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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 am looking forward to making this on Sunday for my husband’s birthday! Can I soak the cashews on Thursday overnight and use on Saturday? We will be at the beach and trying to think of any prep ahead I can do to save time and keep it a surprise 🙂 thank you!
Hey Neha,
Sure, that will work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Just a question before I make this. For the instant coffee do I make it before, or do I just use it in it’s original form? Seems like a silly question, but I just wanted to make sure before making it. Thanks!
Hey Lael,
You are just going to use the instant coffee granules for this recipe:) I hope it turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Delicious. I made this for my dad’s birthday and everyone loved it. A few notes- the cake battery is definitely a pour, not “press into the pan” type of consistency. Baked perfectly though, it set for me and was easy to lift off of the parchment once assembled and chilled.
I opted for a simple ganache for the top layer rather than the chocolate peanut butter mix, and it worked perfectly. Sliced very smoothly. The only negative in my mind was that I could not taste the espresso flavour at all. Otherwise A+ The recipe is actually incredibly easy but looks and tastes very gourmet.
Hi Jenna,
That’s great!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! Thanks for sharing your feedback and what worked well for you! xxT
I’m so surprised by all the positive comments. This did not work for me at all. I cooked the bottom for 18 minutes+ and it still didn’t set (my oven temp is accurate). The top was impossible to cut without squishing the middle and the base was and undercooked mess that had to be scraped off the parchment. It tasted good but was very frustrating to serve. I would maybe try again with some tweaks but I’m not sure it’s worth the effort.
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. Please let me know if there is any way that I can help! xx
Looks amazing! Can you substitute roasted cashews for raw? TYIA!
Hi Colleen,
For this recipe, you will want to use the raw cashews:) I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, let me know if you give it a try! xx
I’m going to make this for my birthday cake – which falls on Easter Sunday but none the less- I’m going to have my cake and eat it too!
But I can’t even wait! Chocolate is my favourite food ? ?
I hope you love the recipe Krystyna! Happy Birthday!
This looks so good! Can you change the cashew for almonds or hazlenuts? I forgot to buy cashews. Doh!
Hi Julia,
So sorry, for this recipe you definitely need to use cashews. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe!! xTieghan
I saw your comment to another post regarding a dinner party. I plan to make once for a gathering as well. If I put it in the freezer before I leave should I refrigerate it when we get there or keep it out? Trying to troubleshoot before hand. Thank you!!
Hi Nadia,
I would keep it in the fridge. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try or have any other questions!! xx
Made this for my boyfriend’s birthday and he said it’s the best cake he’s ever had – including LA bakeries!! Will be making this for every birthday here on out ?
Hi Elyse,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx
Hi! I can’t want to make this for a dinner party I’m going to. Quick question. Can I travel in the car with it about 45 mins or is it going to become too runny/deflated?
Hey Heather,
It should be okay! I would pop it in the freezer before you go. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Hi!
I want to make this but I only have a 9 inch springform and can’t find an 8 inch easily. Do you have any suggestions with that change? Thanks!
Hi Brooke,
I would go ahead and follow the recipe as is and maybe just reduce the baking time to 10 minutes. Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Hey Tieghan,
One of my most favorite desserts of all time!! My whole entire family enjoyed it(I also have 8 siblings ?too much fun) I originally made it because it looked liked everything I would love in a delicious indulging dessert.. and it was! ❤️The only problem was that I only got two bites out of it because everyone else devoured it when they did a drive-by our house? Not not tonight!! Lol I am making another one when I get off work in a couple hours and I’ll have the first slice 😉 I can’t wait!! You are amazing in everything you make, keep up the phenomenal work!! We love you ?
Hi Emilia,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it!! Have the best day:) xx
Hey Tieghan,
One of my most favorite desserts of all time!! My whole entire family enjoyed it(I also have 8 siblings :)!! ) I originally made it because it looked liked everything I would love in a delicious indulging dessert.. and it was! ❤️The only problem was that I only got two bites out of it because everyone else devoured it when they did a drive-by our house? Not not tonight!! Lol I am making another one when I get off work in a couple hours and I’ll have the first slice 😉 I can’t wait!! You are amazing in everything you make, keep up the phenomenal work!! We love you ?
Hey Emilia,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it!! Have the best day:) xx
Hi. I can’t use cashews since I have allergies. What can I use in place of that and almond flour? I’m dieing to make this!
Hi Jaye,
So sorry, unfortunately I would say that this wouldn’t be the best recipe for you to try. You might like something like this:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/6-ingredient-vegan-chocolate-chia-mousse/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/4-ingredient-chocolate-mousse/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made this for guests and it was a huge hit for all of us! I substituted cashew butter for peanut butter, and GF flour for almond flour due to allergies, and it turned out great! I truly appreciate the tip to cut the cake before the chocolate top fully hardens, that was really helpful.
Hi Catie,
Awesome!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great week:) xx
I am making this today. But a few questions about the recipe. 1. Do you remove the cake from the pan before or after you add the chocolate topping? 2. Do you add coconut oil to the chocolate when you melt it?
Hi Jade,
Yes, I would remove the cake before adding the topping. The coconut oil is used in step 3. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I want to make this recipe but I don’t have coconut oil. Is there a replacement you would recommend? Also, would Bob’s Mills gluten-free 1 to 1 flour be suitable instead of almond flour? Thank you.
Hey Vanessa,
Yes, you can use the GF flour, I would use butter or a another neutral oil in place of the coconut oil. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan