Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipe

Chocolate Mousse Cake with Apricots and Dark Chocolate Ganache
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The Chocolate Mousse Cake combines delicate milk and dark chocolate mousse with a fruity apricot layer and a very thin shortcrust base. Dark chocolate ganache and white chocolate shavings complete the cake.
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Prep time: 50 minutes
Baking time: 20 minutes
Resting time at room temperature and in the fridge: 8 hours 15 minutes
Total time: 9 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 12
Author: Cake Mood Beyond
Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipe
Serving Size
 
1 Slice
Amount per Serving
Calories
700
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
39.6
g
61
%
Saturated Fat
 
23.2
g
145
%
Sodium
 
140
mg
6
%
Carbohydrates
 
73.2
g
24
%
Fiber
 
5.2
g
22
%
Sugar
 
61.6
g
68
%
Protein
 
10.3
g
21
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Equipment

  • Electric hand mixer
  • Springform pan (24 cm / about 9.5-inch diameter)
  • Silicone scraper (about 30 cm / 12 inches long)
  • Stainless steel cake lifter (about 28 cm / 11 inches wide)
  • Digital kitchen scale (with tare function, up to 5 kg / 11 lb)
  • Hand whisk
  • Cake ring (stainless steel, 10 cm / 4 inches high, for 24 cm / about 9.5-inch cakes)
  • Sieve (for draining the apricots)
  • Saucepan
  • Bowl (for melting the chocolate)
  • Vegetable peeler (for making the chocolate shavings)

Ingredients

Very thin shortcrust pastry base

  • 1 Egg (size L, separated)
  • 85 g Flour (about 2/3 cup plus 1 tbsp)
  • 45 g Sunflower margarine (about 3 tbsp; for baking)
  • 25 g White sugar (about 2 tbsp)
  • 1/2 tsp Baking powder
  • 1 pinch Salt
  • 1 tsp Cold water (only if needed)
  • 1 tbsp Rapeseed oil  (for the pan and cake ring)

Apricot layer

  • 480 g Canned apricot halves (about 2 cups; peeled and very well drained)
  • 80 ml Apricot juice (about 1/3 cup)
  • 40 g Cornstarch (about 5 tbsp)
  • 50 g Apricot jam (about 2 1/2 tbsp; sweetened)
  • 30 g White sugar  (about 2 1/2 tbsp)
  • 1 tsp Lemon juice
  • 1 pinch Cinnamon

Chocolate mousse

  • 320 g Dark chocolate couverture  (about 11.3 oz; approx. 60–70 % cocoa solids)
  • 400 g Milk chocolate couverture (about 14.1 oz)
  • 400 g Whipping cream (about 1 2/3 cups; 30 % fat)
  • 8 Eggs (size L, separated)
  • 150 g White sugar  (about 3/4 cup)
  • 1 pinch Salt

Dark chocolate ganache

  • 80 g Dark chocolate couverture (about 2.8 oz; approx. 60–70 % cocoa solids)
  • 80 g Whipping cream  (about 1/3 cup; 30 % fat)

Decoration

  • 60 g White chocolate (about 2.1 oz)

Instructions

Prepare the very thin shortcrust pastry base

  • Line the base of a 24 cm / about 9.5-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 175 °C / 350 °F using a conventional, non-fan oven setting. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Quickly work in the cold sunflower margarine with your fingertips until fine crumbs form. Carefully separate the egg. Add the egg yolk and briefly bring everything together into a smooth dough. Add up to 1 tsp cold water only if needed. Spread the dough evenly over the base of the pan and press it down to a thickness of about 2.5–3 mm / about 1/8 inch using the flat bottom of a glass. Do not form a raised edge. Prick the base several times with a fork and chill for 10 minutes.
    Baking pan prepared and shortcrust pastry shaped into a ball
  • Bake the shortcrust pastry base on the middle rack for 15 minutes. Remove it from the oven and immediately brush the surface with a very thin layer of egg white. Bake for another 2–5 minutes, until the very thin base is fully baked and lightly golden around the edge. Let the shortcrust pastry base cool completely on the parchment paper. Leave the parchment paper underneath the base so the delicate pastry does not need to be moved unnecessarily when the cake is assembled later.
    Shortcrust pastry spread in the baking pan and pricked with a fork

Prepare the apricots and assemble the apricot layer

  • Drain the apricots very well. You will need 480 g of drained apricots. Cut the apricots into small pieces with a knife. Do not purée them. The finished layer should retain a noticeable but fine fruit texture. Whisk 40 ml of the cold apricot juice with the cornstarch until completely smooth. Heat the remaining 40 ml apricot juice with the apricots and sugar in a saucepan. Stir in the apricot jam, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Add the cornstarch mixture while stirring. Bring the apricot mixture to a full boil and continue cooking for about 1 minute, stirring gently, until it thickens noticeably. The finished mixture should still be easy to spread but should no longer run. If you draw a line through the mixture with a spoon, the line should mostly remain visible. Let the apricot mixture cool for about 15–20 minutes.
    Apricot layer prepared in a saucepan
  • Lightly brush the inside of the cake ring with rapeseed oil. Line the inside of the ring smoothly with a strip of coated parchment paper or cake collar acetate that is tall enough to cover the inside of the ring. Place the fully cooled shortcrust pastry base, still on its parchment paper, onto the cake plate and fit the prepared cake ring snugly around the base. Spread the apricot mixture evenly over the shortcrust pastry base and gently smooth the surface. Let the apricot layer cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 45 minutes. Before adding the mousse, the fruit layer must be completely cold and firm.
    Shortcrust base fully baked

Prepare the chocolate, whipping cream, and meringue

  • Finely chop the dark chocolate couverture and milk chocolate couverture and place them together in a bowl. Gently melt the chocolate over a warm water bath. Remove the bowl from the water bath and let the chocolate mixture cool slightly, stirring occasionally. It should still be completely smooth and flow easily, but it should no longer be hot.
    Measured chocolate prepared for the chocolate mousse
  • Using an electric hand mixer, whip the whipping cream until thickened and creamy. It should form soft peaks and still be smooth and flexible. Do not whip it until fully stiff. Begin beating the egg whites with the pinch of salt. Gradually add the 150 g sugar and continue beating until the meringue is firm, fine-textured, and glossy. It should form firm peaks but should not become dry or grainy.
    Egg whites from eight eggs whipped until stiff

Finish the chocolate mousse and prepare the decoration

  • Quickly whisk about one third of the whipped cream into the still-fluid chocolate mixture. This makes the chocolate base lighter and smoother. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream in two portions using a silicone scraper. Next, carefully fold about one third of the whipped egg whites into the chocolate-cream mixture. Fold in the remaining egg whites in two portions. Use the silicone scraper to lift the mixture from the bottom of the bowl upward, mixing only until no larger white streaks remain. The finished mousse should be creamy and airy while already holding some structure. It should not be runny. The chocolate shavings for the decoration can now be prepared. Use a vegetable peeler to shave thin pieces from the white chocolate. Try to make the shavings as even as possible.
    White chocolate shavings prepared for decoration
  • Immediately spoon the chocolate mousse onto the fully chilled apricot layer. First spread the mousse around the outer edge, then fill in the center. This helps reduce air pockets along the edge of the cake. Gently smooth the surface. The mousse layer should be about 4 cm / 1.6 inches high. Refrigerate the cake for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, until completely chilled and set. Keep the cake ring in place during this time.
    Chocolate mousse filled into the cake ring

Prepare and apply the dark chocolate ganache

  • Finely chop the dark chocolate couverture and melt it gently. Heat the whipping cream separately until hot, but do not let it boil vigorously. Add the warm cream to the melted chocolate in several portions, stirring thoroughly from the center outward after each addition. Continue stirring until the ganache is completely smooth and homogeneous. Let the ganache cool briefly. It should still flow easily and be easy to pour and spread, but it should no longer be hot.
    Dark chocolate and cream prepared for the ganache
  • Leave the fully chilled cake in the cake ring. Pour the ganache onto the center of the mousse and spread it evenly over the surface. Let the ganache mostly level itself, or gently texture the surface with the back of a spoon. The ganache layer should be about 3 mm / 1/8 inch thick. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour, until the ganache is set.
    Dark chocolate ganache applied

Finish the cake

  • Carefully loosen and remove the cake ring, then slowly peel away the coated parchment strip or cake collar acetate. If the parchment paper underneath the shortcrust pastry base extends beyond the edge of the cake, carefully place the fully chilled cake on an elevated support and trim only the visible overhanging parchment flush with the edge. Leave the parchment paper underneath the base in place. Scatter the prepared white chocolate shavings over the ganache as desired. Keep the cake refrigerated until ready to serve. For clean slices, dip a long knife into hot water, dry it completely, and cut straight down through the cake. Clean and rewarm the knife after each slice. Remove the cake from the refrigerator about 10–15 minutes before serving.
    Chocolate mousse cake completed

Notes

Shortcrust pastry base
The very thin shortcrust pastry base is fully baked before assembly because the cake does not return to the oven afterward. The thin egg white coating also helps protect the base from moisture from the apricot layer. Leave the parchment paper underneath during assembly so the delicate base does not need to be moved unnecessarily.
Apricot layer
The apricot layer must be fully cooled and firm before the mousse is added. Once set, it forms an even, stable fruit layer that provides a secure base for the chocolate mousse.
Note
The mousse contains raw egg whites. Use fresh, undamaged eggs and keep the cake refrigerated.
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