any other substitute for the flour?
wp_vknotes_admin says
Hi Natividad! You might try substituting the flour for a gluten free blend. I haven't tried it though.
Regarding calories, I don't know. But less than with regular recipes with butter.
Natividad Robles says
Thank you very much I will try with a gluten free blend and share with you!
Laura@bakinginpyjamas says
This looks delicious. I came across your blog through this month's chocolate party link up. Such a beautiful looking cake.
Grandbabycakes says
That cake looks so unreal! And the fact that it is vegan is making me smile as wide as can be! I definitely need to try this!
yummychunklet says
How decadent yet fresh! Yum!
Nancy @ gottagetbaked says
Gah! I want a piece of this cake so badly right now! Your desserts and dishes always turn out looking like beautiful masterpieces, Paula. I made a vegan chocolate cake this past summer and I absolutely loved it I couldn't believe it tasted so good so I don't doubt for a minute that this is mindblowingly delicious.
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
I know of plenty of vegan chocolate cake recipes that are touted as being as good/better than non-vegan ones and I actually have one on my radar screen I want to trial! It's for cupcakes, not cake, but same difference.
Your cake is gorgeous, vegan or otherwise!
e / dig in says
paula i am like you - no eggs, no butter?? oil i can understand but vinegar? i too have been intrigued by vegan recipes, but also dubious, because i see weird substitution ingredients. but this cake is proof it can be done - and paula, i would of course trust you! it's a delicious looking cake no matter what label it has. thank you!