What's better than a layer of chocolate? Three layers of chocolate! Try this Three Layer Chocolate Cherry Mousse Cake and it will fulfill all your chocolate fantasies.
If you ask my husband, who I bake for every week, "What's the best dessert she's ever made?" he'd say a Three Layer Chocolate Mousse Cake. I have to agree.
I don't make it very often, as it's so easy to eat the entire cake, all by ourselves. My husband won't let me share it with anyone else, and I don't blame him.
This decadent flourless chocolate cake which is topped with the best chocolate mousse I've ever tasted, and a slightly sweet, yet rich and creamy, white chocolate mousse layer, is hard to part with.
This winter has been dreary, and although I've been baking like a madwoman for Valentine's Day, I thought it was time to break out the heart-shaped springform pan and make my husband his favorite dessert.
I can hardly believe that the last time I made a version of this cake was three years ago.
My Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake was one of the very first recipes I shared on this blog, and it has been one of my most popular posts.
It was about time I made it again.
This time I decided it would be fun to toss some Maraschino cherries into the white chocolate mousse to add some color, flavor, and texture. I may have gone a bit overboard.
I was one of those kids who could sit with a jar filled with brightly colored cherries and devour the whole thing. My husband was not. He thought I added too many.
If you make this cake, you can decide just how many flecks of red you want in your cake. You may not be a fan of Maraschino cherries at all. In that case, you can swap them out for Bing cherries. I may just try that next time. I'm sure there will be the next time, and for my husband that can't come soon enough.
See step-by-step pictures and tips for the first two layers can be found on my original Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake post, here.
Instructions
- Sprinkle powdered gelatin over water and set aside to bloom.
- Heat cream just until it boils and stir in the gelatin until melted.
- Pour over white chocolate.
- Let sit a minute, then stir until melted. If by chance all of the white chocolate does not melt, you can heat it for 10 seconds in the microwave.
- Whip cream to stiff peaks and fold into the white chocolate until light and fluffy.
- Drain, dry, and finely chop maraschino cherries, fold into mousse, and spread evenly over the cake.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, before cutting using a hot clean knife.
More Valentine's Day Recipes
Recipe
A flowerless chocolate cake topped with rich and creamy chocolate mousse and a layer of sweet maraschino cherry filled white chocolate mousse. Bake it in a heart shape to show someone how much you love them this valentines day or any day
- 7 ounces semi-sweet chocolate finely chopped
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs separated
- pinch of salt
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 egg yolks room temperature
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate melted
- ¾ teaspoon powdered gelatin
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 1 ½ cup heavy whipping cream divided
- 6 ounces white chocolate finely chopped
- ½ cup - 1 cup finely chopped maraschino cherries
-
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
-
Generously grease the sides and base of a heart shaped springform pan with butter.
-
Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler set over low heat.
-
Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then stir in vanilla and egg yolks.
-
Whisk egg whites and salt until foam forms.
-
Sprinkle in about ½ of the brown sugar and whisk until combined.
-
Add the rest of the brown sugar and whisk to soft peaks.
-
Fold whipped egg whites into the chocolate.
-
Pour batter into springform pan and bake for 15-18 minutes until cake has risen, and springs back when touched in the center.
-
Cool completely for one hour. The cake will fall as it cools.
-
Whisk whipping cream to soft peaks. Set aside.
-
Pour water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
-
Whisk egg yolks in a medium bowl.
-
Slowly drizzle the hot sugar syrup (water and sugar) into the eggs, whisking continuously.
-
Stir into melted chocolate.
-
Fold whipped cream into chocolate until light and fluffy.
-
Spread evenly over flourless chocolate cake.
-
Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
-
Sprinkle gelatin over water. Set aside for 5 minutes.
-
Bring ½ cup heavy whipping cream just to a boil.
-
Remove from heat and stir in gelatin until dissolved.
-
Pour over white chocolate. Let sit one minute, then stir until melted.
-
Whisk remaining 1 cups heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks.
-
Fold whipped cream into white chocolate.
-
Fold maraschino cherries into white chocolate mousse, leaving a few to sprinkle on top of the cake.
-
Spread evenly over chocolate mousse layer.
-
Refrigerate cake for at least 2 hours before serving.
It's easiest to cut into this cake while it is cold, but best to allow it to warm up a bit before eating. The flavor of the chocolate will intensify if it's not too cold.
Store this mousse cake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This cake can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Irresistible Sweets with Dixie Crystals® - July 13, 2024
- How to make peanut butter? - February 15, 2024
- OREO Penguins - December 20, 2023
Tavette says
It's 1:25 AM and you have me salivating for your Valentine cake with Maraschino cherries on top!!!!! It's beautiful!!! Two types of mousse - oh, be still my heart. It would be nice for any holiday but who needs to wait for a holiday?
For your other Maraschino cherry goodies......I had a heck of a time finding nice cherries with a stem. Publix used to carry them, but no more. Someone directed me to a liquor and there they were. Just be sure about which you want - the regular type of the type marinating in liquor. HA
Beth says
I hadn't thought about this cake in a long time but my mouth was watering too when I saw it again. It really is a wonderful mousse cake. I'm so glad to hear it made you salivate too!
Liquor stores are a great place to find good maraschino cherries. If you need a lot GFS also carries large jars of cherries with stems.
Cjl says
My cherry mousse has separated and is unusuable!:(
Beth says
I'm so sorry to hear that happened. You can try melting the mousse on low heat in the microwave, stirring it until smooth, then allowing it to chill a while until thick enough to pour onto the cake.
JBateman says
Love,Love,Love your creations and work! Can't wait to attempt to make this. Please don't ever stop creating and posting! Just great!
beth says
Thanks so much. I am still so excited about making recipes and edible crafts that I'm sure I'll be doing it for a long time.
Candice says
I made this cake for my daughter's birthday. She loves to bake and is very picky about her desserts. She absolutely loved it! Thank you for the recipe! Well worth the cost and effort.
beth says
I'm so happy to hear that your daughter loved it. This cake does take time to make, but I totally agree with you that it is worth the effort:)
Pia says
This sounds so delicious and I have to make it real soon. I love Maraschino cherries and guess I have get an extra jar course I know I will eat most of them before adding them. Thank's for a lot of great recipes and I will for sure peek here another day.
Greating from Denmark 🙂
beth says
Thanks for stopping by, Pia. This is really a wonderful recipe. I too eat lots of cherries and can't keep my hands out of the jar!
Shamene Medeiros says
this looks so awesome! I can't wait to try it! pinned!
SayNotSweetAnne says
Oh this is gorgeous! I love the cherry bits in the frosting! Pinned!
Marni | Love and Duck Fat says
Looks amazing! Pinned and tweeted!
dina says
it's so pretty. i love the cherry layer!
Minnie Kitchen says
Yum!! Can't wait for valentines!
The Partiologist says
This really is beautiful, I don't know which I would like the best of the layered cakes, but I'm pretty sure either way, I could eat the whole thing!
beth says
Each layer is wonderful in an of itself, but all together, they make an amazing dessert.
Giselle says
Você realmente é uma artista da culinária.
Tudo devoro com os olhos!
ESTUPENDO!!!!!!
beth says
Thank you so much for your kind words!
Karen @ Sugartown Sweets says
This cake is beautiful, cut and uncut! And since I love maraschino cherries..the more pretty red flecks the better. Yum! 🙂
beth says
So far, to my husband's dismay, I've shared a piece with 4 of my friends. They all loved the cake and all felt the cherries were a great addition to the cake. I used a cup of cherries, and thought it was perfect too.