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The very best Triple Chocolate Espresso Mousse Cake. Rich cashews blended into an extra smooth and creamy vegan chocolate mousse and spread over a gluten-free chocolate cake-like crust. Then chilled until firm, and topped with sweet dark chocolate. This is 3 layers of rich and creamy chocolate all made with real food ingredients.
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If there was ever a cake that really made me think of my mom, it’s this cake. Chocolate mousse is one of her favorite desserts. Anytime I ask her for a suggestion on what to make, 9 times out of 10 she replies, “how about a healthy chocolate mousse?”.
She’s big on trying to avoid any added sugars, so the January desserts are always her favorites. As you can imagine, she was overly excited about the layer mousse cake.
Her message back to me after sharing the photos with her was simply, “LOVVVE❣️”.’
The facts
While this cake is not vegan, it is gluten-free and and free of any added sugar. I used maple to sweeten it up, and extra dark chocolate to keep the sugars as low as possible.
This is a very rich and creamy cake with notes of espresso and vanilla throughout, which we really love. It does take some time to make, but it’s mostly chill time!
And lastly, you do need a pretty high powered blender. I use my Vitamix or food processor to get the mousse nice and creamy!
Bake the crust
I wanted this to be like a fudgy chocolate cake, just a bit thinner. It’s a mix of maple, coconut oil, and almond butter, with an egg mixed in to keep the cake light.
Cocoa powder adds the chocolatey flavor, and almond flour bulks it up. Just bake and let it cool.
Make the chocolate mousse
It’s really is important to take the time to boil the cashews and let them soak. Because of this, the prep time on the cake is a little longer, but it’s by no means hard.
Once the cashews are soaked, they’ll be easier to blend into a creamy mousse. And trust me, this mousse is creamy. Because of all the nuts, it’s a little heavier than traditional mousse, but in the best way.
I added some instant espresso or coffee powder to bring out those rich, vanilla chocolate flavors.
The mousse does need time to chill, so plan ahead!
Finish it up
A simple chocolate layer on top to seal up that mousse and provide a chocolate “crack” with every bite. My one piece of advice here is to slice the cake before the chocolate top becomes too hard. This will make the cake easier to cut through.
I found that if I let the chocolate topping get too hard, it made the cake messy to cut. Since mousse can get soft at room temperature.
My moms verdict? She LOVED it, saying the espresso was possibly here favorite touch. It makes the cake just right.
Looking for other wholesome dessert recipes? Here are my favorites:
Homemade Vegan Peanut Butter Twix Bars
Healthier Homemade Nutter Butter Cookies
Healthy…ish Homemade Samoas Cookies
Tahini Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Salted Tahini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lastly, if you make this Triple Chocolate Espresso Mousse Cake, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Triple Layer Espresso Chocolate Mousse Cake
Ingredients
Crust
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
Mousse
- 2 cups raw cashews
- 1 cup canned full fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 8 ounces dark chocolate
- 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter or almond butter
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
- 1. To soak the cashews. Place the cashews in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil 2 minutes, then cover and remove from the heat. Let the cashews soak for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Drain.2. To make the crust. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper.3. In a bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, almond butter, coconut oil, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the cocoa powder, almond flour, and instant coffee. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake 10-12 minutes, until set on top. 4. To make the mousse. Combine the soaked cashews, coconut milk, cocoa powder, maple syrup, instant coffee, vanilla, and salt in a high-powered blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed, about 5 minutes. Pour the mousse over the crust. Cover and place in the fridge. Chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight. 5. Melt together the chocolate and peanut butter in the microwave. Let cool 5 minutes and then spread the chocolate over the cake. Return to the fridge to set, about 15-10 minutes then slice. The chocolate will not be totally set, but slicing is easier this way. Keep the cake stored in the fridge.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Made this tonight! Everything turned out good except the mousse I made looks much lighter and has a much thicker layer than the picture. Perhaps I over blended.. I have a ninja and blended for the 5 minutes.
Must be a coffee lover for this one! Base layer is delicious and fudgy ?
Hey Meagan,
Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
To make this fully vegan, do you think substituting a flax egg for a real egg will work? Can’t wait to make this!!!
I used bob’s red mill egg replacement powder and it worked great! I think the flax egg would work well too. I’m gonna try that next
Hey June,
Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Hi Sarah,
So sorry, I have not tested this, but let me know if you give it a try! I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
This looks incredible!! And thank you for a grain free dessert recipe ?. Could you sub coconut sugar for the maple syrup?
Hey Katie,
Thanks so much! Sorry, I probably would not recommend that. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I’m having a hard time correlating the 4 stars for this recipe, when I look at the comments, and no one has even made it
Hi Catherine,
Anyone who rated the recipe with stars gets averaged to the overall rating of the recipe. Whether or not they made it is out of my control. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This is my first time making one of your dishes and I’m currently partly through mixing the cake/crust togethet- the recipe says 2 TBL of almond flour, but then the recipe instructions says to “press” the crust into the spring form pan. I’m confused because as currently written, the crust is a thick cake batter consistency- is this right or do I need to add more almond flour? Thank you!
Hey Shelby,
That is correct. Please let me know how the cake turns out, I hope you love it! xTieghan
This looks amazing. I want to try it. I wish it truly was free of sugar. Maple syrup is sugar. Maybe I can find a substitute?
Hi Joleen,
Sorry, I haven’t tried without the maple syrup, you would really be needing to make some adjustments. Let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan
How far in advance can this be made and refrigerate without loss of flavor/texture? Is 2 days too long? Can’t wait to make it!
Hey Barbra,
That should be just fine for you to do, I would probably freeze through step 4 and then finish the recipe when you want to serve. I hope you love this recipe, let me know if you try it. xTieghan
Hi,
This looks fabulous and decadent. As a previous comment asked 1/2 cup maple syrup is that correct. Thank you. Happy weekend!
Hey Clo,
Fantastic! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great weekend:) xxT
My daughter is allergic to cashews and almonds. What could I substitute especially for the mousse? Is there a different mousse I could use? I can figure out a crust that will work but not sure about the mousse. She can eat peanuts
Wow! Saw this first thing this morning and I’m in. Perfect sweet for a frosty cold weekend. So interested in the crust. Only 2 tablespoons of almond flour? Can’t wait for it to come together.
Hi Ann Marie,
I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Wondering if the amount of flour in the crust is correct?
Hi Paula,
Yes, that is correct. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Hey Mari,
I would actually recommend that you try this recipe:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/vegan-chocolate-custard-cake/
Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Looking forward to trying this for my gf/df sister! All ingredients & proportions look perfectly perfect to me.
I hope you love the recipe Keri, let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This cake looks delicious
I was excited to make it , but noticed some of the ingredients were nut based. Due to nut allergies, are there any ingredients I can use to substitute the cashew butter, almond flour and peanut butter? I guess I’m asking for suggestions on any substitutes that would work well.
Thanks and keep those wonderful recipes coming!
For everyone asking for a cashew replacement, make the mousse like a normal mouse with heavy cream. The cashews are a dairy-free substitute to lighten it up!
Hi Violet,
I am so sorry, but this might not be the best cake for you. I would try this one:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/vegan-chocolate-custard-cake/
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This is really not healthy at all
Can you substitute the cashew with another nut, I’m allergic
Hey there,
I think almonds would work well for you! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope it turns out amazing for you! xTieghan
Holy mother. This immediately was filed under splurge worthy desserts. It’s 6am and I’m salivating! Can’t wait to make soon.
Hey Kristiana,
Lol thank you so very much! I hope you love the recipe!! xTieghan
Maple syrup (not maple!) is added sugar just an fyi!
Thank you for saying this. I was thinking both of these things. Maple syrup is refined sugar, made by refining maple sap. And “maple” can describe lots of other things… maple sugar, maple butter, maple candy… any gift shop in Vermont will demonstrate that. 🙂
That said, this dessert looks delicious and I plan on making it asap with a different (vegan) chocolate cake layer, soy or cashew milk instead of coconut milk (no/less saturated fat), and date syrup instead of maple syrup (still refined, but uses the whole date, so you get the fiber, vitamins, minerals, etc.).
I wouldn’t exactly call maple syrup refined- it is simply maple sap with most of the water boiled out of it to concentrate the sweetness. Maple syrup also contains minerals.
Want to give this a try but I don’t have a “high power” food processor so will that be a problem?
Hi Cindy,
It depends what you have? Do you have a regular food processor? That should work! Let me know! xTieghan
Thanks so much Kate!
Is it really 1/2 c maple syrup in the crust? That seems like a lot in proportion to the other ingredients.
I am asking because I would love to make it but do not want to waste any maple syrup!
Yes, that is the correct measurements, no maple wasted:)
Thanks! I’ll give it a try soon!
Awesome!
Can’t wait to try this! You mentioned not to let the chocolate get too hard before slicing, can you recommend an approximate amount of time that would be best? Trying to time everything right. Thanks!
Hi ToniAnn,
It really depends on the type of chocolate you are using, but typically 10-15 minutes. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hi Suzi,
Yes, that is correct. Please let me know if you have any further questions and if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan