This Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cake is the best secretly healthy yet seriously indulgent dessert: a moist, fluffy chocolate sponge, topped with a silky, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate mousse and a velvety chocolate ganache.
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 springform 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 of the oven, leave the sponge in the tin to cool completely before applying the mousse.
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 cocoa powder for chocolate flavour etc.
Leave to cool before using for the cake.
Once the sponge has cooled, keep it in the baking tin and spread the chocolate mousse over it.
For the chocolate ganache:
Melt the chocolate either over a bain-marie or in the microwave, add the almond milk and mix well.
Still keeping the cake in the baking tin, pour the chocolate ganache over the top of the mousse layer.
Place in the fridge for at least a few hours until everything is set.
Once the chocolate ganache has set, decorate if desired.
Ensuring that everything has set properly, remove the cake from the springform tin and transfer onto a plate or cake stand before slicing.
Tastes best when fresh, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days.
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Notes
*You can alternatively use almond flour.**Use refined sugar free chocolate, if necessary.If you don't want to use sweet potatoes, or want to use a different type of chocolate mousse recipe, you could alternatively use my Vegan Chocolate Mousse recipe or my Vegan Chocolate Pudding recipe.