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Milk Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipe

A layered chocolate cake with a buttery hazelnut‑crunch base, a silky milk‑chocolate mousse filling, and a glossy liqueur‑glazed finish. The combination of crisp rice cereal, toasted hazelnuts, and rich gianduja creates a delightful texture contrast.

Recipe by Alice Medrich· Structured by ReelsMeals

From: Website(view original)

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Milk Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipe

Prep Time

40 min

Cook Time

30 min

Servings

Tags

DessertChocolateCakeMousseHazelnut

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From Alice Medrich on bonappetit.com · View the original →

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Cooking context

1 hr 10 min estimated total time for 12 servings.

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DessertChocolateCakeMousse

Ingredients

  • powdered sugar

Cake

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 0.33 cup all‑purpose flour
  • 0.33 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 4 large eggs
  • 0.66 cup sugar
  • 5 ounce gianduja bars (hazelnut‑flavored milk chocolate)

Hazelnut Crunch

  • 5 ounce gianduja bars (hazelnut‑flavored milk chocolate)
  • 1 cup crisp rice cereal
  • 0.33 cup hazelnuts

Mousse

  • 10 ounce gianduja bars (hazelnut‑flavored milk chocolate)
  • 3 tablespoon water
  • 1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • Tuaca or Frangelico

Instructions

  1. 1
    Preheat the oven to 350°F (351°F) and position the rack in the bottom third of the oven. Line the bottom of a 9‑inch‑diameter cake pan with parchment paper.
  2. 2
    Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then remove from heat. Skim off any foam, discard, and set the clarified butter aside. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  3. 3
    Sift the flour and cocoa powder together three times into a medium bowl.
  4. 4
    Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a large metal bowl until blended. Place this bowl in a large skillet of barely simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture reaches about 105°F (104°F), roughly 2 minutes. Remove from the water bath.
  5. 5
    Using an electric mixer, beat the egg‑sugar mixture until it cools and triples in volume, about 5 minutes.
  6. 6
    Fold one‑third of the sifted flour‑cocoa mixture into the egg mixture, then gently fold in the remaining flour‑cocoa mixture in two additions.
  7. 7
    Fold 1 cup of the cake batter into the warm clarified butter until incorporated, then fold this butter‑batter mixture back into the remaining cake batter.
  8. 8
    Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the top springs back slightly when pressed. Cool completely in the pan on a rack.
  9. 9
    Run a knife between the pan sides and the cake to loosen, then invert the cake onto a rack and remove the parchment. Trim the top to a 3/4‑inch thickness and trim the sides to form an 8‑inch round cake. Set aside.
  10. 10
    To make the hazelnut crunch, line the bottom of an 8‑inch springform pan with parchment. Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a large skillet, then remove from heat. Place the 5 oz of chopped gianduja in a medium metal bowl and set the bowl in the hot water to melt, stirring until smooth. Stir in the crisp rice cereal and toasted hazelnuts, then spread the mixture evenly on the parchment. Place the trimmed cake on top of the crunch layer and press gently to adhere. Chill until firm, about 1 hour.
  11. 11
    For the mousse, melt the remaining 10 oz of chopped gianduja using the same bain‑marie method, then let it cool to lukewarm.
  12. 12
    In a separate bowl, beat the chilled heavy cream with the pinch of salt until very soft peaks form. Mix the 3 tablespoons of water into the melted gianduja, then fold the whipped cream into the chocolate until just combined; the mousse will be very soft.
  13. 13
    Brush the top of the chilled cake with Tuaca or Frangelico, spread the mousse over the cake, cover, and chill overnight (or up to 2 days).
  14. 14
    When ready to serve, run a knife between the cake and the springform sides to loosen. Warm a kitchen towel in hot water, wring out, and wrap it around the pan sides for 30 seconds to ease removal. Remove the springform sides, smooth the mousse if needed, and place the cake on a rack set over a baking sheet.
  15. 15
    Lightly sift unsweetened cocoa powder over the top, then use stencils (e.g., snowflakes or stars) to dust powdered sugar decoratively. Transfer to a serving platter and enjoy.

Helpful tips while cooking

AI-assisted notes grounded in this recipe's ingredients, timings, and method—not additional creator instructions.

Control Egg‑Sugar Bath Temperature

Heat the whisked eggs and sugar in a barely simmering water bath until the mixture reaches about 105 °F (40 °C), roughly 2 minutes, before removing.

Incorporate Clarified Butter Gradually

Fold 1 cup of batter into the warm clarified butter, then fold this butter‑batter mixture back into the remaining cake batter.

Chill Crunch Layer Before Assembling

After spreading the hazelnut‑crunch mixture, chill until firm, about 1 hour, before placing the trimmed cake on top.

Wrap Springform Sides for Easy Release

Warm a kitchen towel in hot water, wring out, and wrap it around the pan sides for 30 seconds to ease removal of the springform sides.

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Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to make Milk Chocolate Mousse Cake with Hazelnut Crunch Crust?
About 1 hour 10 minutes in total: 40 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of cooking.
How many servings does this Milk Chocolate Mousse Cake with Hazelnut Crunch Crust recipe make?
This recipe makes 12 servings as written; ingredient quantities on this page can be scaled.
Where does this Milk Chocolate Mousse Cake with Hazelnut Crunch Crust recipe come from?
It was shared by Alice Medrich on bonappetit.com. ReelsMeals structured the original post into this step-by-step card; the original is linked above.