This Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake is a real show stopper! It's got three delicious layers of dark, milk, and white chocolate flavors - all while staying keto friendly and gluten-free. And don't worry - It only looks hard to make!
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This is my favorite keto dessert to date. It is so rich and decadent that you will never in a million years believe that it's actually low carb.
Don't be intimidated by the appearance of this cake. It's actually really easy to make, although it does take about a day to complete as each layer must cool before the next can be added.
Ingredients and substitutions
The ingredients for this Triple Layer Chocolate Mousse Cake are pretty simple and common for most keto and low carb dieters.
I used Stevia sweetened chocolate for the dark and milk chocolate layers. The white chocolate layer was a bit trickier since sugar-free white chocolate isn't as readily available. I ended up using cacao butter which worked great.
I almost always recommend using confectioners or powdered erythritol versus granular and this recipe is no exception. Erythritol tends to get grainy when it's chilled and the confectioner's erythritol helps to combat that a bit.
You can substitute any bulk sweetener that you like, but I don't recommend using liquid sweetener as the mousse layers may not set properly.
Preparation
As I mentioned above, this cake is very simple to make. Just be sure to read through the recipe completely before starting since timing is really the most important thing.
The bottom, dark chocolate layer is actually a flourless cake verse a mousse. To prepare it, you will begin by melting your chocolate using a double boiler. This prevents the chocolate from getting too hot, too quickly.
If you don't have a double boiler, don't fret. And also don't buy one. It is super easy to make one using a small saucepan and a heatproof bowl. Simply place about 1 cup of water into the saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Then, place the heatproof bowl over the simmering water. Voila - You now have a double boiler.
This first layer is also the only layer that requires baking. It will need to be baked in a water bath so that the edges don't get dry or burnt. (check out this video on how to set up a water bath https://youtu.be/TugpeuooFTE - the video is for a cheesecake, but it should give you the idea.)
Be sure to thoroughly wrap the bottom of your spring-form pan with aluminum foil before placing it into the water bath.
You will also notice that the egg whites and later the heavy cream should be beaten until it forms "soft peaks". This just means that they are stiff, and when you remove the mixer, it holds a peak that bends slightly at the tip.
I hope that you enjoy this cake as much as I have!
Be sure to check out these other great recipes:
- Keto Chocolate Cheesecake
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake | Instant Pot, Keto
- Chocolate Hazelnut Tarts | Keto
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars | Keto, Gluten Free
📖 Recipe
Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake | Keto, Gluten Free
Ingredients
For the Bottom Layer:
- 5 oz Sugar Free Chocolate Chips
- 2 Large Eggs at room temperature, whites and yolks divided
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup Confectioners Erythritol
- ¼ cup Butter softened
For the Middle Layer:
- 4 oz Sugar Free Chocolate Chips
- 1 cup Heavy Cream divided
- ½ teaspoon Unflavored Gelatin Powder
- 1 tablespoon Hot Water
For the Top Layer:
- 3 oz Cacao Butter
- ¾ cup Heavy Cream
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup confectioners erythritol
- 1 teaspoon Unflavored Gelatin Powder
- 1 tablespoon Hot Water
Instructions
For the Bottom Layer:
- Preheat your oven to 350 F. Grease a 7" springform and line the bottom with parchment paper. Prepare a water bath in the oven by filling a large pan with about 1" of water. Wrap the bottom of the springform pan in two layers of aluminum foil.
- Melt the chocolate on low heat over a double boiler, stirring frequently.
- Place egg whites in a large bowl with the Vanilla and Erythritol. Gradually increase the speed and beat until soft peaks form.
- Using a whisk stir the softened butter into the melted chocolate until it’s combined, then whisk in the egg yolks. Add half of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and whisk gently, then with a spatula fold in the remaining egg whites.
- Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan, place the pan in the water bath and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Let the cake cool to room temperature and then refrigerate it for 1 hour before adding the second layer. (you can work ahead and complete the first three steps of the next layer while you are chilling the cake.)
For the second layer:
- In a small bowl, dissolve the gelatin in the hot water and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine the chocolate and ½ cup of the heavy cream. Place over low heat and gently stir just until all of the chocolate has melted, then remove from the heat.
- Whisk the dissolved gelatin into the chocolate mixture. Allow the chocolate to cool to about 80 degrees before proceeding to the next step.
- Add the remaining ½ cup of heavy cream to a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream until soft peaks form.
- Add about half of the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture and gently whisk until it is well combined. Then, fold in the remaining whipped cream.
- Pour this mixture over the top of the chilled cake. Gently tap the pan on the counter to remove any bubbles. Return to the refrigerator.
For the top layer:
- In a small bowl, dissolve the gelatin in the hot water and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine the cacao butter and ½ of the heavy cream. Place over low heat and gently stir just until all of the cacao butter has melted, then remove from the heat.
- Whisk the dissolved gelatin into the chocolate mixture. Allow the chocolate to cool to about 80 degrees before proceeding to the next step.
- Add the remaining heavy cream to a large bowl along with the vanilla and the erythritol. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream until soft peaks form.
- Add about half of the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture and gently whisk until it is well combined. Then, fold in the remaining whipped cream.
- Pour this mixture over the top of the chilled cake. Gently tap the pan on the counter to remove any bubbles. Return to the refrigerator.
- Allow the cake to chill for at least 4 hours before serving. When ready to serve, gently run a knife around the edge of the pan, open the lock and lift off the springform pan ring. Garnish with cocoa powder or chocolate shavings if desired.
- The cake should be stored in the fridge and can be frozen for several months.
Notes
Be sure to read the entire post for tips, tricks, and help troubleshooting.
The nutrition information listed here is only an estimate and is simply provided as a courtesy. It nor any other information within this post should constitute medical or nutritional advice. Be sure to read all packaging and ingredient labels for potential allergens. Optional ingredients are not included unless otherwise specified.
Nutrition
Jillian says
Although the recipe tastes good. The instructions are not correct. At the top of the recipe it says that chill time is two hours. That’s what I planned for but at the bottom of the recipe it says chill for no less than four hours. This kind of messes up my birthday. It’s not going to be ready in time and I’m quite bummed. The directions for step three, or the top layer, is talking about chocolate, there’s no chocolate in the recipe. It looks like a repeat from step one so not sure if it’s the proper directions or it’s just the wrong ingredient listed there. The layers are also quite thin so I had to double the recipe.