Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake

Published: Nov 24, 2021

Vegan chocolate raspberry mousse cake - layers of dark chocolate mousse and vegan white chocolate raspberry mousse sit on top of a layer of rich, moist chocolate cake.

This indulgent dessert is the perfect celebratory showstopper and is sure to be a real crowd pleaser.

Vegan chocolate raspberry mousse cake on a glass cake stand with a grey cloth and fresh raspberries.

I think that this vegan chocolate raspberry mousse cake might just be one of my favourite things I have ever made.

Layers of rich dark chocolate mousse, and tangy, creamy raspberry white chocolate mousse sit on top of a moist, fluffy chocolate cake.

The whole thing is visually striking and utterly indulgent, yet also ethereally light.

The tang of the raspberry mousse nicely balances out the rich chocolate, and this mousse cake is a delicious, but not overly heavy end to a meal.

What Do I Need To Make Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake?:

Vegan whipping cream: I use Elmlea plant double cream and I recommend using that if possible. You will need two tubs.

If you aren't in the UK then you need to use a cream that can be whipped, not a pouring cream. It may work with coconut cream but please note that I haven't tested it.

Aquafaba: Ideally you need to use either reduced and cooled aquafaba (see post below for instructions), or a shop-bought one such as Oggs (I use Oggs).

These options whisk up more quickly than aquafaba straight from a can and are more stable.

Agar agar: This is neccessary to help the white chocolate raspberry mousse set. You need agar agar powder, not flakes.

Chocolate: You will need both dark chocolate and vegan white chocolate. For the dark make sure that it is not more than 70% cocoa solids otherwise it can be a bit temperamental when melted.

For the white chocolate I use Sainsbury's free from.

Raspberries: I use defrosted frozen raspberries as it works out much cheaper that way.

Cream of tartar: this is an acid which helps to stabilise the aquafaba. You can use vinegar instead if you don't have any.

Sugar: I use both caster and icing sugar but you can use caster instead of the icing if you want. I don't recommend granulated sugar as it may make the mousse slightly grainy.

Lemon juice: Adding a bit of lemon juice to the raspberry mousse helps to bring out the flavour and keep it nicely tangy.

Milk: For the chocolate cake. Any kind of unsweetened non-dairy milk will work but soy is best.

Oil: A neutral flavoured oil such as sunflower is best, but you can even use olive oil or avocado oil if you want.

Vinegar: This reacts with the rising agents in the cake batter to help make it light and fluffy.

Plain flour: Just regular plain (all-purpose) flour is best. I haven't tried making it gluten-free but I think that it would work ok with a plain gluten-free flour blend plus ¼ tsp xanthan gum.

Cocoa powder: Use a Dutch processed one (just regular cocoa powder for those of you in the UK).

Vanilla: Use extract rather than essence for the best flavour.

Baking powder and bicarb: The cake uses part baking powder and part bicarbonate of soda (baking soda). Don't swap one for the other, you need both for the best result.

A slice of vegan chocolate raspberry mousse cake on a plate.

How To Make Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake:

(Full measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page)

Start by making the cake. Whisk together the milk, oil, vinegar, caster sugar and vanilla extract.

In a large bowl sift together the plain flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk to make a smooth batter.

Step 1, a three image collage of making the cake batter.

Pour it into a greased and lined 23cm/9in springform cake tin and bake for about 20-25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Step 2, a two image collage of the cake before and after baking.

Once the cake has cooled completely, line the springform tin with acetate or a double layer of greaseproof paper, making sure that it comes above the top of the tin.

Place the cake back in the tin. You can trim the top first if you want flat layers.

To make the chocolate mousse, heat the cream and vanilla extract until it is just simmering then pour it over the finely chopped chocolate.

Let it sit for 5 minutes then stir gently until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

While the gananche is cooling, place the aquafaba and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a balloon whisk; or use a hand mixer with the double beater attachments.

Whisk the aquafaba on a high speed until it is frothy, add a spoonful of the sugar and whisk until well combined; repeat until you have added all of the sugar. Continue to whisk the aquafaba until it forms stiff peaks.

Make sure that the chocolate mixture has cooled to room temperature then add ¼ of the whipped aquafaba to the chocolate and stir gently with a spatula until almost combined.

Add the rest of the aquafaba in three more batches, folding it in very gently until it is uniformly combined.

Gently pour the mousse over the top of the cake in the tin, then place it in the fridge for at least 2 hours to set.

Step 6, the chocolate mousse in the tin.

Once the chocolate mousse has set, prepare the raspberry mousse.

Blend the defrosted frozen raspberries until smooth then press them through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.

Step 7, a two image collage of blending and straining the raspberries.

Place the puree in a saucepan and bring up to a simmer. Cook until it has reduced by at least half, 5-10 minutes.

Weigh out 150g of the reduced puree and place it in a saucepan. Mix the agar agar with 1 Tbsp cold water.

Whisk the agar mixture into the puree. Bring up to the boil and cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly.

Pour the puree over the chopped white chocolate and leave for 5 minutes, then stir until melted. Set aside until lukewarm.

Step 10, the raspberry white chocolate mixture.

Whisk the cream and sugar with an electric mixer until it forms soft peaks.

Gently whisk ⅓ rd of the cream into the raspberry mixture then carefully fold in the rest of the cream.

Step 12, mixing the cream into the raspberry mixture.

Pour the raspberry mousse over the chocolate mousse and spread level. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until set.

Top Tips:

This is a fairly complex cake so make sure that you read through the recipe fully before starting.

As with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scale rather than the cup conversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!

For the best results follow the recipe closely and make it exactly as written. Changing any of the ingredients could affect the outcome of the mousse cake. I cannot comment on how well any substitutions will work, and any changes to the recipe must be done at your own risk.

This vegan chocolate raspberry mousse cake takes about a day to complete (not all active time!) as you need to allow the cake to cool and each mousse layer to set. I recommend making it the day before you wish to serve it. Or start very early in the morning!

It will keep in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep it refrigerated until you are ready to serve it.

You will need a 23cm/9in springform cake tin. It needs to be at least 7cm (2 ¾ in) deep as the mousse comes all the way to the top of the tin, or even slightly above.

If you want to be able to remove the mousse cake from the base of the springform tin then you will need a 23 cm/9 in round cake board that will fit in the base of the tin.

How To Reduce Aquafaba:

If you are not using a shop-bought aquafaba (such as Oggs), I highly recommend reducing it as it gives better, more consistent results and reaches stiff peaks more easily if it has been reduced rather than used straight from the can.

It needs to be completely cold before it can be whisked up so you ideally need to reduce it the day before you want to use it and let it chill in the fridge overnight.

To reduce it, pour the liquid from two cans of chickpeas into a pan and bring up to a gentle simmer. Allow to cook gently for about 10 minutes until it has almost reduced by half. It will thicken as it cools.

Once the reduced aquafaba has cooled, pour into an airtight container and refrigerate until cold before using.

Top Tips To Prevent Your Chocolate From Seizing (And How To Save It If It Does):

The vegan dark chocolate mousse is easy to make, but chocolate can be quite a tempermental beast to work with and things can go wrong very easily. For the best chance of success make sure that you follow these tips:

When heating the cream, make sure that it does not become too hot otherwise the chocolate can sieze (become grainy or oily).

The cream should be just simmering, not yet boiling. I find that it is more likely to split if you are using coconut cream rather than Elmlea, so stick with Elmlea plant cream if possible.

Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and leave it alone for five minutes, then stir it very gently until melted and smooth.

If you are unlucky and the ganache does become grainy or oily, don't throw it away, it can be saved! Vigourously stir in hot water, a teaspoon at a time, until the ganache becomes smooth again. Don't add more than 4 teaspoons of water however as your mousse will be too soft otherwise.

If the hot water is not enough to bring it back together, stir in a little melted cocoa butter if you have any or coconut oil if you don't. Add a spoonful at a time and stir vigourously, the ganache should become smooth again.

If that doesn't work, then you can use an immersion blender to blitz it, it should re-emulsify.

How To Store Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake:

This cake will keep in the fridge for up to four days.

Ideally it should be kept in a covered cake dome to avoid fridge smells from tainting the flavour.

It cannot be frozen.

More Vegan Dessert Recipes:

Close up of the sliced vegan chocolate raspberry mousse cake on a glass cake stand.

If you tried this recipe let me know how it went! Rate it, leave a comment or tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and hashtag it #domesticgothess

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5 from 7 votes