Raspberry Mousse Cake (no gelatin or eggs)

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This delicious layered Raspberry Mousse Cake has a moist chocolate cake base, a light and tangy raspberry white chocolate mousse, and a silky chocolate ganache topping. A showstopper perfect for Valentine's Day, Galentine's Day, or any occasion!

Raspberry white chocolate mousse cake features a dark chocolate cake base, followed by a raspberry white chocolate mousse that's made without gelatin or eggs, and finished with a chocolate ganache.

This amazing chocolate raspberry mousse cake topped with fresh raspberries is a variation of my popular dark chocolate mousse cake. The raspberry white chocolate mousse layer is delightfully tart and tangy, which pairs deliciously with the rich dark chocolate cake. One bite and you'll be hooked!

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♡ Why You Will Love This Raspberry Mousse Cake
Ingredient Notes
Substitutions
Step-By-Step Instructions
How to Make Chocolate Cake
How to Make Raspberry Mousse
💡 Tip
Storage
⭐️ Expert Tips
FAQ
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♡ Did you try this recipe?
📖 Recipe

♡ Why You Will Love This Raspberry Mousse Cake

The mousse is made without eggs and gelatin. You'd be surprised by how stable the raspberry mousse layer is, especially without gelatin or eggs. The key is using white chocolate and freeze-dried raspberries.
Easy to make. The chocolate cake has very minimal steps and takes less than 10 minutes to make, and the raspberry white chocolate mousse whips up in less than 20 minutes.
Not too sweet. This cake looks decadent, but isn't sweet at all! The raspberry mousse adds a wonderful tartness that balances the flavors.
Perfect for all occasions. This stunning layered cake is perfect for Valentine's Day, Galentine's Day, Mother's Day, Easter, Father's Day, birthdays, parties, anniversaries or just because!

Looking for more raspberry desserts? Try my raspberry & white chocolate blondies, raspberry almond cake, and raspberry cheesecake donuts!

Ingredient Notes

Here are some notes about all the ingredients used in this Raspberry Mousse Cake. Quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card below!

Chocolate Cake

All-Purpose Flour - I recommend using a kitchen scale to measure your flour with for best results. Adding too much flour can make your cake dry and dense rather than light and moist.
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - Make sure you're using Dutch-process cocoa powder. Natural cocoa powder is acidic and would not work with the quantity of leveners we have in this recipe.
Leveners - We are using a combination of baking powder and baking soda for the perfect rise and texture.
Fine Espresso Powder - Totally optional, but enhances the chocolate flavor.
Salt - Rounds out the flavors and balances the sweetness.
White Sugar - Adds a bit of sweetness and moisture.
Neutral Oil - The oil makes the cake light and moist.
Full-Fat Sour Cream - Adds moisture.
Whole Egg - Adds structure.
Vanilla Paste or Extract - For flavor.
Boiling Hot Water - The hot water blooms the espresso and cocoa powder.

Raspberry white chocolate mousse filling and chocolate ganache ingredients which include, white chocolate bars, cream cheese, heavy cream, powdered sugar, freeze-dried raspberries, vanilla, and dark chocolate chips.

Raspberry White Chocolate Mousse + Chocolate Ganache

White Chocolate - I'm using white chocolate bars as it's easier to melt, but you can also use white chocolate chips.
Cream Cheese - Make sure to use full-fat cream cheese blocks.
Heavy Cream - Heavy cream will be whipped and folded into the mousse filling.
Freeze-Dried Raspberries - You'll need to use nearly 2 bags. We will be grinding it into a fine powder and then sifting it to remove the seeds.
Powdered Sugar - Also known as icing sugar or confectioners sugar, will lightly sweeten the mousse filling.
Vanilla - For flavor. I use vanilla paste, but you can also use vanilla extract.
Dark Chocolate Chips + Heavy Cream - For the chocolate ganache.

*See recipe card for quantities.

Substitutions

For the Cake 🍰

Sour Cream - You can easily replace with full-fat Greek yogurt.
Neutral Oil - You can use avocado oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, refined coconut oil or grapeseed oil.
Espresso Powder - You can omit if you don't have it in your pantry.
Boiling Hot Water - You can also use hot coffee.

For the Mousse

White Chocolate Bars - White chocolate bars melt more smoothly, but you can use white chocolate chips in a pinch.
Freeze-Dried Raspberries - You can replace with freeze-dried strawberries.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Here are step-by-step photos and instructions on how to make this chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake! Please find detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to Make Chocolate Cake

Wet ingredients are whisked together in a large glass mixing bowl.

Step 1. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, sour cream, egg and vanilla.

Flour mixture is sifted into the large bowl of wet ingredients.

Step 2. Sift dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk until nearly combined. The batter will be thick.

Hot water is added to the dark chocolate cake batter in a large glass bowl.

Step 3. Add hot boiling water and gently whisk until just combined. Do not overmix.

Step 4. Bake in a preheated oven at 350ºF (180ºc) for about 24 to 28 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

How to Make Raspberry Mousse

White chocolate and a bit of heavy cream is melted together in a heatproof bowl sitting over a pot of simmering water.

Step 5. Melt white chocolate and heavy cream until smooth. Set aside to cool.

Heavy cream and a bit of powdered sugar whipped together until firm peaks.

Step 6. In a medium bowl, whip heavy cream and powdered sugar until firm peaks. Set in the fridge until needed.

Cream cheese and powdered sugar is whipped until smooth.

Step 7. In a large bowl, and using an electric mixer, beat softened cream cheese and powdered sugar until lump free.

Melted white chocolate cream mixture is whisked into the cream cheese mixture.

Step 8. Added melted white chocolate and whip until combined.

Whipped cream cheese, powdered sugar, sifted freeze-dried raspberry powder and vanilla is in a large mixing bowl.

Step 9. Add vanilla and sifted raspberry powder and mix until incorporated.

Whipped cream is folded into the raspberry white chocolate cream cheese mixture.

Step 10. In 2 additions, fold the whipped cream into the raspberry mousse mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.

Raspberry white chocolate is no gelatin and no eggs are mixed together in a large mixing bowl.

Raspberry white chocolate mousse is spread on top of the chocolate cake layer.

Step 11. Place cooled chocolate cake onto a serving dish. Wrap the sides of the cake with a cake collar. Then spread the raspberry mousse on top of the cake layer. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours.

💡 Tip

Please note that a cake collar (acetate sheet) will give you cleaner sides. If you would like to use parchment paper, lightly spray the paper with oil to help the mousse release more easily.

Hot cream and chocolate chips are in a small pot.

Step 12. Make chocolate ganache by combining hot cream and chocolate.

Chocolate ganache is pour on top of the cake.

Step 13. Pour ganache on top of the raspberry mousse layer. Let set in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

Raspberry white chocolate mousse cake features a moist dark chocolate cake base, followed by a raspberry white chocolate mousse that's made without gelatin or eggs, and finished with a chocolate ganache.

Storage

Refrigerator - Store covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer - Wrap individual cake slices in plastic wrap. Once completely frozen, store in freezer bags. Thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature before consuming.

⭐️ Expert Tips

Use a kitchen scale to weigh all your ingredients. Baking in grams, rather than volume, is the best and most accurate way to bake! All my recipes include gram conversions based on King Arthur's Weight Chart.

Make sure the cream cheese is softened. This will ensure a smooth filling. If you're pressed for time, cut into cubes and microwave it in 8 second intervals until just soft.

Melt the white chocolate completely. If not, you'll have little chunks of white chocolate in your mousse filling. During testing, I found that white chocolate chips took a bit longer to fully melt. You can strain if needed.

For the perfect texture, let the cake sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

FAQ

Can this mousse cake be made ahead?

Absolutely! You can made this cake 2 days ahead. Be sure to cover it, and top with ganache the day you plan on serving it.

I don't have a springform pan, can I use another pan?

Absolutely! Bake your cake in a regular 9-inch (23cm) pan. Place your cooled cake on a serving platter and then wrap the cake with a long sheet of acetate (aka cake colar). It will be sturdy enough without needing to assemble in a pan.

What are freeze-dried raspberries?

Freeze-drying is a process in which 98% of water is removed from a product while also retaining its nutrients and flavor. Freeze-drying or lyophilization removes water by freezing a product at a low temperature and then placing it under a vacuum. This allows the ice to change directly from a solid state to vapor, all while bypassing the liquid phase. This leaves the fruit dry, light and crisp.

♡ Did you try this recipe?

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