Recipe: The Best Chocolate Cake Ever

I made this cake for a celebrity client 👀

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Chocolate cake is my least favorite cake. I never liked it - most of them are dry, don’t taste like chocolate (chocolate flavored, just like certain fruit flavors, are often such a miss) and are too sweet. So, when a celebrity client (that I can’t name but everyone knows them) had an order for a birthday cake, I was like OKAY LET’S GOOOOO.

This cake took me a week to get right because I was testing several different methods until I was satisfied. I swear I was so sick of eating chocolate, but I did it in the name of research. And now, I’m sharing the entire process with you. It’s not a hard recipe, just a bit tedious with the time, but I tried to simplify it as much as possible.

What makes this cake special is the layers. The chocolate cake itself is moist and made with dutch process cocoa powder and Callebaut chocolate (my favorite chocolate brand to bake with). The filling is this gorgeous chocolate mousse that I also used to crumb coat the cake with. I was intrigued by the chocolate cake Marcus made on The Bear (Loved that show but man it gave me PTSD from my days working in the service industry), so was inspired to do the same. The cake is then draped in a dark chocolate ganache that sets in a texture that’s very satisfying to cut through.

I can talk about this cake for ages, because I spent ages on it, but just want you to make it and try it for yourself. Let me know if you have any questions!

The recipe calls for a 3 layer cake, but I made a two layer when testing!

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Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake with Ganache Frosting

Yield: 3-layer 6-inch (20cm) cake
Servings: 12-16 slices
Prep Time: 1 hour (active) + 8 hours chilling for mousse
Cook Time: 25-30 minutes per layer
Assembly Time: 1 hour
Total Time: About 11-12 hours (including chilling time)

For the Cake Layers

(adapted from The Floured Table and Food & Wine)

• 2 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour (plain flour)

• 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar (caster sugar)

• 1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar

• 1 1/4 cups (140g) Dutch-process cocoa powder (see notes)

• 1 1/2 tsp (7g) baking soda

• 2 tsp (10g) baking powder

• 2 tsp (10g) salt

• 1/2 cup (120g) mayonnaise (see notes)

• 5 large eggs, room temperature

• 1 tbsp (15ml) pure vanilla extract

• 1 cup (240ml) brewed coffee, room temperature

• 3/4 cup (170g) browned butter, cooled (see notes)

• 1 cup (240g) crème fraîche (or substitute with sour cream/mascarpone)

For the Chocolate Mousse

• 8 oz (225g) dark chocolate, finely chopped (I used a mix of Callebaut 54.5% and Green & Black's 85%)

• 10 large egg yolks, room temperature

• 4 large egg whites, room temperature

• 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream (double cream in the UK)

• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar (caster sugar)

• Pinch of salt

For the Ganache Frosting

• 12 oz (340g) dark and milk chocolate, finely chopped

• 1 1/2 cups (360ml) heavy cream (double cream in the UK)

Instructions

Step 1: Make the Chocolate Mousse (Prepare in Advance)

1. Melt Chocolate & Butter
   Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Add the chopped chocolate and butter, stirring until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

2. Prepare Egg Yolks
   In a stand mixer bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and half of the sugar. Place this bowl over the simmering water, whisking constantly until it reaches 160°F (71°C) (see notes). Transfer to the mixer and beat on medium-high speed until the mixture becomes pale, thick, and fluffy. Gently fold this into the cooled chocolate mixture.

3. Whip Egg Whites & Cream
   In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until foamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, whip the heavy cream until medium peaks form.

4. Combine & Chill
   Fold the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture in three additions, then fold in the whipped cream until no streaks remain. Cover the mousse and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Step 2: Make the Cake Layers

1. Preheat & Prepare
   Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and line three 6-inch (20cm) round cake pans with parchment paper.

2. Mix Dry Ingredients
   In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar, and brown sugar.

3. Mix Wet Ingredients
   In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, mayonnaise, vanilla extract, brewed coffee, and browned butter until smooth.

4. Combine & Fold
   Gradually mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in the crème fraîche until the batter is smooth.

5. Bake
   Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 3: Make the Ganache Frosting

1. Prepare Ganache
   Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan until it begins to simmer. Pour the hot cream over the finely chopped chocolate in a bowl. Let it sit for 2 minutes, then stir until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Allow the ganache to cool to room temperature until it thickens slightly but is still pourable.

Step 4: Assemble the Cake

1. Layer the Cake
   Place the first cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Pro tip! Use a bit of frosting or the mousse on the bottom of the cake stand so the cake doesn’t slip when spinning. Spread a thick layer of the chilled chocolate mousse evenly on top. You can pipe a border (recommended), or just plop in the middle and spread, but it won’t be as even. Repeat with the second layer, then place the final cake layer on top.

2. Crumb Coat
   Mix any leftover mousse with a bit of ganache for a light crumb coat. Spread this thinly around the entire cake to seal in any crumbs. Chill the cake for about 30 minutes to set the crumb coat.

3. Ganache Finish
   Pour the remaining ganache over the top of the chilled cake, letting it drip naturally down the sides. Use a spatula to gently smooth the top.

4. Chill & Serve
   Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour before serving. Let it come to room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before slicing for the best texture.
   
   Notes:

   • It’s important to use Dutch-process cocoa powder as it has a smoother, less acidic taste and creates a darker, richer cake.

   • I do recommend having a meat thermometer in your kitchen - helps a lot with many recipes! You do NOT want to cook the egg yolks, so unless you can estimate the temperature, get a thermometer.

   • Don’t skip the mayonnaise! It keeps the cake incredibly moist

   • Don’t skip the salt and coffee! It enhances the deep chocolate flavor.

Cakes 1 and 2 out of the 3 tests.

Hope you love it!

Ayesha xo