This Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cake starts with a deep, dark, moist chocolate cake base with a silky chocolate mousse topping. It's incredibly difficult to believe this decadent chocolate treat is both vegan and nut-free!
What is this Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cake made of?
While vegan desserts can sometimes translate into dry, flavorless versions of a favorite dessert, this Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cake is a chocolate lovers dream. It has the feel and taste of a non-vegan cake full of butter and cream. It's satisfying and rich chocolate flavor along with the moist and tender crumb finish make it truly irresistible.
Also, the mousse will not disappoint! While a traditional mousse is full of cream, butter and eggs, this mousse has a creamy, smooth texture by including one surprising ingredient: silken tofu.
What, you may ask, is silken tofu? Silken tofu is similar to the usual tofu but the soy milk is coagulated and it's also left unpressed so as to retain moisture. You can read more about it here.
The tofu gives the mousse texture without imparting much taste. So when you add a high quality dark chocolate to it, it transforms into a luxurious mousse that tastes and feels like the real thing.
Nuts or no nuts?
The reason I specify that this Vegan chocolate Mousse Cake is nut-free is because often vegan desserts substitute nuts for the dairy to give the desserts body and texture. While that's fine in some circumstances, if the goal is to lighten up a dessert, I try to stay away from using nuts. They add a whole lot of fat really quickly and many people have nut allergies anyway.
While this Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cake is a chocolate lovers dream, it's so much lighter and healthier as a result. What's even better is how incredibly simple it is to make.
Simple one bowl vegan dessert
Did I mention this cake is made in one bowl? There's no mixer needed, and it only takes 20 minutes to bake. The mousse is blended up in a food processor (or your new Blendtec!). It's not cooked at all. Once the mousse is ready you simply pour it over the baked cake and chill in the refrigerator.
I'm telling you, this Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cake will make you rethink vegan desserts. And I'm confident that anyone eating the cake would never be able to tell that it's a healthier version of an indulgent chocolate treat!
Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 4 tbsp cocoa powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup coconut oil
- 2 tsp white vinegar
- ¾ cup water
- 16 oz silken tofu
- 2 tsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup water
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 tsp agave
- 10 oz dark chocolate
- ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.2. Line the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan with parchment paper and grease the pan.3. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, salt, and sugar.4. Add the coconut oil, vinegar, and water. Mix until combined.5. Pour into prepared pan.6. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the center of the cake springs back when gently pushed.7. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan.8. When the cake is completely cool, make the mousse.
- For the Chocolate Mousse:1. Chop the dark chocolate, and melt it. Set it aside to cool slightly.2. In the work bowl of a food processor, add the tofu.3. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla, water, salt, agave and melted dark chocolate.4. Blend until combined. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl.5. Blend until combined and light and airy.6. Spread the mousse on top of the cooled cake.7. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.8. Remove the cake from the spring form pan.9. Melt the chocolate chips.10. Place the chocolate chips in a zip top bag and snip the corner to make a piping bag. Drizzle the chocolate on top.
Robyn @ Simply Fresh Dinners
I agree, Jenny, Aida makes the most amazing desserts and so my name for her is 'The Baking Fairy'! This looks absolutely delicious and I'd love a big bite for breakfast right now 🙂 Sharing. Beautiful job, Aida!
Hannah
This looks amazing! As a vegan reader, I really love seeing a vegan recipe up here 🙂