If you know me, you will know that I looove a good fudgy chocolate brownie. This Chocolate Brownie Mousse Cake is made with my favourite go-to chocolate brownie recipe for the base. It’s super fudgy and chocolaty and so quick to make. In fact, this cake, although impressive in looks, is actually super simple. While you need to wait for each layer to chill or set, the prep time is extremely minimal.
This is my staple one bowl chocolate brownie recipe. It’s super quick and simple to make. It uses cocoa powder instead of chocolate, so it’s not heavy on ingredients.
The brownie is topped with a light and fluffy 2 ingredient milk chocolate mousse layer, followed by a white chocolate mousse layer. I have used different varieties of chocolate as we are celebrating World Chocolate Day, but feel free to only use one kind if you wish. The whole cake is then smothered in velvety smooth chocolate Ganache.
Be warned, this is a death by chocolate style cake. Definitely for serious chocoholics and extremely difficult to resits.
I love the way it turned out. And it definitely tastes absolutely delicious. It is definitely deceptively simple but looks like it belongs in a French pâtisserie.
Feel free to use any variety of chocolate you wish. And if you don’t want to make the brownie from scratch (although it only uses one bowl and five minutes of prep), feel free to use a box mix.
If you’re a fellow chocoholic, have you checked out my recent Chocolate Orange Mud Cake recipe yet?
I love feedback, so if you make this recipe, please do send me comments and pictures, either on here or on my social media accounts. I love to see your versions of my recipes.
Chocolate Brownie Mousse Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Brownie*
- ½ Cup Unsalted Butter Melted
- 1 Tbsp Oil (Vegetable/Sunflower or Coconut Oil)
- 1 Cup Castor Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ½ Cup Cup All-Purpose/Cake Flour
- ½ Cup Good quality cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp Salt
Milk Chocolate Mousse**
- 160 grams Milk Chocolate (2x 80g bars) Grated or super finely chopped
- 500 ml Whipping Cream (divided 125ml + 375ml)
White Chocolate Mousse**
- 160 grams White Chocolate (2x 80g bars) Grated or super finely chopped
- 500 ml Whipping Cream (divided 125ml + 375ml)
Chocolate Ganache
- 160 grams Dark chocolate (2x 80g bars) Grated or super finely chopped
- 160 ml Fresh Cream
Instructions
Chocolate Brownie*
- Preheat the oven to 180°C
- Melt the butter and let it cool slightly while you grease a standard size cake tin (20 – 22cm round) with non stick cooking spray and line the bottom with baking paper. Set aside
- Add the melted butter, oil and sugar to a mixing bowl and mix to help the sugar start to dissolve. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined
- Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until well combined. Add the batter to your prepared tin and spread to form an even layer (This mixture is thick and sticky and doesn't spread easily. This is normal)
- Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until the centre of the brownie no longer jiggles and is just set to the touch (the brownie will keep baking in the hot pan out of the oven)
- Let cool in the tin for 10 – 15 minutes, then remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely before adding the mousse layer (30 minutes to 1 hour)
Chocolate Mousse**
- Grate or finely chop your chocolate and place in a medium sized bowl
- Heat 125ml / ½ cup of the cream, either in a small saucepan or in the microwave. It should be very hot but do not boil
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until all the chocolate is melted and you have a smooth, velvety ganache. Place in the fridge while you whip the rest of the cream
- Add the 375ml / 1½ cups of cream to a bowl and whip until stiff peaks using a hand or stand mixer
- Remove the ganache from the fridge, then add a few large spoons of the whipped cream to the ganache and fold in until combined. Try not to knock out all the air. Repeat with the remaining cream in around two more batches, until the chocolate and cream is fully incorporated
- To start assembly of the cake, line the sides of a cake tin with baking paper or acetate. Then place the cooled brownie in the bottom to fit snugly. Spoon the mousse onto the brownie, gently even it out and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to 1 hour***
- Repeat the about steps with the white chocolate mousse and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour***
- These steps can also be done the night before and left in the freezer overnight before decorating with the ganache if you'd like to prep ahead
Chocolate Ganache
- Finely chop or grate your chocolate and place in a heat proof dish. In a small saucepan, heat the cream until very hot but not boiling (tiny bubbles start appearing around the edge). Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and cover. Let sit for around 5 minutes to melt
- Remove the cake from the freezer, then loosen and remove the sides of the cake tin (leave the cake on the bottom of the cake tin until decorated. Carefully peel off the baking paper or acetate
- Place an upside down bowl into a larger bowl or dish to catch any run off, then place the cake on top.
- When the chocolate has melted for a few minutes, whisk to mix until all the chocolate has melted and a thicker, smooth Ganache has formed. Pour the Ganache evenly over the top of the brownie, starting from the middle and moving towards the edges, letting it run evenly down the sides
- Once the run off slows down, you can clean off any excess drips by running a knife around the bottom of the base. Move the cake to a plate and place in the fridge while the ganache sets. Around 30 minutes to an hour
- Once set, you can remove the cake tin base and transfer the cake to a cake stand or plate for serving. Decorate as you wish. I used splatters of gold food colouring on mine
- Tip: Any jagged edges can be smoothed with a warm knife or disguise with some grated chocolate around the edge. Slice with a warm sharp knife to get even cuts
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