Chocolate Mousse Cake (dairy-free)
This vegan chocolate cake is a true showstopper with its moist, fudgy layers and smooth 2-ingredient chocolate mousse. The flavor is unique and deeply chocolate. Whether you're hosting a special occasion or simply treating your family, this recipe is bound to impress.
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
For the cake layer:
- 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 or almond milk
- 2 teaspoons white or red wine vinegar
- 1 ⅔ cups sugar
- 1 ¼ cups vegetable oil sunflower, coconut oil, or light olive oil
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
For the chocolate mousse layer:
- 10 ounces dark semi-sweet chocolate chopped
- ¾ cup hot water
- ice to bring down the temperature
- 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 9-inch springform cake pan. You can also use two 8-inch round cake pans and fill the layers with the mousse.
- In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine and make a well in the center.
- Add 1 ¾ cups soy or almond milk, 2 teaspoons white or red wine vinegar, 1 ⅔ cups sugar, 1 ¼ cups vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons vanilla extract. Beat or whisk until very well combined. The batter will be quite runny.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick 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 1 ½ cups fresh strawberries, sliced. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar and serve.
For the chocolate mousse:
- Begin making the mousse right after the cake is cooled and removed from the pan. Have ready a large bowl with ice and cold water (ice water), enough so that the bowl with the chocolate fits comfortably.
- Melt the chocolate: start with 10 ounces dark semi-sweet chocolate, chopped, in a microwavable or glass bowl. You can use the microwave (short 10-15 second spurts stirring well between each one until it's fully melted) or a double boiler with the bowl containing the chopped chocolate not touching the water. In both cases, make sure it doesn't scorch.
- Add ¾ cup hot water to the chocolate all at once and immediately put the bowl over the ice water.
- With an electric mixer, start beating at high speed. It will not thicken for the first few minutes, but it will start to do so unexpectedly. And it will stiffen pretty quickly.
- If the mousse is too thick to spread, add a few teaspoons of very hot tap water and beat until smooth until spreadable. Use immediately.
Notes
Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use an oven thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend tracking how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
You can use any fruit you like for the topping and your favorite frosting or whipped cream.
