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The very best vegan triple chocolate mousse cake. Cashews blended into an extra smooth and creamy vegan chocolate mousse and spread over a chocolate nut based crust, chilled until firm, and topped with sweet dark chocolate. 3 layers of rich and creamy chocolate. And did I mention no-bake, super easy, vegan, healthy…ish, and so delicious.
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We made it to Friday, and as you guys know, Friday’s need chocolate. Yes, even in January. I know you might be on some kind of New Year’s diet, but this is as clean (and delicious) as a cake can get. And let’s just be real, all Friday’s, no matter what time of the year, need something sweet and delicious.
This is your January cake.
Here’s the deal, you guys know me, I’m not one to share many vegan recipes. This is mostly due to the fact that I love dairy. Especially anything goat milk related…kinda weird, but honestly, goat milk is a true delicacy, and so good for you. I try to find a way to include it in as many recipes as possible.
But some recipes just magically turn out completely vegan, even when I wasn’t trying. Which is exactly what happened with this cake, and you know, I kind of love it.
One of the most asked questions I get, especially through Instagram, is what inspires me. I’ve said this before, but I find inspiration everywhere I look. It can be a color, a change of seasons, rotting bananas, literally anything. The one thing that’s consistently inspiring me however, are the people around me. There’s nothing I love more than creating recipes for others.
With my mom’s birthday falling on a Friday this year, I knew I needed to bake up some chocolate goodness. She is very much about the classic chocolate cake, but what she loves even more than cake is chocolate mousse. This got me thinking, why not finally make a chocolate mouse cake, but healthify it a bit for “Healthy January”?
And that’s how this chocolate mousse cake came to be. Oddly, I didn’t have it ready in time for my mom’s actual birthday, so she got this cake instead. But, I did share this cake with her after lunch one day this week, kind of a post birthday dessert.
Verdict? She LOVED it!
Let me take you through this mousse cake layer by layer.
Layer 1: walnuts, dates, coconut, cocoa powder, and flaky sea salt. This might sound odd, but it tastes just like a brownie, and it is so good.
Layer 2: soaked cashews, coconut milk, cocoa powder, vanilla, and a touch of coffee. Oh this mousse. There’s truly nothing better than this mousse. I could eat it by the spoonful. The key to the silkiest, smoothest, vegan “mousse” is boiling the raw cashews to make them extra soft and easier to blend up. When they’re plump and soft, they blend into the smoothest consistency that truly resembles a real mousse. I like to add a touch of vanilla and coffee, to really bring out the chocolate flavors. So good.
Layer 3: dark chocolate and creamy peanut butter. Why? Because an extra layer of chocolate is always a very good idea. Using peanut butter, keeps the chocolate soft, so it’s easier to cut through and doesn’t break apart. Plus, it’s just delicious.
And now you see, right? Best chocolate mousse cake that happens to be on the healthier side, and a million times easier than a classic mousse cake. Love!
Some notes.
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 my no means hard.
And, this cake does need to chill a bit, so plan ahead! The mousse can get soft, so be sure to keep the cake in the fridge until ready to serve.
On that same note, since the cake is chilled, the chocolate on top can be a little hard to cut through. My tip? Run your knife under hot water, wipe it dry, and then cut. This works every time and gives you perfect slices.
Other than that, there’s nothing too hard or tricky. In fact, it’s really easy, just a lot of blending and then chilling!
Perfect thing to make over the weekend…or tonight, which I highly recommend. Because Friday’s beg for sweetness.
Enjoy!
If you make this vegan chocolate 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 also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch the How To Video:
Vegan Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup raw walnuts
- 1/2 cup raw unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) pitted packed dates
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 pinch flaky sea salt
Chocolate Mousse
- 2 cups raw cashews
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk*
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4-1/2 cup real maple syrup
- 8 ounces dark chocolate
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter or almond butter
Instructions
- 1. To soak the cashews. Place the cashews in medium 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 30 minutes or up to overnight. Drain well. 2. Meanwhile, make the crust. Line an 8-inch spring form pan with parchment paper. In a food processor, combine the walnuts, coconut, dates, cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt. Pulse until finely ground and the mix forms a ball, about 2-3 minutes. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, making sure to pack it in tightly.
3. To make the mousse. Add the drained cashews, coconut milk, cocoa powder, instant coffee, vanilla, and maple syrup to a food processor or high powered blender. Pulse until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed, about 5 minutes. Taste, adding more maple syrup if needed to sweeten. Pour the mixture evenly over the crust. Press a piece of plastic wrap over the mousse. Transfer to the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight.If you mouse is still pudding like, transfer to the freeze and freeze until firm.4. In a small, microwave safe bowl, melt together the chocolate and peanut butter until smooth, about 30 second to 1 minute. Let cool 5 minutes and then spread the chocolate overtop the cake. Return to the fridge to set up, about 10 minutes or until ready to serve. 5. Slice and serve! Keep the cake stored in the fridge (or in the freeze if your mousse is on the looser side*).
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.
It was totally delicious. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much Kasia! xTieghan
I made this recipe over the weekend and I am bummed that it’s almost gone! SO GOOD! Thanks for sharing, Tieghan!
Thank you so much Sara! xTieghan
This was awesome! but next time I’ll only add a pinch of coffee since my kids thought it was way too strong. Adults loved it though! Thanks so much for another great recipe!
Thank you Yael! xTieghan
This cake is SO good. Made it for my vegan mother in law and everyone absolutely loved it. On accident I used Cacau instead of cocoa…haha it was still super delicious. I also subbed almond butter for peanut butter. Best recipe. Thank you!
I am so glad everyone loved this recipe! Jaimee! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Amazing
Thank you! xTieghan
Love finding dessert recipes that my dairy free girl can enjoy! Making this tonight 🙂
Thank you Janet! xTieghan
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Is there any replacement for instant coffee; could I use regular ground coffee instead? Thanks!
Thanks Allison! Unfortunately ground coffee doesn’t quite work like instant coffee, instead you can just omit it. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This is absolutely TDF (to die for!) It all went accordingly to plan as the recipe is so beautifully described and helpful. Everyone loved it very much. The cake improves with time. It tasted even better on the second day. Also – if you can’t find coconut flakes, replace with dessicated coconut.
Hi Nicola! I am so glad these turned out so amazing for you! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Just wondering what brand of vegan dark chocolate you used? Most dark chocolates I’ve seen so far have dairy in them. Thanks!
Hi! I find that many brand from Whole Foods or Target do not have any dairy in them. Here is a link to some that do not!
https://express.google.com/u/0/product/11393331862674261914_2259627213605442514_10046?utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=tu_cu&utm_content=eid-lsjeuxoeqt>im=CKupnN_GiI7Z0QEQ54Pa1ffs_9cQGPDivAIiA1VTRCig0sLjBTC-Tg&utm_campaign=10046&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlejirdTJ4AIVdx-tBh1tigu2EAQYAyABEgJVbPD_BwE
Just added a lil coconut oil to the chocolate but other than that stuck to the recipe and it turned out fabulous
I am so glad you loved this cake! Thank you so much Kathleen! xTieghan
Hi! Do you think that adding a little cocoa it oil and baking the crust at a low temp might make it a little crisp? It’s perfect the way it is but I’m curious.
Hey Tessa, I am sorry, I am unclear of what exactly you are asking? What are you looking to add to the crust?
Hello! Can you sub the walnuts in the crust for anything else? I’m allergic! Thank you.
HI! You can use almonds, peanuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, cashews, really any nut you love! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
What would be a good substitute for the coconut flakes?
HI! I would us an equal amount of your favorite nut or seed. Almonds or pumpkin seeds would be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Could I cut this recipe in half? Please?
When I was making the mousse filling for this, the coffee seemed to really overpower the rest of the flavors in this dish. The consistency was also pretty grainy even though I pulsed it for about 7 min. Can you omit the instant coffee?
HI! You can omit the coffee, that will be fine. For the texture, make sure you are soaking the cashews and using a HIGH powdered blender of food processor. It takes a lot of power to achieve a super smooth consistency. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Are you using real cacao or Hershey’s cocoa powdered in this recipe? And can you sub real cacao for the Hershey’s cocoa powder.
This cake looks amazing!! Can’t wait to make it !
Shelley
HI! I usually just use Hersey’s Cocoa powder. Yes, you can use real cacao powder, that works great too. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan