Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cake

This Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cake is the best secretly healthy yet seriously indulgent dessert! It’s:

• super chocolatey
• rich and creamy
• sweet but not sickly!

I’ve made so many chocolate treats for my blog so far, but I wanted to do something extra rich and indulgent for the upcoming Christmas holiday season.

Just because you follow a special diet doesn’t mean you can’t eat delicious food, right? And what better way to indulge during the festive season than with this Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cake.

I absolutely love the combination of the moist, fluffy sponge, with the velvety, deeply chocolatey mousse, and the silky, ganache-like topping.

For the base, I used my go-to chocolate sponge recipe – it’s easy to make, requires just one bowl and familiar ingredients, and is versatile too.

The mousse layer was inspired by my Chocolate Sweet Potato Buttercream – it’s easy to make, uses inexpensive ingredients and you honestly can’t taste the sweet potatoes at all! Their naturally creamy texture and high sugar content makes them the perfect base for a luxurious chocolate mousse that doesn’t leave you feeling unwell afterwards.

The dark chocolate ganache layer is the perfect way to finish off this Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cake, as it adds an extra level of indulgence. Make sure to look out for a refined sugar free chocolate if necessary.

For more chocolate cakes, check out my:

• Chocolate Torte
• Chocolate Hazelnut Truffle Cake
• Brooklyn Blackout Chocolate Cake
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
• Chocolate Truffle Cake
• Chocolate Orange Cake
• Chocolate Cupcakes

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

You can watch this quick video to see how to make the mousse:

Helpful tools to make this Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cake:

For the cake:

glass mixing bowl

measuring jug

18cm / 7 inch springform baking tin

baking paper

For the mousse:

food processor

blender

hand-held stick blender

Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cake

This Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cake is the best secretly healthy yet seriously indulgent dessert. It's super chocolatey, rich and creamy and perfectly sweet!

4.8 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: European

Keyword: vegan chocolate dessert, vegan chocolate mousse cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 296kcal

Author: Rhian Williams

Ingredients

For the chocolate sponge:

• 30 g (1/8 cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
• 115 ml (1/2 cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 75 g (2/3 cup) ground almonds* (almond meal)
• 75 g (2/3 cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
• 1 heaped teaspoon baking power (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
• 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder

For the chocolate mousse:

• 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes (about 400g/14oz in total)
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil

For the topping:

• 60 g (2oz) dark chocolate (ensure vegan/refined sugar free if necessary)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 7 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)

Instructions

For the chocolate sponge:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
• Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil)
• Once melted, add the milk to the same bowl along with the vinegar, maple syrup, vanilla, salt and ground almonds
• Sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder
• Mix well, adding a tiny splash more milk if it’s looking too dry
• Place the mixture into a greased baking tin lined with baking paper (I used a 7inch/18cm springform baking tin)
• Bake in oven for around 15 minutes until risen slightly and an inserted skewer comes out clean
• Once out the oven, leave in the tin to cool completely before applying the next layer

For the chocolate mousse:

• Cook the sweet potatoes by boiling, steaming or roasting them until very soft and tender
• Discard any skins, and add to a food processor or blender (or hand-held blender) along with all other ingredients
• Whizz until completely smooth
• Taste and adjust ingredients as necessary – add more maple syrup for sweetness, more salt for saltiness, more cocoa powder for chocolate flavour etc
• Leave to cool before using for the cake

To assemble:

• Once the sponge has completely cooled, keep it in the baking tin and spread the chocolate mousse evenly over the top
• Melt the chocolate and coconut oil either over a bain-marie or in the microwave, add the milk and mix well
• Still keeping the cake in the baking tin, pour the melted chocolate over the top of the mousse layer
• Transfer the cake to the fridge for at least a few hours for everything to set
• Once the top layer has set, you can decorate the cake if desired 
• Ensure that everything has set properly before cutting the cake
• Tastes best when fresh, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days

Video

Notes

*You can alternatively use almond flour

Nutrition Facts

Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 296

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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