The mocha mousse cake, also known as chocolate coffee cake or chocolate and coffee mousse cake, is an elegant and enveloping dessert, designed for those who love intense and decisive flavors. Ideal to serve at the end of a meal, this cake is the right choice to beautifully conclude a special dinner or surprise guests with a refined note. The cream, velvety and delicious, is born from the meeting of dark chocolate and instant coffee: an irresistible combination that gives the dessert depth and character. If you have any leftover chocolate from Easter eggs, this is the perfect opportunity to give it new life in a simple yet impressive recipe. The base of the mocha mousse cake, unlike classic cheesecakes, is baked in the oven: it is prepared with dry cookies and chopped hazelnuts, and once baked it becomes compact and slightly crunchy, blending harmoniously with the mousse. For those who prefer to avoid baking, a cold base variant is also available, which I explain at the end of the recipe. The chocolate coffee cake is a dessert that conquers at first taste, with the elegant charm of chocolate and the unmistakable energy of coffee. An invitation to sweetness, to be enjoyed spoonful after spoonful.
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- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 5 Hours
- Preparation time: 45 Minutes
- Portions: 8People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 615.39 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 45.21 (g) of which sugars 26.43 (g)
- Proteins 8.79 (g)
- Fat 45.28 (g) of which saturated 18.84 (g)of which unsaturated 15.66 (g)
- Fibers 4.84 (g)
- Sodium 348.38 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 140 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for a 9-inch chocolate coffee cake
To prepare the gluten-free mocha mousse cake I used gluten-free cookies with chocolate chips. If you are celiac, make sure the following ingredients are labeled “gluten-free”: dark chocolate, unsweetened cocoa.
- 8 oz cookies (I used those with chocolate chips)
- 2/3 cup hazelnuts
- 1 pinch salt
- 6 tbsp butter (melted)
- 1 egg (medium)
- 10.5 oz 60% dark chocolate
- 2 eggs (medium, whites and yolks separated)
- 3 tsp instant coffee
- 3/4 cup heavy cream (unsweetened)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- to taste unsweetened cocoa powder
Tools
- 1 Mixer
- 1 Springform Pan 9 inches in diameter
- Parchment Paper
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 4 Bowls
- 1 Spatula
- Electric Whisks
How to prepare chocolate and coffee mousse cake
To prepare the mocha mousse cake, start with the base: put the hazelnuts (1) in a mixer and blend them for a few seconds. Then add the cookies (2) and a generous pinch of salt. I used cookies with chocolate chips, but if you prefer, you can use plain or cocoa dry cookies. Blend again, this time longer, until you get a fine and homogeneous mixture (3).
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, or in the microwave, and add it to the cookies (4). Mix well (5), then add the egg previously beaten with a fork (6).
Mix carefully, until you get a soft and homogeneous mixture (7). Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. If you don’t have one of this size, consult this guide which will help you adjust the doses depending on the size of your pan. Pour the cookie mixture into the pan and, with the help of a spoon or your hands, flatten it into an even layer, covering the entire bottom and a few millimeters of the edges (8). Bake the base of the mocha mousse cake in the preheated oven at 350°F for 10 minutes, then take it out and let it cool (9).
Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate and coffee mousse: coarsely chop the dark chocolate with a knife (10). Then melt it in a bain-marie: to melt the chocolate in a bain-marie, you need to place it in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and set the saucepan inside a larger pot with gently boiling water. Stir the chocolate constantly, and when it is completely melted, remove it from the bain-marie and let it cool (11). Then add the instant coffee (12).
Mix carefully to combine it with the chocolate. Also add 2 egg yolks (13). Keep the egg whites aside as you will need them later. In a separate bowl, whip the cream (14). Add it to the chocolate mixture (15).
Using a spatula, fold it in with slow movements from bottom to top (16) without deflating it. In the end, you should obtain a fluffy mixture (17). In another bowl, pour the egg whites (18).
With clean electric whisks start to beat them, and as soon as they become foamy, start adding the sugar a little at a time (19). Continue to beat the egg whites until you get a perfect meringue (20). To test, invert the bowl: the mixture should stick to the bottom and sides without sliding. Add it gradually to the chocolate mixture (21).
As with the cream, it is important to fold the meringue in with slow movements from bottom to top (22). This is what gives the mousse lightness and creaminess. In the end, you should obtain a fluffy and homogeneous mixture (23).
Pour it over the now cooled base and level it well with a spatula (24). Cover the cake with a sheet of plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours. After the resting time, remove it from the mold and garnish it with unsweetened cocoa powder (25).
You can serve the mocha mousse cake as it is, or with whipped cream. It is best enjoyed if taken out of the refrigerator about 15-20 minutes before serving.
Storage
You can store the chocolate coffee cake in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
No-bake base variant
As mentioned, traditionally this type of dessert has a base similar to that of cheesecakes but requires baking; if you want to avoid this step, prepare the base without egg but with 120 g of melted butter. Line the bottom of the pan and place the base in the refrigerator until just before filling it with the mousse.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I use decaffeinated coffee?
Yes, I used decaffeinated instant coffee to allow children to eat this dessert.
Can I use liquid coffee?
No, in this case, instant coffee is essential because adding liquid coffee to the melted chocolate would cause it to solidify and become unusable.
