This chocolate raspberry mousse cake has an easy to make mousse! It is a moist chocolate cake, raspberry mousse made with vanilla pudding, freeze dried raspberries and whipped cream! It is topped with chocolate whipped cream.
This cake is a great way to have a decadent raspberry chocolate dessert with an easy recipe. The chocolate cake layer is moist and delicious and the raspberry mousse balances the chocolate flavor. The soft textures of the raspberry mousse and chocolate whipped cream make this melt-in-your-mouth dessert so satisfying to eat. It is a lighter and fluffier version of chocolate raspberry cake.
Here is why raspberry mousse cake is so good
This raspberry mousse chocolate cake is a dream dessert for chocolate and raspberry lovers.
- Balanced flavors: The chocolate and raspberry flavors are balanced so they both come through strong.
- Soft texture: This soft and moist cake is topped with mousse and whipped cream so it just melts in your mouth when you take a bite.
- Easy recipe: This cake doesn't have any complicated steps. You don't need to be an experienced baker to make this treat!
Making this cake is easy, the hard part is stopping once you start eating it!
Tips for making mousse cake
Here are my tips, so yours turns out like this recipe!
- Tip 1: Use a high quality springform pan. The cheaper pans have larger gaps and the chocolate cake batter is very liquid so it could leak through.
- Tip 2: Use room temperature dairy ingredients for the cake. If they are too cold the batter will not mix together as well and the cake will not be as moist.
- Tip 3: For the mousse, make the whipped cream first before mixing the vanilla pudding in. Once you start mixing the pudding it will get thicker so you want your whipped cream ready to go.
- Tip 4: When you are folding the whipped cream into the mousse, the pudding is thicker because of the ground freeze dried raspberries. You want to be patient and gentle when mixing it in as it will take a couple of minutes to thoroughly mix everything together. Be gentle to avoid knocking the air out of the whipped cream, otherwise it will not set.
How to assemble and decorate
First, make sure to clean the springform pan after baking the cake. You do not want cake bits in the mousse. Then, spray the springform pan well with a baking spray. Next, take a sheet of parchment paper (9X16) and cut it in half lengthwise.
Take the two long strips of parchment paper and run them around the edge of the springform pan to form a collar. If the paper is too tall, you can trim some of the top, but leave enough sticking out of the top for the mousse. Make sure you spray it again very well to prevent the mousse sticking to the paper. Alternatively, you can use acetate paper.
Use a serrated knife to cut the dome off of the cake so you get even layers and place the cake in the pan. Add the mousse on top of the cake. Use an offset icing spatula to spread it very evenly to get nice beautiful layers.
When you are ready to decorate, take the pan off the cake and lightly pull off the parchment paper. I like to use the icing spatula around the edges to make them nice and smooth afterwards. You can serve on the bottom of the springform pan or use a large spatula to transfer it to a serving dish.
Spread the chocolate whipped cream on top of the mousse. I like to use a spoon to get pretty swirls on top. I decorated with fresh raspberries and chocolate pearls.
Raspberry Mousse Cake FAQ's
Can the cake layer be made ahead of time?
Yes you can make the cake ahead of time! Once the cake layer is done cooling, wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Then, freeze up to 30 days. Pull it out 1 hour before decorating.
Why did my whipped pudding not set?
You either overmixed the whipped cream into the pudding mixture or it did not have long enough time to chill in the fridge.
Can I make this in a different pan?
You can make a much thicker cake using a 8-inch spring form pan.
How can I store the mousse cake?
Store the chocolate raspberry mousse cake in an airtight container like a cake carrier. Store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can freeze the cake in individual slices wrapped in plastic wrap. Freeze them for up to 30 days and thaw for 1-2 hours.
For more raspberry recipes, check out my
- Lemon Raspberry Rolls
- Raspberry White Chocolate Cookies
- Raspberry Filled Cupcakes
- White Chocolate Raspberry Cake
- Vanilla Raspberry Cake
Make sure to leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @stephaniesweettreats. To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 cup All-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon Cornstarch
- ½ cup Unsweetened cocoa powder I used dutch process
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup Oil canola or vegetable oil
- ½ cup White granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup Brown sugar packed light or dark
- 2 Large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon White vinegar
- ½ cup Buttermilk room temperature
- ⅓ cup Sour cream room temperature or greek yogurt
- ½ cup Hot water steaming
Raspberry Mousse
- 3.4 oz Vanilla pudding box
- 1 cup Milk cold
- ⅓ cup Grounded freeze dried raspberries 1 oz bag
- 2 cups Heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Whipped Cream
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- ¼ cup Powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ Spray a 9-inch springform pan with baking spray. Line the bottom with a parchment paper circle. Spray again.
- In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.1 cup All-purpose flour, 2 tablespoon Cornstarch, ½ cup Unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon Baking powder, ½ teaspoon Baking soda, ½ teaspoon Salt
- In a separate large bowl, Mix the oil, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, vinegar, buttermilk, and sour cream.½ cup Oil, ½ cup White granulated sugar, ⅓ cup Brown sugar, 2 Large eggs, 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon White vinegar, ½ cup Buttermilk, ⅓ cup Sour cream
- Add in the hot water slowly and whisk it in. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until it is a smooth batter.½ cup Hot water
- Pour the cake batter into the springform pan. Bake for 30-37 minutes. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let the cake sit in the hot pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cool cake completely before adding the mousse.
Raspberry Mousse
- Clean the springform pan. Spray again. Line another parchment paper circle on the bottom. Take a sheet of parchment paper (a 9X16 sheet). Cut it in half. Place both on the inside of the pan to form a collar. I also cut a little off the top, because it sticked out too much. Spray again. See pictures in post to see what it looked like.
- In a metal bowl with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream and vanilla on high speed until stiff peaks form.2 cups Heavy cream, 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl using a mixer, beat the vanilla pudding mix and milk on high speed for 1 minute. Add the grounded freeze dried raspberries. Mix on high until combined. It will very thick.3.4 oz Vanilla pudding box, 1 cup Milk, ⅓ cup Grounded freeze dried raspberries
- Take off the mixer, and add in the whipped cream. Use a baking rubber spatula to fold it in. This will take a few minutes because of the thick raspberry mixture, just be patient and gentle and it will mix all together.
- Use a serrated knife to cut the dome off the top of the cake. Place the cake in the springform pan. Add the mousse and use an offset icing spatula to spread it evenly.
- Cover and chill for at least 6 hours or overnight. I placed mine in a cake carrier.
Chocolate Whipped Cream
- In a metal bowl with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla on high speed until medium peaks form.1 cup Heavy cream, ¼ cup Powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, 2 tablespoon Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Take off the springform pan. Remove all of the parchment paper. Spread the chocolate whipped cream over the top of the mousse. I topped with fresh raspberries and chocolate pearls.
Michele B says
The only thing that's holding me back from pursuing to make this lovely dessert is freeze dried raspberries .unfortunately they're not stocked any store in my area Am I able to substitute with fresh or frozen raspberries & if so how would I make any changes ?