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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.
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
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 600 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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
Loose Mousse: If the mousse is too loose or messy, you can keep the cake in the freezer and remove it 10 minutes before eating to thaw.
To Make Sweeter: Taste the mouse before pouring over the crust, you can add up to 3 tablespoons additional maple syrup.
I made this for my birthday and it was easy to make and so good. We garnished it with whipped cream and raspberries. This would be easy to make vegan as well, which is great for my gluten free/ dairy free/ vegan family members.
Hey Laura,
I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a try!! xxT
Made the cake today. I absolutely loved this crust! Will be using it for other things. Cake was a nice concept but my mousse had an undesirable semi-mushy texture. (I thought it was the cashews but I did add powdered erythritol & monk fruit to sweeten it more after the maple syrup) I used my food processor 5 minutes or more. Don’t know what happened with that texture, didn’t have that smooth pudding vibe i’m used to. >-: The advice on cutting the cake before chocolate sets is sooo important. If you’re using Lily’s chocolate chips, I would add some coconut oil to help it spread easier. I think I will try this again using an avocado chocolate mousse I like. Everything but that mousse texture was good.
Hey Dionne,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try and sharing your feedback! xTieghan
Super easy recipe, was amazing perfectly sweet its on the rich side but not too rich and the mousse is so good.
Hey Emily,
Awesome!! Thanks for giving the recipe a try, I love to hear that it was a hit!! xxT
I made this for Valentine’s Day, and it’s so good! I used peanut butter in the crust and topping, and I halved to amounts of choc and pb in the topping to lighten it up a little (ha ha ha). I also used espresso powder in place of the instant coffee. Thanks for this one! It’s amazing!
Hi Jenny,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed!! ?xTieghan
This dessert and the way you photographed it is overwhelmingly beautiful. I could literally scroll through your food photos and recipes for hours. Anyways, I’ll have to try making this sometime.
Awe thanks so much for your kind message Melanie! xTieghan
If I don’t have a springform pan, can I use a pyrex 8″ square and would it still need to be lined with parchment paper?
Hey Eric,
I would just make sure the sides are deep enough, and then yes line with parchment paper. Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Delicious, I haven’t actually tried the finished thing but the mixtures taste amazing, and I expect it will taste even better when finished! Thanks for the amazing recipes, you are so good at creating awesome flavour combinations, especially in your salads. 🙂 Btw you have an amazing house, but can I just ask, is the studio barn separate from where you live? The setting is just beautiful too!
Hey Lorna,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Thanks so much! Yes, my house is separate from the studio barn. xxT
Making these for my MIL’s bday dinner! Separating them into little ramikans and wondering how long they would last covered in fridge or if they could be frozen? Perhaps without the chocolate/Pb top?
Love all your recipes!! Can’t wait to try this one!! Thanks!!
Hey Paige,
I would say 3-4 days in the fridge would be good. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
They were a HIT ! Also I did end up making separate little ramekins and the recipe worked perfectly for 6. Turned out so good!
Thank you!!!
Hi Paige,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed!! ?xTieghan
Hello Paige,
Can you share the size of ramekins you used and how you adjusted the baking time? That is great idea!
It would be really helpful to have the ingredients for the chocolate topping separate from the mousse layer. I accidentally added the chocolate and peanut butter to blender. I was so bummed when I realized my mistake. It was still really good, and the mousse was a really nice consistency. It was just really rich, whipped cream would have helped. Definitely an expensive dessert but I will make it again
Hey Nicole,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, sorry about the confusion! xTieghan
It’s good but the title is misleading. It does not taste like espresso at all. I even doubled the amount of instant coffee she called for and still nothing. The chocolate and coconut overpower the espresso flavoring. It tastes like a chocolate coconut cake with a hint of peanut butter. It is good, and not too sweet. Just not what I was expecting it to taste like.
Hi Abbey,
So sorry to hear the recipe was not what you expected, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
Darn! I’m out of maple syrup. Will honey work ok to substitute?
Hi Lee,
Yes, honey will work well for you. Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Could I swap ground coffee for the instant coffee measure for measure? Thanks in advance!
Hi Blake,
So sorry, that won’t quite work the same. Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
I want to try this but actually without the espresso. My husband does not enjoy coffee flavor. I’m wondering if you would omit or replace with a dark cocoa powder? Or would you recommend something different?
Hi Allison,
You can just skip the instant coffee powder. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope it turns out amazing for you! xT
Super silly question – can I use a regular glass pie dish or does it have to be springform?
Hi Sara,
So sorry, for this recipe you are really going to want to use a springform pan. Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Looks amazing can’t wait to try this! Can firm or silken tofu replace the cashews in the recipe?
Hey Michelle,
Yes that could work nicely for you! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
My oh my! I want to eat this every night! It came out great and tasted so delicious. The mousse consistency was perfectly creamy. When I make this again, I might use half the chocolate on the top. It was pretty thick and hard so it made the mousse squish out while putting a fork in for a bite. (I did cut slices as instructed, thankfully.) Although, I did love the richness of that thick chocolate pb layer so maybe I’ll keep it! I added a few pinches of sea salt to the topping, which I loved. This didn’t taste “healthy” but didn’t taste like it was laden with sugar, either. Just a lovely rich chocolate treat. Thanks!
Hey Emily,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great day:) xxT