A chocolate sponge topped with two layers of rich, minty mousse and peppermint bark make for an impressive, festive dessert in this Peppermint Mousse Cake.
It’s the last day of Peppermint Week. And we’re going out with a bang.
It’s an impressive, you’ll-feel-like-a-better-baker-after-you’ve-made-it sort of bang. Chocolate Peppermint Bark Mousse Cake is not a throw it together affair. It’s not something you whip up in a few minutes to scratch an itch.
This Peppermint Chocolate Mousse Cake is the kind of cake that you plan ahead for and take to a party. The kind of dessert that begs to be shown off and enjoyed by all. It’s also probably my favorite recipe that I’ve shared this week, but if I’m being honest I probably couldn’t actually pick. I’ll just take one of each. I’ll share too! You good with that?
Another thing we need to address… Mousse. It sounds scary, right? So glam. Too complicated. Tres French. But really, don’t be afraid of it. There’s a little learning curve with the gelatin, but I’ve included tips and tricks for making it work. You’ve got it. The mousse will look like it’s going to be a runny puddle. But never fear, it’ll set up nicely.
In a word, you can do this. Don’t let French words scare you away.
Notes on Making Peppermint Chocolate Mousse Cake
- Make sure to plan ahead when making this cake–both layers of mousse will take a few hours in the fridge to set up. And, as always, read through the recipe at least once before getting started!
- Let’s talk about the peppermint bark that’s piled on top of this beaut. You can make your own, and I’ve included the recipe below! It’s really simple, and can save a lot of money if you’re a peppermint bark addict like I am.
- Use a cake pan with a removeable bottom (like a springform pan, or these cake pans) to make you cake easy to take out of the pan. If you don’t have either of those, cut several thin strips of parchment paper and lay them in an x across the bottom of your cake pan. This will give you an easy “handle” to remove the cake from the pan once the mousse is completely set.
- The mousse may hang over the edge of the sponge layer. You can scrape with a straight edged spatula or bench knife to create even sides.
Click Here to Pin the Peppermint Bark Recipe!
Tips and How to Prepare the Gelatin for Mousse
Note: This method is only for plain, powdered gelatin. If you are using sheet gelatin, follow the directions that came with it to set it up and to calculate the appropriate number of sheets to use.
- Begin by putting the gelatin into cold water in a bowl to soften. This is called letting it bloom, and when it’s ready it will look thick and gloppy and will no longer be a powder. This step should take about 10 minutes
- Next, heat the bottom of the bowl gently over a gas flame or candle. It may take a minute or two, but the heat will gently return it to it’s liquid form. {Note: You can try melting it down in the microwave, but you run the risk of destroying the structure of the gelatin}
- It’s now ready to add to the mousse mixture. Make sure that it’s not being added to anything too hot, and stir it in thoroughly–you don’t want streaks of gelatin running through your mousse!
Other Recipes You May Enjoy:
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Peppermint Mousse Cake
- Total Time: 5+ hours, divided
- Yield: 1 8″ cake 1x
Description
A chocolate sponge topped with two layers of rich, minty mousse and peppermint bark make for an impressive, festive dessert in this Peppermint Mousse Cake.
Ingredients
Cake Layer:
- 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. white sugar
- 3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 3/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
- 1 large egg
- 6 Tbsp. milk
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Chocolate Mousse Layer:
- 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate (around 70%), chopped
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 2 Tbsp. water
- 1 tsp. plain gelatin
- 2 Tbsp. cold water
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Peppermint Mousse Layer:
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 + 1/4 cup whipping cream, divided
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 Tbsp. cold water
- 1 tsp. plain gelatin
- 2 tsp. peppermint extract
- Peppermint bark, for decoration
Instructions
For the Cake Layer: Preheat the oven to 350°. Line and grease an 8” round cake pan.
Combine all of the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. In a smaller bowl, use a hand beater to beat all of the wet ingredients together until smooth. Pour them into the dry ingredients and mix for about two minutes.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean after being inserted into the center. After about five minutes, turn the cake out onto a rack and let it cool completely. Use a sharp serrated knife to cut off any dome on the top.
To prepare the cake for assembly, put it on an 8” cardboard round and then back in the pan. If the bottom doesn’t come out of your cake pan (most don’t), create 2 strips of foil that are long and skinny and place them under the cardboard round. These will be the “handles” to pull the cake out of the pan once it is done, so make sure the are hanging over the edges of the cake pan by several inches so that you can get a good grip on them.
Line the edges of the pan with an acetate strip (you can get them from Amazon, Walmart, etc.)
For the Chocolate Mousse: Place the chocolate, hot water, and butter in a heat proof bowl and melt over a pan with about an inch of gently simmering water in it. Stir occasionally until it is completely melted and smooth. Set it aside to cool but not hardened.
Place the cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it—this is called letting it bloom. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then heat it gently over a gas flame or candle until the gelatin has dissolved completely. Once it has, stir it thoroughly into the cooled chocolate mixture.
Whip the cream until it has reached medium peaks. Stir about a quarter of it into the chocolate, then gently fold the rest in. Don’t overwork the mousse—it’s alright if there are a few streaks of cream left. Pour the mousse over the cake into the acetate ring and smooth it out. Shake the cake pan gently to remove any air bubbles and make sure the top is even.
For the Peppermint Mousse: Repeat the steps for blooming the gelatin. Beat the egg yolks in a small bowl until smooth and set aside.
In a small saucepan, make a custard by combine the whole milk, sugar, and 1/4 cup of the whipping cream. Heat over medium low heat until the mixture is steaming and bubbles are beginning to form around the edges. Carefully spoon some of the hot milk into the eggs, whisking as you do to bring the temperature of the eggs up gently. Once you’ve added about half of the milk mixture, pour it all back into the pan and cook over medium low, stirring with a spatula the whole time. Continue cooking until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon.
Once it has thickened, remove it from the heat and add the peppermint extract. Repeat the heating method for dissolving the gelatin, then stir it thoroughly into the custard. Place it in a bowl and chill until it is completely cooled but not set, about half an hour.
Whip the remaining cup of cream until it has reached medium peak stage and has about doubled in volume. Stir a quarter of it into the peppermint custard, then fold in the rest until combined. Pour this on top of the chocolate mousse, again smoothing and gently shaking to make it as level as possible.
Place the cake in the fridge until the mousse is set, at least two hours. To serve, remove the cake from the pan and peel off the acetate strip. Smooth the sides of the mousse with a spatula or bench knife. Arrange pieces and bits of peppermint bark on the top however you would like. Serve chilled.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes, divided
- Cook Time: 20 minutes baking // 4 hours chilling
- Category: cakes
- Cuisine: dessert
Jane
Saturday 21st of November 2020
Would this freeze well? I'd like to make it ahead of Christmas.
Rebecca Neidhart
Monday 23rd of November 2020
Hi Jane! Yes, this cake should freeze well. Make sure it's wrapped well to avoid ice crystals forming and breaking down the mousse. For thawing, I would recommend placing it in the refrigerator a day or two before serving to allow it to thaw completely. Happy baking, and merry Christmas!
Taryn
Tuesday 15th of September 2020
Do you use semi sweet or bitter sweet for the chocolate mousse?
Rebecca Neidhart
Wednesday 16th of September 2020
Hi Taryn! I would recommend chocolate around 70%, which is considered bittersweet. Hope that helps! I'll update the recipe card with that detail--thanks for asking!