Keto Mocha Mousse Layered Cake Recipe

When the idea for this Easy Keto Mocha Mousse Layered Cake popped up in my head, I knew they would be perfect for my coffee-loving husband! This super moist dark chocolate brownie cake combines beautifully with simple light and fluffy layers of vanilla and mocha mousse. Super simple with only a short amount of hands-on time, this keto dessert recipe idea is the perfect warm-weather, cold-weather, or Holiday treat!

Keto Mocha Layered Cake

With only a quick mix and time in the oven, this almost no-bake keto mousse cake made this dessert super simple to put together and absolutely delicious!

Last week, I had a million different cake and bar recipes floating through my head.  Since I couldn't decide which idea to start with, I asked Mr. Grumbles and he declared that something with the word "mocha" sounded delicious!

I'm not too sure why, but chocolate and coffee just seem to go hand in hand.  The sweetness of the chocolate combined with the mild bitterness of coffee, seem to go together just like peanut butter and honey.

The great thing about this easy keto mousse cake is that it can easily be served as a dessert but we also ate it for breakfast.  Let's face it, when we hear the word coffee, we automatically think of breakfast so why not have this cake bright and early in the morning?

Also, since this chocolate mousse cake is not overly sweet, it was the perfect breakfast to serve with a fresh cup of coffee.

This cake is so ridiculously easy to make and only requires a few ingredients but the final outcome screams sophistication!

Keto Mocha Mousse

Much as I love a mousse made with eggs, they’re definitely more time-consuming plus you have to worry about the possibility of salmonella contamination.

So, by eliminating the eggs and making a "cheater" keto mousse, not only do we save a TON of time but also keep this recipe quick and easy.

this recipe

3 Parts to this Mocha Mousse Cake

Let’s break down each component of this intensely rich cake:

1. Dark Chocolate Brownie Cake: This is actually a variation of my Simple Keto Fudgy Mocha Brownies which originated from my  Flourless Chocolate Souffle Brownie recipe. Since I wanted this recipe to have everyday ingredients, I modified the recipes to make them "everyday easy" and perfect for any beginner keto baker!
2. Mocha Mousse: I researched simplified ways to make a fluffy chocolate mousse filling without the use of eggs or gelatin. This chocolate mousse filling combines real chocolate, whipped cream and a little cream cheese for added structure. By adding a hot liquid to cocoa powder, you are actually "blooming" the cocoa powder. Blooming the cocoa powder helps to intensify the chocolate flavour by releasing flavour that is trapped in the solid particles. When the hot liquid is mixed with the cocoa powder it dissolves quickly and thickens up.
3. Vanilla Mousse:  This light and not-too-sweet vanilla mousse helps to tone down the intensity of this mousse cake. Since it is simply the same as the mocha mousse without any chocolate or espresso powder, it helps to make this cake ridiculously easy to make!

Keto Chocolate Coffee Cake Ingredients

The mocha and vanilla mousse add a creamy and light contrast to the dark dense chocolate brownie cake.

For the Keto Chocolate Brownie Base:

• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – I used Droste Dutch-processed as it is my ABSOLUTE favourite. However, regular Hershey's or any other brand will also work.
• Coconut Oil - If you don't have coconut oil, simply replace it with canola oil. Make sure that your oil is melted but also make sure that it is not too hot otherwise you could cook the eggs when you add them to the mixture
• Eggs - You need 2 large eggs but if you by farm fresh eggs, don't worry if they seem smaller as the recipe will turn out just fine. Make sure that the eggs are at room temperature or they will cause the coconut oil to harden when added to the mixture. If this happens, simply place the bowl in the microwave for about 15 seconds to melt the coconut oil again.
• Sugar-Free Sweetener - I used Allulose in this recipe as it does not crystalize when it is cooled. Since these bars need to be refrigerated, I was afraid that the brownies could become gritty if erythritol was used. IF you only have erythritol, feel free to use it but decrease the amount to ½ a cup as allulose is only 75 % as sweet as erythritol.
• Salt and Vanilla - Both of these ingredients help to bring out the flavour of the brownies

For the Mocha Mousse Layers

• Cream Cheese - I used full-fat Philadelphia cream cheese but you could probably get away with using light cream cheese as well
• Heavy Cream - You can not use anything but heavy cream as anything lower in fat, such as half and half will not be able to be whipped into whipped cream. Some of the heavy cream will be heated and added to the espresso and cocoa powder to help the cocoa bloom and to add an additional intensity to the flavour.
• Espresso Powder - I used DeLallo espresso powder. You can buy it at Walmart or on Amazon and is my "go-to" espresso powder for all my coffee desserts like my Easy Gluten-Free Keto Tiramisu

Keto Mocha Layered Cake Instructions

• First, prepare the brownie cake layer - Beat together the melted oil and all the additional ingredients. Place the batter in a 6-inch springform pan and bake for about 20 minutes. Let the brownie cake cool completely.
• Prepare the mocha - Pour ¼ cup of heavy cream into a small bowl and microwave for about 20-30 seconds or until the cream is hot but NOT boiling. Whisk in some unsweetened cocoa powder and espresso powder. Place the bowl in the freezer to cool.
• Next, prepare the mousse - Whipped together the cream cheese and sweetener. Add ½ cup of the heavy cream and beat until all the ingredients have been combined.
• Create the Vanilla mousse - In a medium bowl, place half of the mousse and whip in some vanilla extract. Set the bowl aside.
• Create the Mocha mousse - Take the mocha cream out of the freezer and whip it into the remaining ½ of the mousse
• Assemble the Layered Mousse Cake - Take the cooled brownie cake and smooth the vanilla mousse over the cake. Next, smooth the mocha mousse over the vanilla mousse and place the cake in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight to firm.

Tips for a Perfect Keto Mousse Cake

• I like using an offset spatula to smooth out the top of the filling after it’s scooped out onto the crust.
• I also like slicing with a hot knife (run it through very hot water, then dry it) as it glides through the mousse beautifully.
• If you don't want any "coffee" flavour, simply omit the espresso powder and add an additional 1 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder
• If you want more of a mocha flavour, increase the espresso powder to 2 tablespoons.
• To make chocolate shavings for decorations, use a vegetable peeler and scrape the edges of a sugar-free chocolate bar (or whatever you have on hand) onto a piece of parchment paper.
• The chocolate brownie cake must be fully cooled before adding any mousse layers - if it is evenly and slightly warm, the mousse will melt.
• This recipe is perfect as a make-ahead dessert as you can easily make it a day ahead of time and allow it to firm up overnight.

What About Bars?

Instead of a big cake, you can make espresso mousse bars. Use this same recipe and make these in a square 8 x 8-inch pan. The layer may not be as big so if you want, you can always double the recipe.  

What if I don't have a 6-inch springform pan?

You can make this in any cake pan you want but just realize that the larger the pan, the thinner the layers.

You can also make this in a larger pan and simply double the ingredients.

How should you store this keto mousse cake?

You MUST store this cake in the fridge or it will not hold together. You can also make this recipe and freeze it for up to 3 months. When you are ready to serve it, simply place it in the fridge the night before and allow it to thaw.

What if I don't really like coffee flavour?

If you don't like the flavour of espresso or if you are feeding this to kids, simply omit the espresso powder and add an additional 1 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder.

More Keto Chocolate Dessert

Here are some more of my favourite keto chocolate cake recipes:

More Keto No-Bake Desserts

These are some of my favourite no-bake keto desserts:

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