This unbelievably fluffy vegan chocolate mousse cake features the most tender and rich chocolate cake with layers of creamy, intense 2 ingredient chocolate mousse, and an easy 2 ingredient chocolate ganache! It’s rich, yet light, and irresistibly delicious – and you’ll never know it’s dairy free and vegan!

sliced vegan chocolate mousse cake

Why this vegan chocolate mousse cake recipe works:

Who wouldn’t be absolutely obsessed with the concept of a triple chocolate mousse cake? Layers of chocolate cake (based off of my award-winning chocolate cake recipe), fluffy chocolate mousse, and a soft chocolate ganache all in one bite? Say less, please.

So why not make an entirely vegan, dairy free, and eggless version that also happens to be undetectably gluten free? 

You’re just going to LOVE the simplicity of this vegan chocolate mousse cake. It’s the perfect show stopping cake that you won’t believe is as easy as it is delicious. 

sliced vegan chocolate mousse cake

The mousse is even simpler than my no coconut vegan chocolate mousse (psst! It’s like an actual chocolate mousse, and no, it doesn’t use any silken tofu!). And the chocolate ganache? It’s molten and sets just perfectly, based upon my vegan chocolate ganache recipe!

All you need is a springform pan, a large bowl and a hand electric mixer (or a stand mixer if you’d like!). Then we’ll get to work!

Ingredients & Substitutions:

For the cake layer:

  • Flour: You can use all purpose flour or gluten-free 1:1 flour. I personally recommend King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free flour.
  • Vegan butter: For nut free,  I use Om Sweet Home Dairy Free. 
  • Cocoa powder: I recommend dutch-process cocoa- it yields a really intense chocolate flavor and complements the sweetness of the brown sugar. 
  • Dairy free milk: You can use soy milk, oat milk, or almond milk here!
  • Brown sugar & granulated sugar: We need both in order to create that rich brownie layer. The extra molasses in the brown sugar adds even more moisture to the brownie layer. 
  • Dairy free yogurt: This is our vegan egg replacement. 

For the chocolate mousse layer:

  • Chocolate: I personally love Guittard 72% chocolate, as it’s accidentally vegan; as is Enjoy Life and Pascha Organics.
  • Vegan heavy cream: I find it’s easiest to use a store bought vegan heavy cream, like by Plant Crock or Califia here. You can use coconut cream, but I find this is so dependent on the can of coconut cream you’re dealing with, and it’s not consistent. Some coconut cream is really watery, some there’s too much coconut oil in it, so it just doesn’t produce as consistent results. 

For the chocolate ganache:

  • Chocolate
  • Vegan heavy cream
sliced and bitten chocolate mousse cake on a plate

Overview: How to make vegan chocolate mousse cake from scratch

For the full written instructions and ingredient measurements, see the bottom of this post in the recipe card. You can also hit the “jump to recipe” button at the top of this post! Here, we’ll go over a brief overview of the steps, along with providing visuals for a better understanding of the recipe. 

mixing the chocolate cake batter
First we’ll make the chocolate cake. It’s similar to my classic vegan chocolate cake, but reduced in quantity.
cake before baking
Then we’ll bake it in our prepared 9″ springform pan.
baked cake
Once baked, we’ll allow the cake to cool before carefully removing it from the pan, leveling off the top, and placing the cake back into the springform pan to cool completely.
making the vegan chocolate mousse
While the ganache is cooling, cream the heavy vegan cream in a large bowl until you reach stiff peaks.
chocolate mousse
This is what the chocolate mousse should look like once fully mixed.
chocolate mousse cake before setting
Spread the mousse in the cooled springform pan, and cover to chill in the fridge.
chocolate mousse cake
Once set, spread the chocolate ganache over the top of the cake and serve!
chocolate mousse cake sliced
Slice and enjoy!

Tips & tricks for chocolate mousse cake

  • Freeze the bowl for the chocolate mousse before using: I recommend at least 30 minutes. This will help stiffen the vegan heavy cream when whipping.
  • Refrigerate the chocolate mousse cake after 30 minutes: If you’re serving the cake, it can stay out at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Then the mousse starts to soften, so to keep the integrity of the cake, I recommend storing it in the fridge covered after that!
  • If you don’t need a gluten free vegan mousse cake: swap in all-purpose flour for the gluten free flour.
bitten slice of vegan chocolate mousse cake

You are just going to absolutely love this easy vegan chocolate mousse cake! It’s such a dream, and so decadent! Just the perfect almost no bake dessert for the summer time!

Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!

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bitten slice of vegan chocolate mousse cake

Ridiculously Easy Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cake- No Nuts, No Tofu!

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 14 reviews
  • Author: Britt Berlin
  • Prep Time: 30
  • Chilling Time: 180
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 3 hours 50 minutes
  • Yield: 16 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

This unbelievably fluffy vegan chocolate mousse cake features the most tender and rich chocolate cake with layers of creamy, intense 2 ingredient chocolate mousse, and an easy 2 ingredient chocolate ganache! It’s rich, yet light, and irresistibly delicious – and you’ll never know it’s dairy free and vegan!

Ingredients

Scale

Vegan Chocolate Cake:

  • 2/3 cup (150 mL) dairy free milk, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups (188 g) all purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour, sifted
  • 1/2 cup (48 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (55 g) light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (57 g) unsalted vegan butter*, melted and cooled to room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (110 g) dairy free yogurt, room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (120 mL) HOT coffee (can be brewed or instant)

Vegan Chocolate Mousse:

  • 1 cup (240 g) vegan dairy free chocolate
  • 3 cups (720 mL) heavy vegan cream, divided and cold

Topping:

Instructions

  1. Please read through the instructions first before beginning, and measure out ingredients for the cake layer. 
  2. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare a 9″ springform pan with 4″ walls by lining the bottom with parchment paper and greasing the edges of the springform pan with olive or cooking oil. Set aside.
  3. Make the cake batter:  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the dairy free yogurt, vegan butter, brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla extract. Add in the flour mixture, and continue to whisk while you pour in the dairy free milk. Once nearly combined, pour in the HOT coffee, and whisk just until it’s incorporated in the cake batter.
  4. Bake the cake layer: Pour the batter into the springform pan and bake for 33-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the springform pan for 30 minutes. Then transfer the cake out of the pan, and use a large kitchen knife to level off the top of the cake. Carefully place the cake back into the springform pan and allow it to fully cool before you begin the mousse, about 1-2 hours.
  5. While the cake is cooling: Place a large bowl or stand mixer bowl into the freezer, along with the whisk attachment. In a microwave safe bowl or in a saucepan over medium-low heat, heat 1 cup (240 mL) of the heavy cream until hot, about 100F. Once hot, pour over the chocolate chips in a separate heat safe bowl. Allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes to melt the chocolate (make sure that the chips are fully submerged). Then whisk the mixture until the chocolate is completely melted into the heavy cream, like a ganache. Set aside to cool at room temperature. 
  6. Make the chocolate mousse: In the chilled bowl, add in the remaining vegan heavy cream. Begin to cream the heavy cream until you reach stiff peaks. Then pour in the chocolate mixture, and mix again on medium-high speed, scraping the bowl as needed.
  7. Assemble the chocolate mousse cake: Pour the mousse on to the chocolate cake layer, and use an offset spatula to smooth the top. Place the mousse cake into the fridge to chill for 3 hours, preferably overnight with a piece of plastic wrap over it to prevent drying out. 
  8. Make the chocolate ganache: An hour before ready to serve, prepare the chocolate ganache by heating the vegan heavy cream again until hot. Pour the hot heavy cream over the chocolate chips in a heat-safe bowl. Let the chocolate sit for 2-3 minutes to melt fully submerged in the cream. Then whisk until smooth. Set the ganache aside to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature.
  9. Pour the ganache over the mousse: Once the ganache reaches room temperature, pour or spoon the ganache over the top of the set chocolate mousse. Place the chocolate mousse cake back into the fridge to set for 20-30 minutes before serving.
  10. Serve! Once the mousse cake is entirely set, use a butter knife to carefully run the edges of the mousse cake walls and sides of the springform pan to easily release the cake. Carefully release the springform cake walls and plate the mousse cake. Decorate with berries and server immediately. When not slicing, keep the mousse cake in the fridge or freezer. 
  11. Storage: store any leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Equipment

Notes

Gluten Free: If your’e not gluten free, feel free to use all purpose flour. Otherwise, I recommend using King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour.