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Chocolate Moussecake

posted by Liz Berg on November 24, 2013 (updated 10/30/23)

Holidays at our house mean chocolate for dessert. This Chocolate Moussecake definitely fit the bill with a chocolate cookie crust filled with a dreamy chocolate mousse.

This Layered Chocolate Mousse Cake has a simple chocolate cookie crust and then is topped with a rich mousse made with heavy cream, eggs, and semi-sweet chocolate.

Chocolate Mousse Cake on a white ceramic cake stand.

Table of Contents hide

5 How to Make Chocolate Leaves to Garnish

6 Frequently Asked Questions

7 You May Also Like

8 Chocolate Moussecake

Why You Must Make

If you have chocoholics in the family like I do, this easy chocolate mousse cake recipe will put smiles on their faces.
It’s composed of a cookie crumb crust topped with chocolate mousse.
If you want to go all out, you can garnish with chocolate leaves like I did back in 2013 when this recipe debuted.

So much to be grateful for this year…meeting blogger friends at 3 different conferences, hanging out with my three sisters on a variety of occasions, having my parents living together after years apart and my dad out of the hospital, 3 kind and thoughtful children and one adoring husband, and many, many dear friends. And of course, cookie dough.

Today, though, I’m sharing one of our Thanksgiving desserts which, unfortunately, doesn’t provide any nibbles of my unrequited dough love…but this chocolate moussecake filling may be duking it out for the top spot in my heart. We always have pumpkin pie, and although I’d love to throw a pecan or apple into the mix, the second dessert must be chocolate. Generally, that comes in the form of French silk pie, but this year I decided to mousse it up. A chocolate crumb crust topped with mousse, then glammed up with dark chocolate leaves for the holiday. Well, my grandiose idea for chocolate leaves didn’t pan out exactly as I planned.

Recipe Tips

PRO-Tip: Make sure the chocolate has some time to cool slightly before adding the eggs. If it’s too hot, you’ll find bits of scrambled eggs in your mousse.
PRO-Tip: As mentioned in the recipe, it’s best to sift the powdered sugar before using it to remove any lumps. This helps ensure your mousse is smooth and silky.
I used my last box of Nabisco Famous wafers to update the recipe photos. Unfortunately, this product has been discontinued. You can use either a box of chocolate cookie crumbs that you can find in the baking aisle of larger grocery stores or make your own crumbs by processing Oreos with the filling removed.
At the last second, I added a couple of teaspoons of vanilla extract into the mousse. It’s optional, but vanilla always enhances chocolate desserts.
Make sure you chill this mousse cake for at least 6 hours before serving so it has time to set.
PRO-Tip: Use a hot dry knife to make clean slices. Wipe it off and reheat it after each slice. I run it under very hot water from the faucet or my teapot.

Chocolate Mousse Cake Ingredients on a sheet pan with labels.

Ingredient Notes

Butter – Salted butter is fine as the touch of salt is a flavor enhancer.
Powdered Sugar – Sift before using to remove small lumps.
Nabisco Famous Wafers or Oreos – Nabisco Famous Wafers are now out of production, but you can use 35 Oreos with the cream removed as a substitution.
Semi-sweet Chocolate – I use the Ghirardelli brand, chop, melt then cool.
Eggs – Use large eggs. You will need both whole eggs and separated eggs. Note that they separate best when cold (less breakage of the yolk), but will incorporate and whip better at room temperature.
Heavy Cream – 35% butterfat
Vanilla Extract – Make sure to use pure vanilla extract, not imitation. I prefer the Nielsen-Massey brand.

How to Make

Mix cookie crumbs with butter and press into prepared pan.

How to Make Chocolate Leaves to Garnish

I found some lemon leaves at my very favorite floral shop, The Empty Vase, and proceeded to paint them with a couple of layers of semi-sweet chocolate. I popped them in the freezer for a few minutes and then attempted to carefully peel the chocolate off the foliage. Bill was happy with all the shards of broken leaves and created his own personal sampling stash. But, unfortunately, I was left with very few whole leaves.

I soldiered on and arranged a few on top of the chocolate mousse cake along with some raspberries for a pop of color. I WILL try this again and get back to you all when I master this technique. What was the consensus? It was truly phenomenal. One of the best desserts in months. I added a little more butter to the crust recipe as mine was super crumbly…but imperfect leaves and the finicky crust didn’t take away from my review. You need to make this cake…and soon!

A slice of mousse cake on a white dessert plate in front of a cake stand.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mousse Made with Raw Eggs Safe to Eat?

There is always a small chance that your raw eggs are contaminated with salmonella bacteria and could cause food poisoning. For this reason, it is recommended that dishes made with raw eggs should not be served to the very young, elderly, or those who are immunocompromised.

How Do You Ensure that the Egg Whites Whip Well?

Separate your eggs ahead of time and let the whites come to room temperature before whipping. They will have more volume if not whipped when cold.

What is the Difference Between Mousse and Mousse Cake?

Mousse is a rich, airy dish that can be sweet or savory. It is fluffy due to the addition of whipped egg whites or whipped cream. A mousse cake is a layered dessert that has a crust or cake layers in addition to the mousse.

How Do You Garnish a Mousse Cake?

A simple garnish is to pipe sweetened whipped cream stars around the top of the cake. Add a berry to every or every other whipped cream star. You can also paint food-safe lemon leaves with chocolate, cool, then peel off to use as a garnish. Or simply serve slices with a dollop of whipped cream and berries or chocolate shavings.

Photo from 2015 with chocolate garnish made by painting melted chocolate on pesticide-free lemon leaves, letting them cool, and peeling the leaf off of the chocolate.