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small batch chocolate mousse cake on a plate

Small Batch Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cake – No Tofu, No Cashews!

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  • Author: Britt Berlin
  • Prep Time: 30
  • Chilling Time: 300
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Total Time: 6 hours
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Cake
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This velvety soft chocolate mousse cake is a fluffy, deeply decadent dream made in small batch form! No eggs, no dairy (and just a 2 ingredient chocolate mousse that sets perfectly all without gelatin!), this vegan small batch chocolate mousse cake is perfect for just you and me- and the perfect easier version of my full sized classic version!

Ingredients

Scale

Chocolate cake:

  • 1/2 cups (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp (30 g) light brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp (30 g) neutral oil
  • 1/4 cup (57 g) vegan dairy free yogurt, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup (25 g) black cocoa powder or Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/3 cup (75 mL) dairy free milk, room temperature
  • 3/4 cups (94 g) all purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour, sifted
  •  
  • 1/4 cup (60 mL) hot water + 1 tsp dissolvable espresso powder (or 1/4 cup (60 mL) brewed coffee, decaf if desired)

Chocolate mousse:

  • 1/2 batch vegan ganache, chilled to room temperature
  • 1 cup (240 mL) vegan heavy cream, cold

Topping: 

Instructions

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F, and line a 9″ loaf pan OR small 6″ springform pan with parchment paper. Read through all ingredients and instructions. Make sure the coffee is brewed or the water is hot. Place a mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl into the freezer to chill while you make the cake portion.
  2. Whisk: In a small bowl, whisk together the  sugar, light brown sugar, neutral oil, dairy free yogurt, and vanilla extract until combined. Add in the black or Dutch-process cocoa powder, and whisk to combine. Finally, add in the baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt, and whisk until incorporated.
  3. Finish the batter: Pour in the flour, along with the dairy free milk, and whisk JUST until the flour is combined. Then pour in the HOT coffee or espresso mixture, and whisk until the coffee is fully incorporated into the batter and the batter is smooth.
  4. Bake: Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan or  loaf pan, and bake for 40 minutes for the springform pan or 28-30 minutes for the loaf pan, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top of the cake lightly bounces back.
  5. While the cake is baking: Prepare the half batch of chocolate ganache according to instructions in the mousse section. Set aside in the fridge, stirring every 30 minutes for 1.5 hours until the ganache is cooled but still almost pudding-like.
  6. Cool: Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes in the pan. Then remove from the baking pan and let cool completely on a cooling rack. Once fully cooled (about 1-1.5 hours), you can use a large kitchen knife, and carefully slice the rounded portion of the top of the loaf cake off so that the cake is leveled for the mousse. You can save the cake top as a snack (yum!!) or use for cake truffles!). Once leveled, place the leveled cake back into the loaf pan, and set aside.
  7. Make the mousse: Remove the chilling bowl from the freezer, and using either a hand mixer or a stand mixer with whisk attachment, pour in 1 cup of vegan heavy cream. Mix on medium-high speed until the whipped cream reaches semi-stiff peaks, being careful not to over mix which can lead to split cream. Once semi-stiff peaks are achieved, spoon in the COOLED chocolate ganache (there should be NO WARMTH in the ganache WHATSOEVER), and mix again on high speed until combined. It may become a touch softer, but it should NOT be liquid.
  8. Assemble: Spoon the chocolate mousse on top of the leveled chocolate cake, and smooth the top of the mousse. Cover with a layer of plastic wrap and place into the fridge to chill for 5 hours or overnight.
  9. Finish: Make the chocolate ganache in the topping section, and let cool until room temperature. Remove the mousse cake from the fridge and carefully remove it from the loaf pan, running a knife around the edges of any mousse touching the pan and not parchment paper. Pour the chocolate ganache on top of the cake, and use an offset spatula to spread to the edges.
  10. Slice and serve! Slice the chocolate ganache cake, and enjoy!

Notes

Gluten free: I really like King Arthur Measure-for-Measure gluten-free flour here. You MUST use a flour blend with xanthan gum.

Black cocoa powder: This is an extra dark variety of cocoa powder (most prominently used in Oreo cookies!) that yields a super rich chocolate flavor. This cake also works well with Dutch-process cocoa powder, but keep in mind the cake color will be slightly lighter in color. Please do NOT use all-natural cocoa powder here.

See blog post for all tips & tricks! 

Find it online: https://thebananadiaries.com/small-batch-chocolate-mousse-cake-vegan/