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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.
This was sooo delicious!!
Hey Ana,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great day:) xxT
Hello! Could you use roasted salted cashews in this recipe since they’re boiled and soaked? Thanks!
Hi Sarah,
I really am not sure how well that would work for you, I would probably stick with the raw cashews for best results. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Is there a modified recipe without nuts? We have but allergies in our household but really want to try this recipe. Looks so tasty!
Thank you
Hey Lacey,
So sorry, there isn’t. I would give this recipe a try:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/6-ingredient-vegan-chocolate-chia-mousse/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Wow loved this cake! The mousse is to die for, it turn out so creamy! Loved the crust, have to say it’s not a press into pan, mine was more cake consistency, more like pour into pan. Baked beautifully! The top layer of chocolate was a bit too much, next time would maybe do a chocolate crumble or a very thin layer of chocolate! I will definitely make this again! Thanks for the recipe♥️
Hey Brandi,
Awesome!! Love to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it. Have the best week:) xT
Our family started a low FODMAP diet for a couple family members per a nutritionist recommendation. I needed something to celebrate a huge win for my teen. Made this for the whole family to RAVE reviews. For a family that currently feels like we can’t eat anything right now, THANK YOU!!
Hey Allison,
Awesome!! Love to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it. Have the best week:) xT
I’m SO Excited to try these!! Do you Think they can be made into cupcakes? Or mini cakes?
Hey Lisa,
Sure, I don’t see why not! I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hello. This recipe looks amazing! If I wanted to make it regular and not gluten-free, what would I substitute?
Hey Cherry,
I would still follow the recipe as is because it’s how it best turned out for me. If you want something a little more traditional try this recipe:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/chocolate-lovers-greek-yogurt-chocolate-mousse-cake/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This is super delicious! I boiled the cashews and soaked overnight, then made the recipe the next morning during baby’s first nap. The cake base came out like a batter- there was no pressing it into place, and I baked it for at least 15 minutes, but could have gone longer. I had read through the whole recipe ahead of time but because his naps tend to vary in length, I was rushing to get it done and accidentally put the last two ingredients (listed under the Mousse ingredients, but meant to be the topping) in my Vitamix. Turned out perfectly smooth anyway, and I add the topping anyway when I realized what I’d done. Highly recommend- doesn’t taste gluten free or “healthy.”
Hey Rachel,
Fantastic!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Yes, I was also very confused and prepared the topping pieces to go into the food processor with the mousse. May separate out the topping ingredients.
Hi , how can I make this eggless??
Hey there,
So sorry, I have not tested this recipe without the egg, but you could certainly try using an egg replacement. I hope you love the recipe, let me know if you try it out! xTieghan
Soooo tasty! Loved it!
Hey Rachel,
Fantastic!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Holy Mackerel! This is SO GOOD!! I loved making every layer. It was so fun following your recipe and going through the process. Each layer was so interesting and fun. I see what you mean about how the top can get to hard if too cold, thanks for that. BLOWN away at how smooth the cashews made the mousse. So cool. I soaked them over night and it was awesome. So fun!
Hey Lisa,
Fantastic!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Have made so so many yummy dinners from Tieghan’s recipes! This recipe is definitely a great “healthy” option dessert for anyone with a big sweet tooth (like myself) that is trying to cut back. Made it over the weekend and had a really hard time with the mousse portion. I let the cashews soak for 2+ hours and they still never completely blended, nor did it look anything like the video. The overall cake ended up with a gritty texture.
Hey there,
So sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
Hi. I LOVE chocolate mousse and I’m loving the way you’re cake looks but I’m wondering if you possibly have a regular or non vegan/vegetarian version of this mousse?
Hey Alicia,
Here are some other mousse recipes that you might enjoy:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/smores-chocolate-mousse-bars/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/chocolate-lovers-greek-yogurt-chocolate-mousse-cake/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/4-ingredient-chocolate-mousse/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I saw you could replace the almond butter for peanut butter in the mousse. Could you use peanut butter instead of that 1/4 cup almond for the crust?
Hey Elizabeth,
Sure, that would probably work well for you. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
Made this over the weekend and it’s good but my kids didn’t like it! It definitely tastes “healthy” so before trying I’d recommend you be used to the ingredients used in this recipe. I am, but my kids not so much! I added 2 tbsp of melted coconut oil to the mousse and then again to the chocolate topping and stored it in the fridge. Overall it settled up pretty well and wasn’t too difficult to cut.
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try Jackie! xTieghan