Silky Mousse Cakes with Chocolate Swirls

When my husband turned 40 in November, we had already thrown him a big garden party back in August. But I still wanted to celebrate his actual birthday — just in a quieter, cozy way with our closest family. And of course, there had to be cake! So I made these beautiful chocolate and caramel mousse cakes, with soft layers, deep flavor, and a touch of elegant chocolate decoration on top.

The mousse cakes are built on a moist chocolate sponge base, then layered with a rich milk chocolate mousse and a silky caramel mousse made with Gold chocolate. The top is finished with piped chocolate swirl and chocolate pearls. The flavors and textures balance each other perfectly and I feel like these are really showstopping desserts!

These are the kind of cakes that are perfect for a birthday celebration, but they would really be stunning for any kind of celebration, whether it’s a garden party, a formal gathering or an elegant dinner party.

3 Reasons to Love These Mousse Cakes

1. They look impressive but are surprisingly doable — and you can make them ahead!
2. The mousses are light and fluffy, yet full of flavor. The textures will melt in your mouth.
3. Each slice is beautiful and clean, making for a really impressive cake!

Choosing the Right Chocolate

With a mousse cake like this, the quality of your ingredients really makes a difference — especially the choice of chocolate.

Because so much of the flavor comes from the chocolate, I highly recommend using high-quality couverture chocolate. Steer clear of chocolate melts and compound chocolate. These are cheaper chocolate alternatives that are too sweet and lacking in depth for a cake like this.

I always prefer to use chocolate from my favorite brand, Callebaut (ad). For this recipe, I used Callebaut 823 milk chocolate and Callebaut Gold for the caramel mousse. These two flavors complement each other beautifully.

How to Make the Mousse Cakes

1. Bake the Chocolate Sponge
Bake the sponge cake in a 24 cm (9-inch) springform pan. Once fully cooled, slice it in half horizontally to make two even cake layers. Place each layer on serving plates and secure cake rings (or the springform rings) around each — ideally lined with acetate for clean edges.

2. Make the Milk Chocolate Mousse
Prepare the milk chocolate mousse and divide it evenly between the two cakes. on top of the chocolate cake. Let it chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before adding the next layer.

3. Make the Caramel Mousse
Once the chocolate mousse has set, make the caramel mousse using Gold chocolate. Divide it evenly between the two cakes on top of the milk chocolate mousse. Chill again for at least 6 hours or overnight.

4. Decorate with Chocolate Swirl and Pearls
Gently remove the cake rings and acetate. Melt and temper the dark chocolate, then fill into a small piping bag. If you’re new to tempering, check out my beginner’s guide to tempering chocolate. Pipe a swirl design on top of the caramel mousse and finish with chocolate pearls. Keep the cakes chilled until serving.

Tips for a Flawless Finish

• Use acetate inside of the cake ring to get clean, sharp edges
• Gently tap the cake on the counter after pouring the mousses to even the surface
• Weigh the mousses so both cakes have equal layers and height
• Use a piping tip with a small round opening to better control the swirls
• Make sure your chocolate is tempered before piping — otherwise it will be a mess!

Make-Ahead Tips

These mousse cakes are perfect for prepping in advance:

• You can bake the sponge layers ahead and freeze them for up to 3 months
• Prepare and assemble the mousse layers the day before serving, and keep covered in the fridge
• You can even decorate with piped chocolate the day before, if you’d like, or on the day of serving

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I halve the recipe and make just one cake?
Absolutely! Just note that I don’t recommend halving the sponge recipe — it’s difficult to bake a single thin, flat layer nicely. Instead, bake two and freeze the extra one for another occasion.

How do I make sure both cakes are identical?
Split the sponge into two even layers and weigh the mousse so you get equal portions of each. This will give both cakes the same height and structure.

What kind of pan should I use?
This recipe is designed for a 24 cm (9 inch) springform pan. You can also use an adjustable cake ring with a parchment bottom.

Can I use chocolate other than Callebaut?
Yes, but I do recommend high-quality chocolate. It truly makes a difference in flavor, especially in a recipe like this where chocolate is the star.

Recipe

Chocolate and Caramel Mousse Cakes

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Elegant mousse cakes with beautiful layers and incredible flavor. These airy, light mousses sit on a soft chocolate sponge and are topped with piped chocolate and crunchy chocolate pearls.

Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Chill time 6 hours hrs

Time: 8 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Difficulty: Advanced

Yield: 20 people*

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Ingredients

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Chocolate sponge (2 layers):

• 50 g all-purpose flour
• 75 g sugar
• 25 g cocoa powder
• ½ tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp salt
• 50 ml milk
• 30 ml neutral oil (like canola)
• ½ egg
• 50 ml hot water

Milk chocolate mousse:

• 4 sheets gelatin
• 200 g milk chocolate
• 60 g milk chocolate
• 300 ml heavy cream (to melt)
• 300 ml heavy cream (to whip)

Caramel mousse:

• 2 sheets gelatin
• 200 g Gold chocolate
• 200 ml heavy cream (to melt)
• 200 ml heavy cream (to whip)

To decorate:

• 200 g dark chocolate
• Dark chocolate pearls

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Instructions

Chocolate sponge:

• Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, vanilla, and salt in a mixing bowl.
  50 g all-purpose flour, 75 g sugar, 25 g cocoa powder, ½ tbsp baking powder, ½ tsp vanilla, ¼ tsp salt
• In a separate bowl, mix milk, oil, and egg. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir gently. Add hot water and stir until smooth.
  50 ml milk, 30 ml neutral oil, ½ egg, 50 ml hot water
• Pour the batter into a 24 cm (9 inch) springform pan lined with parchment paper. Do not grease the sides. For flat layers, wrap the outside of the pan with wet cake strips. Bake at 180 °C (356 °F) for 30–40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan.
• Once cool, run a knife around the edge, remove from the pan, and slice the sponge into two even layers. Wrap each layer in plastic wrap until ready to assemble.
• Place one sponge layer on each of two serving plates. Wrap a cake ring or springform ring around each, lined with acetate for a clean finish.

Milk chocolate mousse:

• Soak the gelatin in cold water for 10 minutes. Chop the chocolate finely. Melt the the bigger portion of chocolate in the microwave, then stir in the remaining smaller portion until melted and smooth.
  4 sheets gelatin, 200 g milk chocolate, 60 g milk chocolate
• Heat one portion of cream until just below boiling. Remove from heat, squeeze the water from the gelatin, and stir it into the hot cream. Pour this over the melted chocolate and stir until smooth.
  300 ml heavy cream
• Whip the remaining portion of cream to soft peaks and gently fold in the chocolate mixture until you have a light mousse. Divide the mousse evenly between the two cakes. Chill for at least 1 hour.
  300 ml heavy cream

Caramel mousse:

• Soak the gelatin in cold water for 10 minutes. Chop the Gold chocolate finely. Heat one portion of cream until just below boiling, then stir in the softened gelatin. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for 1 minute before stirring until smooth. Let it cool to room temperature.
  2 sheets gelatin, 200 g Gold chocolate, 200 ml heavy cream
• Whip the remaining portion of cream to soft peaks and gently fold in the chocolate mixture until you have a caramel mousse. Divide the mousse evenly between the two cakes. Chill for at least 6 hours — preferably overnight.
  200 ml heavy cream

To decorate:

• Remove the cake rings and acetate. Melt and temper the dark chocolate (see my beginner's guide if you haven't tried it before). Fill a piping bag with a small round tip and pipe decorative swirls on top of the cakes. Decorate with chocolate pearls and keep chilled until serving.
  200 g dark chocolate

Notes

*This recipe makes 2 mousse cakes, serving 10–12 people each.

To make just one cake:
You can halve the mousse portions, but bake the full sponge and slice it in half. Freeze the second layer to save for another time.

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