This Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake is a beautiful, light, dreamy cake everyone will love. The combination of the soft layer of chocolate sponge and airy, fresh raspberry mousse is incredible. This absolutely gorgeous cake can be made ahead of time - perfect for entertaining.
Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and I love to bake a little something special for my loved ones. My Raspberry White Chocolate Hand Pies, Raspberry Chocolate Crumble Bars and Easy Chocolate No-Bake Cheesecake are popular treats for my family.
This cake is an absolute showstopper. It requires quite a few steps to create the sponge layer and raspberry mousse layer, but I absolutely assure you it is 100% worth it. Throughout the post, I share plenty of process shots to guide you through each of these two components and share plenty of tips and tricks along the way.
The chocolate sponge is super light and airy; it's the same one I use in my Chocolate Swiss Roll Cake. This type of sponge is perfect. Why? The cake has to be refrigerated, and sometimes, the sponge can go dense and dry in the fridge. Not this one, though!
The mousse is like inhaling a raspberry-filled cloud and the fruity flavour shines through. Go all out and decorate with fresh raspberries and some chocolate shavings, there is no holding back with this cake! A great way to serve this is with either a raspberry coulis or a chocolate sauce drizzled over the top - elevates an already incredible cake.
Jump to:
🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It is super light and creamy. This dessert is not heavy at all which makes it an absolute dream to eat. Both the sponge and mousse are refreshingly light and airy.
- Fruity and flavourful. The raspberry flavour shines through in this cake, and the chocolate is the supporting act but balances it out perfectly.
- Dressed to impress. There are no two ways about it, this is a stunning cake and will totally wow the socks of your Valentine! But this makes a perfect birthday cake or celebration cake for any time of year too!
🧾 Ingredients Needed
For the two main components of the cake, the chocolate sponge and the raspberry mousse, the list of ingredients is not extensive.
The chocolate sponge uses a genoise sponge, meaning that it has no fat in it and the method of making it leaves it super light in texture, which keeps it light after being refrigerated. The mousse comprises only five ingredients- that's it, and the cream and raspberries make up most of it!
Chocolate Sponge
- Eggs - Use large, room-temperature eggs. (Pop them in a bowl of warm temperature for ten minutes if you forget to take them out of the fridge).
- Sugar - Both light brown and granulated sugar are added to this cake batter. The light brown sugar adds moisture and flavour.
- Chocolate - I'm using 75% dark chocolate for a rich flavour and the right amount of bitterness to compliment the sweetness in the sponge.
- Vanilla extract - For an added boost of sweetness and flavour.
- Dry ingredients -Plain flour to provide structure, cocoa powder and espresso powder to enhance the chocolate flavour, baking powder for a little lift in the sponge structure to make it even lighter, and salt to balance the sweetness.
Raspberry Mousse
- Raspberries. Using the best quality raspberries to hero in this recipe is essential. That being said, raspberries aren't always in season so you can substitute fresh for frozen raspberries. Make sure to place them in a drainer to thaw. This will release any excess moisture so it doesn't end up in the mousse.
- Gelatine Powder. Due to a liquid puree being added to the whipped cream, a setting agent, like gelatine, needs to be added to maintain a set structure to the mousse.
- Lemon juice. The lemons' acidity cuts through the raspberries' sweetness and helps bring out their flavour. It also provides the liquid element needed for the gelatine to soften.
- Sugar. This recipe has a lot of double cream, so a bit of sugar is needed to provide sweetness to the mousse, especially if the raspberries are on the tart side.
- Double cream (Heavy cream) - It’s important to use double (heavy) cream for this no-bake- Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake as it contains 48% fat. The high fat content allows the cream to whip and stabilize to help the mousse set.
To Decorate
- Fresh Raspberries. A big, beautiful pile of fresh raspberries on the top. You really can't beat the juicy sweetness of fresh, quality raspberries. The more the merrier I say.
- Chocolate Shavings. A scattering of dark chocolate shavings to carry on the chocolate flavour from the sponge.
📖 Variations
- Chocolate Sponge: To be honest, there isn't anything that I would do to substitute the sponge ingredients. If you do, then it will change the texture of the sponge and taste.
- Raspberry mousse: I don't recommend subbing the cream for anything. I would entertain whipped coconut cream, but this would drastically change the taste of the mousse. I like the taste of coconut and raspberries together, but I know it isn't everyone's cup of tea. If you try it, then let me know how you go!
- Decoration: I always prefer a slightly looser, more free-form approach to decorating my cakes. If you prefer a more structured approach, you can pipe swirls of whipped cream around the top edge of the mousse. Or you could place raspberries neatly all over the top. You can have some fun with the decoration part!
- To serve: A drizzle of chocolate sauce or a spoon of raspberry coulis over each slice is a beautiful addition if you fancy it.
👩🏻🍳 How to Make this Raspberry Mousse Cake
Okay, so when scrolling through this section, it may look like there are a lot of images and words. This is a little more complicated than your average cake with the two different layers- one baked and one set.
But you'll soon see that each one is simple in its own right. I help you along with lots of visuals and tips.
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*
Chocolate Sponge
STEP 1. Prepare your pan. Grease with butter the base and sides of your springform pan and line with parchment paper. The paper should overhang the top of the springform tin slightly as the level of the mousse comes up to the top of the pan (Image 1). If you prefer not to line the sides of the pan with paper then read on and I'll give you a tip as to how to release the cake successfully.
STEP 2. Whip the eggs & sugar. Add the egg, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and vanilla extract into a bowl and, using an electric hand-held whisk (or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment), whip for 4 minutes until they are pale and thick (Image 2).
TIP: When you lift the whisk up you should be able to see the trail of mixture for a couple of seconds (Image 3).
STEP 3. Add the dry ingredients and fold through. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt directly onto the egg yolk mixture into the bowl and mix at low speed until just a few flour streaks remain (Images 4 & 5).
STEP 4. Add in the melted chocolate. Before the flour is fully incorporated, pour in the melted chocolate and fold until combined and smooth (Images 6 & 7).
TIP: Scrape the bottom of the bowl a couple of times. The chocolate can sink to the bottom of the bowl before it is incorporated fully.
STEP 5. Pour batter into the baking pan and bake. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. Tap the pan firmly on the work surface a couple of times to release any air bubbles. Use an offset spatula if needed to smooth out the surface (Image 8).
Bake for 15-20 minutes until the centre springs back.
Remove the pan from the oven place it on a wire rack and leave it to cool to room temperature (Image 9). Don't undo the springform pan sides. It is fine to cool in the pan. Then, cover and refrigerate until ready to use for the next part of the recipe.
- Note: The top of the sponge does look wrinkly. This is normal. It'll be covered by the mousse so we don't need to worry.
- Note: When the sponge is cooled to room temp, use the bottom of a glass or base of a measuring cup to push down the top of the sponge to make it flat. (It's not necessary for taste- it just helps create that even, neat layer when you slice into the cake.
Raspberry Mousse
STEP 6. Bloom gelatine. Add the lemon juice into a small bowl, and sprinkle the powdered gelatine over the top, and give it a mix with a fork. Let sit for a couple of minutes whilst the gelatin softens (Image 10). This essentially activates the gelatine so that it can then be gently heated and mixed into the mixture that it will set.
STEP 7. Blend raspberries. Add the raspberries into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth (Image 11).
STEP 8. Pass the blended raspberries through a fine-mesh sieve set over a saucepan, pushing the puree through with the back of a spoon (Image 12). Note: In my image, I have placed the sieve over a glass bowl instead of a saucepan. I did this purely for the photos so that you could see how to sieve the puree. But save the washing up, and place it directly over the saucepan!
Make sure to scrape the puree off the underside of the sieve. Discard the raspberry seeds. You should have 300ml (1 ¼ cups) worth of raspberry pulp, depending on how juicy your raspberries are (Image 13). How unique is that colour!
STEP 9 . Heat and thicken raspberry puree. Place the saucepan with the raspberry puree onto a stovetop on medium-low heat and add the white sugar (Image 14). You want to stir it constantly and bring it to a gentle simmer until the sugar has dissolved. It doesn't take long.
Add in the gelatin mixture which will now look like a jellied lump (Image 15). Heat it gently and stir constantly until the gelatin dissolves. Whatever you do, don't let it boil, as this can inhibit the ability to set later on. You may need to squish the gelatin on the side of the saucepan to help it along.
Remove the pan from the heat and pass the raspberry puree one last time through a sieve set over a bowl to remove any remaining lumps of gelatin. (If you are confident that the gelatin has fully dissolved, then this step is optional.) Set the raspberry puree to one side to cool to room temperature. It takes about 20 minutes for this to happen (Image 16).
STEP 10. Whip cream and mix in raspberry puree. Whilst waiting for the puree to cool, whip the cream. In a separate bowl, using an electric hand-held mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or an electric stand mixer... or by hand for your daily arm workout!), whip the cream until soft peaks form (Image 17). (Refrigerate the cream if you are waiting for the puree to cool).
Mix in the puree by folding the puree into the cream in three parts (Image 18). Fold by scraping the bowl around the sides, scooping from under the cream, and lifting the spatula from under. Fold the two together until combined. The colour of the raspberry mousse is divine!
STEP 11. Set in prepared pan. Pour the raspberry mousse into the prepared springform pan and use an offset spatula to level off and smooth (Images 19 & 20). Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours minimum. I prefer and recommend leaving it overnight in the refrigerator. For this reason, it makes this a great make-ahead dessert!
🥣 How To Serve
STEP 12. Remove the cake from the pan and decorate. When ready to serve, remove the raspberry mousse cake from the fridge and carefully take off the springform pan side. Peel off the baking paper collar (Image 21).
NOTE: The baking paper wrinkled overnight. It wasn't my usual brand that I use and I think the lower quality paper was affected by the moisture in the cream and wrinkled up. Not to worry though. I just gently heated my offset spatula under hot water, wiped it dry, and ran it around the edges of the mousse. This smoothed it off in a jiffy (Image 22).
If you didn't line the sides of the springform pan at the start, then before releasing the clasp, run a butter knife around the inside of the pan. Then, release and neaten up the edges as I did in my note above if you have to.
Slide the baking paper with the cake on it off the springform pan base and onto a serving plate. It's time to decorate with fresh raspberries and chocolate shavings (Image 23) and then slice and serve.
TIP: Food stylist tip for neat, clean edges to your slices.
Run a long, sharp-bladed knife under warm water and wipe dry. Then slice down through the mousse and into the sponge until it hits the serving plate, then pull the knife out whilst it touches the base. Warm and dry the knife blade for each slice. You'll be left with picture-perfect slices where the layers are neat enough to be photographed!
And there you have it. My Raspberry Chocolate Mousse Cake tastes unbelievably delicious with all those sweet raspberries. It has just the right amount of decadence but is balanced with the fresh mousse. I divided this into 16 serving slices, but who am I kidding? It's very easy to enjoy two slices in one sitting!
💭 Recipe Pro Tips
- Use the best quality ingredients that you can. This mousse cake hero's raspberries and they can't hide amidst others in the recipe. Get the juiciest, best-looking ones that you can.
- Whip the eggs and sugar for long enough. You want to see that ribboning on the surface of the mixture when you pull out the whisk. You'll know it's done when you see this.
- Scrape the base and sides of the bowl. Melted chocolate can sink to the bottom and stick, so scraping down the bowl halfway through mixing ensures it gets fully incorporated.
- Fold the raspberry puree into the cream with a light touch. You want the cream to hold its shape, even mixed with the raspberry puree. The only way for this to happen is for the cream to keep the air trapped in it from whipping.
- Don't scrimp on the refrigeration time. My 3 hours recommended time is the absolute minimum time for the mousse cake to set in the fridge. I highly recommend leaving it overnight.
📋 Recipe FAQs
Both derive from France originally. The main difference is that souffle is leavened primarily from egg whites and baked in the oven for them to rise. Mousse, on the other hand, is unbaked, and the airiness comes from either whipped egg whites, whipped cream, or whole whipped eggs.
As this mousse has gelatine in the recipe to set the mousse, the root cause will be down to the ratio of liquid, the puree, to the setting agent, the gelatine. I urge you to weigh all your ingredients using digital scales so that you can get the most accurate amount required. If you measure out too many raspberries then this will create more liquid than recommended. Also, did you chill the mousse for the full 3 hours ... minimum? I recommend an overnight chill.
Absolutely. It's a perfect make-ahead dessert as the setting time needed to set the mousse benefits from extra time in the fridge. Make this the day before entertaining. When you are ready to serve, it'll take five minutes to plate up from the fridge.
❄️ Storage and Freezer Instructions
To store: Raspberry Chocolate Mousse Cake can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It needs to be kept cold for the mousse to maintain its smooth texture. The cake can be kept in the springform pan and covered in the fridge until ready to serve. The raspberry fruit puree can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
To freeze: Yes! You can freeze this Raspberry Chocolate Mousse Cake! Tightly wrapped in plastic wrap followed by double layers of aluminium foil. Freeze for up to two months. When ready to enjoy, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight; do NOT attempt to heat it in any way.
🍫 More Chocolate Recipes
If you tried this Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Medium bowls
Ingredients
Chocolate sponge
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 55 g light brown sugar
- 65 g granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 65 g plain flour (all-purpose)
- 15 g cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 75 g Dark Chocolate 75%, melted
Raspberry Mousse
- 2¼ teaspoon powdered gelatine
- 45 ml fresh lemon juice
- 400 g fresh raspberries, Frozen raspberries can be substituted; see note.
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 480 ml double cream (heavy cream), cold
Decoration
- 125 g fresh raspberries
- 50 g Dark Chocolate shavings, shavings
Instructions
Chocolate Sponge
- Prepare a pan and preheat the oven. Grease and line the base and sides of a 23cm (9-inch) springform pan. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Whip the eggs & sugar. Add the eggs, sugar, light brown sugar and vanilla extract into a medium-sized bowl. Using a hand-held electric whisk, whip on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and creamy, about 4 minutes. When lifting out the whisk, you want to see trails of the mixture for a few seconds.
- Add the dry ingredients and fold through. Sift into the egg bowl the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and espresso powder and add the salt. Mix at low speed until just a few flour streaks remain.
- Add the melted chocolate. Add the melted chocolate into the batter and fold through with a rubber spatula. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl as you fold until the ingredients are combined and smooth.
- Pour batter into baking pan and bake. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. Tap the pan firmly on the work surface a couple of times to release any air bubbles. Use an offset spatula if needed to smooth out the surface. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the centre springs back.Remove from the oven and place pan on a wire rack and leave to cool to room temperature. The top of the sponge will look wrinkly. Use a flat based glass or the base of a measuring cup and press the top of the cake down to form a flat surface. Then cover and refrigerate until ready to use for the next part of the recipe.
Raspberry mousse
- Bloom gelatine. Add the lemon juice into a small bowl and sprinkle the powdered gelatine over the top and give it a mix with a fork. Let sit for a couple of minutes whilst the gelatin softens.
- Blend raspberries. Add the fresh raspberries into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.Pass the blended raspberries through a fine-mesh sieve set over a saucepan, pushing the puree through with the back of a spoon. Make sure to scrape the puree off the underside of the sieve. Discard the raspberry seeds. You should have about 300 ml (1¼ cups of raspberry pulp).
- Heat and thicken raspberry puree. Place the saucepan with the raspberry puree onto a stovetop on medium-low heat, add the granulated sugar and bring the puree to a simmer, stirring often. Add in the gelatin mixture and heat gently (don't let it boil), stirring constantly until the gelatin dissolves. You may need to squish the gelatin on the side of the saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and pass the raspberry puree one last time through a sieve set over a bowl to remove any remaining gelatin lumps. (This step is optional if you are confident that the gelatin has fully dissolved.) Set the raspberry puree to one side to cool to room temperature; this can take about 20 minutes.
- Whip Cream and mix in raspberry puree. In a separate bowl, using an electric hand-held mixer fitted with the whisk (or an electric stand mixer), whip the cream on medium to high speed until soft peaks form, and then slowly fold through the cooled puree in 3 parts until fully combined.
- Set in prepared pan. Pour the raspberry mousse into the prepared springform pan over the top of the chocolate sponge. Use an offset spatula to level off and smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours minimum, preferably overnight.
To serve
- Remove the cake from the pan and decorate. When ready to serve, remove the raspberry mousse cake from the fridge and carefully remove the springform pan sides. Peel off the baking paper collar and smooth the edges of the raspberry mousse with a warmed offset spatula if necessary. Slide the baking paper with the cake onto a serving plate and decorate with fresh raspberries and chocolate shavings.Slice raspberry mousse cake with a warm, dry, sharp knife into slices and serve immediately.
All recipes are developed and tested in Metric grams. I strongly recommend that you bake using digital scales for a more accurate result. I have provided a conversion to US customary in the recipe but please note that I haven’t tested using this method.
Andrea
What a stunning Raspberry Mousse Cake. Mo word - I will definitely be baking this for Valentine's Day. It's absolutely gorgeous. I'm excited!
Emma
Hi Andrea, Thank you so much, and I do hope that you get the chance to make this, let me know how you go if you do!
Sandy
Just made this yesterday and the raspberry mousse is sooooo delicious with the right amount of sweetness and acidity and the color is divine indeed. Already recommended the recipe to my friends, :).
I like this recipe very much because the flavor of raspberry and chocolate works so well together and mixing puree and whipped cream is sooo therapeutic and relaxing to watch and I just hope I can do that all day long.
Thanks for this great recipe!!!
Chrissy
Hello Emma! This looks wonderful! Could I use this mousse in a layered style cake? I don't know what the consistency is like before and after "setting".
Thanks for your input,
Chrissy
Emma
Hi Chrissy, The mousse is set with gelatine so that it holds its shape when cut (as you can see in the images). When freshly made, it is light and airy but its pours into the pan. In reference to using it to make a layer cake. I've never used it in this way, but if I were to try I would not make the layers of cake to big - in terms of mousse and cake. Then I would set it overnight in the fridge to maximise the ability of the mousse to set. Would love to know how you go. Emma
Kate
I’m excited to try this one! It’s beautiful and looks absolutely delicious. I’m going to turn it into a layer cake for my son’s birthday (he came up with the idea for a chocolate cake with raspberry mousse layers all by himself haha). Thank you for creating and sharing this!
Emma
Hi Kate- oh that's so exciting! How fun. Thanks so much in advance for making it. x
Inta
Tip #2 says to whip the yolks with sugar.... Do we use the whole egg or separate out the yolks? Thank you.
Emma
Hi Inta- As per my response to Kate, a previous version of the recipe separated the whites from the yolks, but I simplified the steps and as written in the post and recipe card, you add the eggs and sugar together (no separation needed). Thanks, Emma
Steph
Hi Emma!
This cake looks incredible, and I was wondering what your advice would be if I wanted to use cherries instead of raspberries? What kind would I use, and would the process be any different?
Thanks so much!
Emma
Hi Steph, I've never made this recipe with cherries so I can't one hundred per cent say that it will work in the same way. Having said that, as long as your cherries are fresh, ripe and juicy when you blend them they should create the same puree. You need the same quantity of puree as with the raspberries. If make this for a special occasion I recommend testing it with the cherries beforehand, even if you make a mini half batch portion- just so that you know it works! Good luck and let me know how your go. Thanks
Emma
Lizzie
Hi Emma, really want to make this delicious cake, in your instructions it does not say when to add the whipped egg whites.
Thanks Lizzie
Emma
Hi Lizzie, The chocolate sponge has recently been updated with an easier method so that the eggs are whipped as one rather than separating the yolks and whites. Can't wait to hear how you go making the cake. Emma
Lizzie
Hi Emma, I made the Mouse cake at the weekend for my sisters BBQ, I was totally overwhelmed with the lovely comments and was asked to make another one for a birthday later this year. Would it work with lemon mousse and lemon sponge instead. Thank you for your inspiration. Lizzie 😊
Emma
Hi Lizzie, Thanks fantastic to hear- it's a perfect cake for a bbq. A lemon iteration of this cake would be divine. Unfortunately, I don't have the recipe for either components in lemon, but thank you for taking inspiration!
Emma
Pia
I would love to make this for a special occasion but one if my guests cannot eat gelatin. Can I substitute with Vege-gel (Dr Oetker)? Thanks
Emma
Hi Pia, My instinct would be to say yes but I haven't tested it out with the Vege-gel product, so I couldn't say for sure. Let me know how you go though!
Stephanie
Great contrast between the fresh zing of the airy raspberry Mousse and light chocolate sponge
Emma
Hi Stephanie, I'm so happy that you loved my recipe. Thank you for making it 🙂
Emma
Brenda Anderson
I’m desperately looking to make a chocolate raspberry mousse Yule log. Can I use this recipe?
Emma
Hi Brenda. I wouldn't;t use this recipe to make a roll cake with. I would use my Chocolate Swiss Roll Cake recipe, definitely for the sponge. Then you could use the raspberry mousse from this recipe as the filling. However you will have way too much so you can either scale it down or make it the same and spoon the remainder into glasses and have them as an additional dessert. Hope this helps. Emma
Jane
This is a beautiful and easy to make dessert. I made on Christmas Eve for Boxing Day. I would recommend leaving it out of the fridge for at least a couple of hours before serving as the flavour of the mousse really comes through and the cake is not so cold or firm. I will definitely make again, everyone loved it.
Emma
Thanks for the review Jane. So happy you made it as part of your Holiday celebrations 🙂
Mimma
Hi Emma, this looks amazing!!
I’m hoping to make it this weekend.
Just wanted to clarify what you mean by espresso powder.
Is it instant coffee powder?
Emma
Yes you can use that 🙂
Ms Ann Kramer
The most impressive looking and tasty dessert I have ever made. Fabulous.
Emma
That's wonderful to hear! Thank you for the feedback Ann, Emma
Olivia
Is the dark chocolate a baking chocolate?
Emma
No - you can use a dark chocolate like Lindt or Green's chocolate.
Ali
Is the raspberry puree quite runny before adding to the cream??
Emma
Hi Ali - it is fairly runny - you can see the texture in my process images.
Leslie Koziel
Will this recipe work if I omit the cocoa powder, melted chocolate and expresso powder, in order to have a white vanilla cake? This recipe seems much simpler than your recipe for vanilla swiss roll cake, plus I don't want the thin "rollable" cake, but rather the round springform cake. I haven't made a cake for a long time, so need something simple. My son has requested raspberry mousse cake for his birthday but he and several others in the family don't like chocoate, and I can't find ready made anywhere near me in the city, so am going to try to make it myself. If this recipe won't work taking out the chocolate ingredients, then I will have to try to vanilla swiss roll recipe, but worried about the difficulty, and also adapting it to a round cake.
Emma
Hi Leslie - I have never made the cake making the omissions that you suggest. All I can recommend is replacing the cocoa powder with flower and having a go 🙂