This stunning Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake has a moist, fudgy brownie base, three layers of light mousse—chocolate, raspberry, and vanilla, and then a glossy topping of chocolate and a tangle of raspberries and chocolate curls on top. Perfect for any occasion!
Stunning Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake
I don’t go around calling things “food porn” on a regular basis, so instead, can we just agree that this cake is, for lack of a better term, a sexy beast? It has a moist, fudgy brownie base, three layers of light mousse—chocolate, raspberry, and vanilla, and then a glossy topping of chocolate and a tangle of raspberries and chocolate curls on top. Oh, behave!
I was so obsessed with the honey mousse I made for these Honey Pots with Honey Mousse, I couldn’t stop thinking of ways to use that quick and easy mousse in other recipes. It turns out it’s easy to adapt that mousse for other flavors, so I made a few tweaks and soon found myself with chocolate, raspberry, and vanilla bean variations. You’ll love it—no separating eggs, no whipping whites or yolks, and no stress.
What kind of pan should I use?
You need a 9-inch pan with sides at least 3-inches tall, and the ability to remove the bottom. Either a cake pan with a removeable bottom or a 9″ springform pan will work.
The mousse is firm enough to hold up in layers and cut cleanly when it’s refrigerated, but as it comes to room temperature, it develops the most delicious silky, pillowy texture. It’s the perfect contrast to the chewy, fudgy brownie base, and the juicy berries embedded in the raspberry layer!
How to unmold a mousse cake so it has neat, clean edges:
I used acetate cake collars to line the cake pan and get clean lines when unmolding the mousse. They’re inexpensive and very handy for lots of kitchen projects, but if you don’t have them, you can use waxed paper or parchment paper instead. The cake will still unmold, but the outside might not be as neat and clean.
Of course I couldn’t let my tart leave the house naked, so it’s covered in a glossy chocolate ganache that drips just a bit down the sides. You could also cover the sides completely in ganache, so the four layers are a fun surprise when you cut the cake open. I can never resist showing off, so I like to put them on display, but perhaps you are less of a braggart than I am.
Finish the tart with a big pile of fresh raspberries and chocolate shavings. The gold decoration (or “doodad,” as we call them in the biz) was made using this Wilton chocolate mold and then dry-brushing it with gold luster dust. Totally unnecessary, totally cute. (That should be the tagline of my site, yes?)
Enjoy!
💡FAQs
If you can’t find quality fresh raspberries, you can use frozen berries to make the puree. Don’t use frozen berries in the mousse layer or to decorate on top. They won’t look pretty and will change the texture of the mousse.
Another solution would be to substitute fresh strawberries in place of raspberries.
The most common reason whipped cream collapses is because it has been overworked (whipped for too long). Perfectly whipped cream should have the texture of shaving cream — thick, with a lot of body. It should hold peaks but still have some softness to it. Stop whipping the cream just before stiff peaks start to form. This will give you a little more wiggle room when you start folding the whipped cream into the mousse.
Most likely, the chocolate is a little too cool when you start adding the whipped cream. When the chocolate comes in contact with the cream, it’s beginning to set prematurely. I recommend mixing them together when the chocolate is a bit warmer. The chocolate should be about body temperature, or slightly above, to mix properly with the cream. It’s definitely a balancing act, because you don’t want the chocolate to be too hot and melt the cream.
You can make your cake 2-3 days in advance. Wrap it well and store it in the fridge. Thankfully the mousse layers won’t collapse since they are made with gelatin. It really helps with stability and longevity. However, with time the mousse will begin to dry out which eventually creates a less appetizing texture.
You can also freeze the cake. Make it several days in advance and freeze it. You’ll need to wrap it well, or cover the pan with a lid, so that it doesn’t dry out. Thaw it overnight in the fridge the day before you plan to eat it.
Whether you store it in the fridge or freezer, I also recommend waiting to dress it with the ganache, whipped cream, and truffles until the day you plan to eat it. Happy Baking!
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Ingredients
For the Brownie Layer:
- 3.33 oz all-purpose flour, (3/4 cup)
- 2 oz unsweetened cocoa powder, (2/3 cup)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 4 oz unsalted butter
- 7.75 oz granulated sugar, (1 cup +2 tbsp)
- 2 large eggs, large, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Mousse:
- 9 oz semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 3/4 cups heavy cream, divided use
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tsp unflavored powdered gelatin
- 2 TBSP water
For the Raspberry Mousse:
- 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries, see Note below
- 9 oz white chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided use
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tsp unflavored powdered gelatin
- 2 TBSP water
- pink gel food coloring, optional
For the Vanilla Mousse:
- 9 oz white chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided use
- 4 TBSP honey
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tsp unflavored powdered gelatin
- 2 TBSP water
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste, can substitute vanilla extract
To Finish:
- 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 4 oz heavy cream
- 1 pint fresh raspberries, see Note below
- Chocolate curls , or other decorations
Instructions
To Make the Brownie Layer:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment and spray well with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl. Set aside for now.
- Cube the butter and place it in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally as the butter melts. Add the sugar and stir it into the melted butter until combined.
- Remove the pan from the heat, and let it cool to lukewarm. Once it has cooled, add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well between each addition. The mixture will start out grainy, but as you add the eggs, it will become shiny and smooth. Whisk the vanilla in. Finally, add the dry ingredients, and stir them in with a spatula.
- Scrape the brownie batter into the prepared pan, and bake it for 22-24 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Cool the brownie layer completely before proceeding.
To Make the Mousse Layers:
- Prepare your pan. You need a 9-inch pan with sides at least 3 inches tall, and the ability to remove the bottom. Either a cake pan with a removeable bottom or a 9" springform will work. Line the inner wall with an acetate cake collar or strip of aluminum foil, parchment paper, or waxed paper. Make sure the acetate collar or other lining is long enough so that it overlaps itself. Also, if you are using foil/parchment/waxed paper, make sure you cut the strip tall enough to extend at least an inch over the pan’s sides, since the cake is about 4 inches tall.
- Place a cake cardboard in the bottom of the pan, then carefully place the baked brownie on top of the cardboard.
- Prepare the chocolate mousse layer: combine the chocolate, 3/4 cup of cream, and salt in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring every 30 seconds, until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour it into a large bowl, and let it cool to slightly above room temperature (about 95-100 degrees C), stirring occasionally.
- While you wait for the chocolate mixture to cool, prepare the gelatin. Whisk together the gelatin and the cold water in a small bowl, and set it aside to let the gelatin absorb the water. When the chocolate is sufficiently cooled, microwave the bowl of gelatin for 15 seconds, until it is melted. Then whisk the melted gelatin and chocolate together.
- Whip the remaining 1 cup heavy whipping cream to just before firm peaks form (see FAQ for more tips). Fold half of the whipped cream into the warm chocolate. Once it’s incorporated, gently fold in the remaining whipped cream. Scrape the mousse on top of the brownie, and spread it into an even layer. Refrigerate the cake for 25 minutes, until the mouse has started to set and is firm enough that a second layer can be added.
- Prepare the raspberry mousse layer: make a quick puree by blending 1/2 cup fresh raspberries in a blender or food processor. Pour them through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds, and measure out 1/4 cup raspberry puree. Extra puree can be saved and used for other purposes.
- Combine the white chocolate, raspberry puree, 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, and salt in a microwave-safe bowl. Continue to make the raspberry layer the same way you made the chocolate layer, by melting and cooling the chocolate mixture to about 95-100 degrees C, whisking in melted gelatin, and folding in whipped cream. Add a few drops of pink food coloring to boost the pink color, if desired. At the very end, stir in the remaining 1 cup of fresh raspberries and pour the mousse over the chocolate mousse layer. Spread it into an even layer, and refrigerate again for about 25 minutes.
- Prepare the vanilla bean layer: combine the white chocolate, 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, honey, and salt in a microwave-safe bowl. Continue to make this layer the same way you made the previous two layers by allowing the chocolate mixture to cool, whisking in the gelatin, and folding in the whipped cream. After completing those steps, stir in the vanilla bean paste and pour the vanilla mousse over the raspberry mousse layer. Refrigerate to set the mousse layers very well, at least 4 hours or overnight.
- To finish the cake: push the bottom out from the pan, or unhinge the sides, and unwrap the acetate strip. Transfer the cake to your serving platter. Make a quick chocolate ganache by putting the chopped chocolate in a small bowl and heating the cream to a simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and whisk gently until the chocolate melts and you have a smooth, shiny mixture.
- Pour the ganache over the top of the cake, and use a spatula to nudge it right to the edge and over in evenly spaced drizzles. Don’t worry if the top is not smooth—it will be covered up! Add the fresh raspberries and chocolate curls on top of the cake. Refrigerate to set the ganache.
- For the cleanest slices, cut the cake when it is well chilled. Use a large sharp knife, and wash it frequently between cuts. For the best taste and texture, allow the cake slices to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving.
- Store Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake, well-wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Recipe Notes
Measuring Tips
Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.
Want to learn more about baking measurements and conversion?
Nutrition
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Hi, I started making your beautiful cake last night for my husbands birthday… I’ve just realised I used milk chocolate for the first mousse layer though? Will this still be ok? Or do you think it will be too sweet?
Also, my mousse seemed very runny when I poured it on top of the brownie, it has set fine, but I’m worried that it has leaked down the sides of the pan? Is your mousse usually quite firm already before you add it to the cake?
Hi Jayne! I think the milk chocolate will be fine! It will be sweet, yes, but I think the chocolate of the brownie and the tart raspberry will balance it out. And yes, the mousse is generally fairly soft/runny when it’s made, then the chocolate + gelatin help it set once it’s chilled. Did you line the pan with a cake collar made from acetate or waxed paper? That usually helps to keep it from leaking down the sides of the cake. If it has leaked, you can either cover the whole thing with chocolate glaze, or take a paring knife and scrape the mousse away from the brownie–once it’s set, it’s a pretty easy thing to clean up. 🙂 Happy birthday to your hubby!!
Just wanted to let you know the cake was fantastic… My husband loved it! And so did our family 🙂
I did cover it all in ganache, though it didn’t really leak at all… It just wasn’t quite as neat as yours!
Thanks again for the recipe. I’m sure I’ll make it again one day!!
Hi, I was looking at your recipe to make for my friend’s bday. I think it all sounds good except he is not a big fan of white chocolate. Is there a way I can make it without the white chocolate or a substitute for the white chocolate or more of something else?
This mousse cake looks incredible!
Did you make the entire thing in one day, or over a few? I would love to make it, but am curious how long it took to do the entire thing?
Hope to hear from you,
thanks 🙂
Thank you Katie! If I recall, I made it in one day and then glazed/cut/photographed it the next. It is not terribly complicated but there is a LOT of chilling time involved, both between the layers and then when the cake is fully assembled, so I would say you need either a full afternoon/evening to make it and then chill it overnight, or to do it in 2 days. I would say the split looks something like this: make/bake/cool brownie: 1.5 hours (if you cool it in the fridge), each mousse layer: 1 hour (that’s prep and chilling time) and then at least 4 hours once all 3 mousse layers are added. After that, the glaze is fast, and it probably only needs to be chilled for about 15 minutes to set the glaze before you can serve it. Does that help?
Thank you for the break down! I will let you know if/when I make it!
There will have to be an event of some sort as I cannot be trusted with sweets.
Thanks again!
I hear that! Plus it’s a huge time investment so it makes sense to save it for a special occasion. 😉
Hi, this cake looks absolutely amazing! I just made it for a birthday tomorrow, and everything turned out great! I was just wondering, will the vanilla mouse layer taste strongly like honey? Also, how did you get the ganache to drip down the sides so perfectly? Sorry for all the questions, just one more. For the brownie layer, i was supposed to bake in a separate 9 inch round cake pan, then transfer to the springform, correct? Thank you so much!
Hi, Love your Choocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake, pinned in Pinterest,Il looks GREAT! I love cooking & baking as well on my http://marlenesmadblog.dk/ on Pinterest. Good luck with your cakes,…:-)
This cake is amazing. Thank you so much for the recipe! I didn’t have a tall enough spring form pan to do all three layers, so I made the brownie, chocolate mousse, and then added fresh raspberries to the vanilla mousse layer, to get a little of everything. It’s not as pretty without the pink mousse, but I served it at a birthday party and was told by more than one person that it’s their favorite cake of all time. High praise. Again, thank you.
Danielle, I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed it! Your version sounds delicious, too, and a bit less work–win win! 🙂
Hello, lovely recipe!
I want to make this cake but am unsure of were I
can find a cake collar. Can I just make the cake and grease the pan and putt everything in it. I have a springform pan, can i just smoothly take the cake out as i would a cheesecake?
Hi, I would recommend lining the sides of the pan with a ring of waxed paper or parchment paper if you can’t find a cake collar. The finish won’t be as clean as the acetate, but I think it will be cleaner than you would get if you just greased the sides.
This was a fairly easy, but impressive looking cake! Love the combination of easy & impressive. Everyone loved it and thought it was amazing. Thanks for sharing your recipe. Look forward to making it again and trying variations, such as with strawberries or blueberries, or even mint chocolate. Wonderful!!
Thanks for the feedback! So glad that it worked for you and that everyone loved it. And I would love to hear what variations you try as well! I think orange chocolate would also be fab. 🙂
Hello, lovely and beautiful cake. Mousse is my all time favorite and I would love to make this cake. I was wondering how tall the cake is exactly. I have a nine inch spring form that’s no higher than 3 inches and I was wondering if I could use the cake collar to make the cake higher?
Hi Laura, I made mine in a 9×3-inch cake pan with a removable bottom (not a springform, but close enough) and the cake came right up to the top of the pan. So if your pan’s sides are 3″ you should be fine. If you’re worried it’s a little short, you can definitely use a 3″ or 4″ collar to extend the height and give yourself some wiggle room. Let me know how it goes if you give it a try!!
Hi Elizabeth
I made this cake for my husband on his birthday. The vanilla and raspberry layers weren’t as firm as the chocolate layer, it melted quite quickly when i left it out for about 10 mins. Is it because i did not whip the heavy cream enough? Because the first time it whipped up quite nicely but not the 2nd and 3rd batch, it’s quite watery. 🙁
And my ganache hardened n it made it difficult to cut, can you please advise me how to make a softer one? Do i add more heavy cream?
Thanks!
Hi Catee, yes, it sounds like the cream might have been the problem. It does need to be quite stiff for this recipe to work–one good test is if you stick the whisk in the cream and turn the bowl upside-down, the whisk should stay embedded in the cream and not fall out. (Don’t test this unless you’re reasonably sure it’ll work, and you have fast reflexes in case it doesn’t, though!) I always like to use pasteurized heavy cream (as opposed to ultra-pasteurized) and try to find one with the highest fat % possible–this makes it whip up nicer.
For softer ganache, more cream is key. You can experiment with adding another spoonful or two to get a texture you like. Good luck!
Thanks! I will take your advice by using pasteurized heavy cream if i could find it in Singapore (given the little time i have now). And add more cream in the ganache.
By the way i forgot to mention this time round my husband and family encourage me to do it again for my 2 years old twins nephew! Their birthday fall on this Saturday. My husband and family really like the taste, thanks to you!
That is awesome, so glad to hear it! I hope it works out, and happy birthday to your nephews! One more thing I thought of: Another trick to getting properly whipped cream is to make sure that the bowl and whisk attachment you’re using to whip it is very cold (chill them in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before whipping) and that the cream is very cold too. Hopefully this helps!
Yup i did, i chilled the bowl and the attachment, i even put a bowl of ice underneath the bowl of cream, just to make sure, hahaha and it worked! This was the first time i managed to whip the cream up nicely! 🙂 by the way i skipped the ganache cos i got no time D: so i just added some colorful birthday icing decoration on top of the vanilla layer.
Everyone loved it! ^^
I just made this for my husbands birthday…I’m excited to taste it, but man; mine doesn’t look nearly as good as yours.
I’m so glad it worked out, and I hope you enjoy it! The assembly and decorating process is definitely something that gets easier with time and practice…and I’ll bet it only takes 1 taste to get people to forget about looks and go back for seconds! 🙂 Thanks for the comments, Debra.