This ones for all the chocolate lovers! Moist and rich chocolate cake layers frosted with smooth, dark chocolate mousse. This mini chocolate cake is perfect for those chocolate cravings.
Why you’ll love this chocolate mousse cake
- Simple to make + simple ingredients: The cake layers come together quickly and easily. The chocolate mousse doesn’t require any fancy ingredients and is simple and quick to make.
- It’s frosted with chocolate mousse. Instead of using traditional chocolate buttercream, this cake uses chocolate mousse. It perfectly compliments the rich chocolate cake layers. Plus you’ll only need 5 ingredients to make the perfect chocolate mousse! No eggs required!
- It’s rich, chocolaty and not super sweet. Not a fan of sweet chocolate cakes – this ones not. It’s sweetened just right.
Ingredients needed
For mini chocolate cake layers
- Flour: I use all purpose flour.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar to add sweetness to the cake.
- Cocoa powder: I use Hershey’s dark cocoa powder. It gives the cake a rich chocolate flavor. But regular cocoa powder would be good too.
- Vegetable oil: Or any neutral oil.
- Eggs: Two large eggs
- Sour cream: Sour cream will add moister to the cake.
- Water: You’ll need hot water. This adds moister to the cake.
- Baking soda: To ensure the cake rises.
- Vanilla extract
- Instant coffee powder: Instant coffee will enhance the chocolate flavor making it more rich. You won’t taste the coffee. If you’d like, you can omit the instant coffee.
For chocolate mousse
- Chocolate: I’d recommend using high quality chocolate, like Ghirardelli. Using high quality chocolate ensures that the frosting will have a perfectly smooth consistency. I like to use a mixture of bittersweet and semi sweet chocolate.
- Cocoa powder: I prefer using dark cocoa powder as it gives the frosting a rich chocolate flavor. But regular cocoa powder would work as well!
- Water: To dissolve the cocoa powder.
- Heavy whipping cream: This will lighten up the frosting.
- Powdered sugar: To add a bit of sweetness.
Overview of making mini chocolate cake
For the cake:
- Combine dry ingredients: You’ll be coming flour, baking soda, pinch of salt and instant espresso powder. Then set aside.
- Beat the rest of ingredients: First, you’ll beat eggs, sugar and vegetable oil until combined. Then you’ll add sour cream and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until no more streaks of sour cream.
- Add flour and water: Add flour to the mixer and beat until almost incorporated. Then add warm water. Beat until combined. Do not overmix.
- Bake! Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Chocolate mousse:
- Whisk water and cocoa powder: In a medium bowl whisk water and cocoa powder until combined and there is no more lumps of cocoa powder.
- Melt the chocolate: Microwave the chocolate in 30 second intervals stirring between each interval. Once chocolate is almost melted, stir chocolate until completely melted.
- Combine both mixtures: Add the melted chocolate to the cocoa mixture. stir until the two mixtures are combined and chocolate is smooth.
- Beat heavy cream: Beat heavy whipping cream with powdered sugar until soft peaks have formed. Do not mix until stiff peaks. Overmixing can cause the frosting to separate after adding the chocolate.
- Combine chocolate and heavy cream: Add chocolate to heavy whipping cream and fold until no completely combined and no more streaks of chocolate or heavy cream.
Assembly
- Cut cake layers in half. So you should have four cake layers.
- Place first cake layer on cake stand, spread a generous amount of frosting. Repeat cake layers.
- Place last cake layer and frost sides and tops.
There will be chocolate mousse leftover. You can use the frosting to pipe on top of cake or make mini mousse cups!
Tips for success
- I prefer using Hershey dark cocoa powder. It gives the cake and frosting a rich and dark chocolate flavor. However, you can use regular cocoa powder as well.
- Do not beat the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks. Instead, beat until soft peaks form. If you beat the heavy whipping cream for too long, the mousse can start to separate after adding the chocolate due to overmixing.
- I like using a mixture of bittersweet chocolate and semi sweet chocolate for the mousse. It gives the chocolate mousse the perfect amount of sweetness and richness. Any chocolate combination can be used. You can use milk, semi sweet or bittersweet. Just keep in mind the darker the chocolate = more sugar; the lighter the chocolate = less sugar.
- When adding the chocolate/cocoa mix to heavy whipping cream, the chocolate shouldn’t be hot. It should be room temp or just slightly warm. If you add hot chocolate the heavy whipping cream can melt. But don’t wait too long, as the chocolate can start to harden and mousse will be lumpy.
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PrintRecipe
Mini Chocolate Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
- Category: dessert
Ingredients
Scale
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup dark cocoa powder, or regular
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons hot water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
- ¼ teaspoon expresso powder (optional)
For mousse
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon water
- 3.5 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 cup or 8 oz. chocolate, chopped
- 2–3 tablespoon powdered sugar
Instructions
For cake
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two 6 inch pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder. ( if using) Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, vegetable oil and sugar until combined. About 3 minutes.
- Add the sour cream and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until there are no more streaks of sour cream and batter is smooth.
- Add the flour mixture. Beat until flour is almost incorporated. (you should still see flour in the batter) Add the hot water and mix until combined and batter is smooth.
- Divide cake batter among prepared cake pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pan, then transfer to cooling rack and cool completely.
Chocolate mousse
- To a medium bowl, add water and cocoa powder. Mix until combined and there are no more lumps of cocoa powder. Set aside.
- To a microwave safe bowl add chocolate. Melt chocolate, stirring everything 30 seconds, until chocolate is melted.
- Add chocolate to cocoa/water mix. Quickly stir until chocolate mixture is smooth. Set aside.
- To a stand mixer add heavy whipping cream and sugar. Beat until soft peaks form.
- Add chocolate/cocoa. ( it should be slightly cooled off) Fold until combined and there are not more streaks of chocolate or heavy whipping cream.
Assembly
- Cut cake layers in half.
- Place one cake layer on cake stand. Add generous amount of chocolate mousse. Repeat for all layers. Then frost the top and sides of cake. You may have chocolate mousse leftover, you can use mousse to pipe on top of cake or use it for mini mousse cups.
Notes
-
- I prefer using Hershey dark cocoa powder. It gives the cake and frosting a rich and dark chocolate flavor. However, you can use regular cocoa powder as well.
-
- Do not beat the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks. Instead, beat until soft peaks form. If you beat the heavy whipping cream for too long, the mousse can start to separate after adding the chocolate due to overmixing.
-
- I like using a mixture of bittersweet chocolate and semi sweet chocolate for the mousse. It gives the chocolate mousse the perfect amount of sweetness and richness. Any chocolate combination can be used. You can use milk, semi sweet or bittersweet. Just keep in mind the darker the chocolate = more sugar; the lighter the chocolate = less sugar.
-
- When adding the chocolate/cocoa mix to heavy whipping cream, the chocolate shouldn’t be hot. It should be room temp or just slightly warm. If you add hot chocolate the heavy whipping cream can melt. But don’t wait too long, as the chocolate can start to harden and mousse will be lumpy.
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