Brownie Mousse Cake! Decadent flourless fudgy brownie on the bottom with fluffy two-ingredient chocolate mousse on top – vegan and paleo!
THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY HU KITCHEN
Answer: To discover the yummiest possible configuration for cramming this much chocolate on chocolate on decadence chocolate into a 7-inch diameter springform pan.
If the question had been: Why did you make a Brownie Mousse Cake?
But I guess it would’ve been a rhetorical question anyways. Because BROWNIE MOUSSE CAKE. A dessert made up of three different glorious chocolate desserts but all in one, all making each other shine, all saying I see you and I want to make you even better. That needs no explanation. That’s as good and pure as the world gets.
You’ve tried Hu Gems by now, yes? Because I know you love chocolate and I know you have good tastes and I KNOW that Gems are the best of the best that chocolate chunks/chips can be. I’ve eaten my way through enough bags of Gems by now to be classified as a Gem expert, so this is facts.
And because they are made of just three organic high-quality ingredients, no other chips are really even on their level. But don’t take my word for it, one hexagon and you will taste that truth. Honestly they’ve ruined me for other chocolate, but it’s fine.
This cake is essentially just Gems dressed up in their finest cake costume. Gems stirred into the brownie. Gems melted in the mousse. Gems on top. If we’re being honest this cake tastes like one giant Gem, just a little larger, more shareable, and with more texture variation.
Rich, chewy, fudgier-than-cake-but-fluffier-than-brownie brownie perfectly complimented with smooooooooooth, dreamy, magically easy mousse. Oh yes, we like texture contrast.
So here’s what’s happening:
- A fudgy – but not excessively gooey, it has structure, it is in touch with it’s cakey side – flourless brownie batter gets baked into cake form. And then you gotta let it cool. Completely. And NOT slice and sample a bite. I recommend the out of sight, out of mind, shove it in the freezer method.
- Next comes the mousse part, my favorite part. The part where we melt Gems with coconut milk and it cools/thickens/transforms into something spectacular.
- Top with Gems. Top with berries. Top with coconut or hazelnuts or nothing at all.
- Fridge (not freezer, it’ll ruin the creaminess of the mousse) overnight.
- EAT.
That first bite moment – it’s a MOMENT. The chewy, deeply decadent brownie mingling with fluffy like-frosting-but-better mousse plus a little snap from that hunk of chilly chocolate on top mmmmm!
All three elements could be their own delicious dessert, but collaboration is where the real magic happens.
Brownie Mousse Cake
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
- Category: cake
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: american
Description
Brownie Mousse Cake! Decadent flourless fudgy brownie on the bottom with fluffy two-ingredient chocolate mousse on top – vegan and paleo!
Ingredients
Brownie Cake
- 1 cup (200g) medjool dates, pitted
- 1/2 cup (120g) nondairy milk
- 1/2 cup (125g) almond butter (or any nut/seed butter)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (50g) cacao powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (90g) Hu Gems
Mousse
- 1 cup (180g) Hu Gems
- 1 15oz can full-fat coconut milk, shaken
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Blend the medjool dates, nondairy milk, almond butter, and vanilla.
- Transfer to a bowl. Add the cacao powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Fold in the Hu Gems.
- Transfer to a springform pan (7 inch). Bake for 25 minutes at 350ºF.
- Cool completely.
- For the mousse, melt together the Hu Gems and coconut milk in a bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Refrigerate until thick but not fully set (about 1-2 hours).
- Spread mousse on top of the cooled brownie cake.
- Refrigerate overnight.
- Slice and serve chilled. Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to a week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 27g
- Fat: 37g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Carbohydrates: 44g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 8g
Keywords: chocolate, mousse, paleo, vegan, gluten free, coconut milk, flourless, dessert, egg free, dairy free
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Can you substitute the coconut milk for anything else?
Other nondairy milks won’t set quite like coconut milk so I don’t recommend swapping. You could just make a cashew based frosting for the top instead though, like this: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/gluten-free-vegan-chocolate-cake/
Hi Natialie,
I am unable to locate GEMS and they sound heavenly. What is another chocolate you would recommend for the mousse?
I hope to find GEMS sometime in my travels.
Thanks for all your yummies….robin
They are only available online at this time, but other brands of high quality dark chocolate would work too! My next best recommendation for baking chips is Enjoy Life, or if you wanted something cheaper I like the Trader Joe’s or Thrive Market store brand dark chocolate bars😊
SO excited about that texture!!!! Cannot wait to try this 🙂 Love that it’s made with dates and nut butter too, and I have all of the ingredients on hand!
Yes!! Just the brownie alone…AMAZING🙌 So fluffy and not mushy for being flourless, you will love it!
You know how much my family LOVES those brownie cups of yours (I’ve seriously lost track of how many times we’ve made and devoured them) and every time I make them I think, “what would happen if I put the batter in a cake pan?” 🤔 Now I know!!!! 😍😍 but this goes an epic step further with that mousse topping!! And obviously the addition of those gems 😍 I still have to get my hands on a few bags!! But I have a 7” springform cake pan and all of the other ingredients….this needs to happen ASAP! That last close-up shot is calling my name 😍 This looks amazing, Natalie!!!! Can’t wait to try!
Hahaha yes this was absolutely inspired by those cups because I love them so much too🤗❤️ But that topping makes it minimum 12x better! Or heck just the topping minus the brownie base…DELISH😋 Hopefully Gems will make it to stores soon, because they are honestly unlike any other chocolate I’ve ever tasted. But even with other chocolate chips it will be delish🍫🍫
I have been meaning to pop over here to leave a review!! This cake 😍😋 I knew the actual cake part was going to be good, but OMG….that mousse topping is everything! Paired so perfectly and they could each be a dessert of their own separately ❤️ As you know, my entire family consists of chocoholics and anytime we all get together, I try to bring a new chocolatey treat and this was it over the weekend. Everyone gave it two thumbs up and they still talk about how good it was! Insanely rich and chocolatey and obviously delicious!!
★★★★★
Thanks for taking the time my friend❤️ That photo you sent me already has me wanting to remake, I may make it for all of us when I see my family next weekend! Can’t imagine living in a family of non-chocoholics…who are these people? what would that be like? what do you eat?🤔😂
Hey Natalie!
Can’t wait to try this recipe! I’m such a huge fan of you and your work! Every one of your recipes I have tried are winners (I pretty much make 1 a week). I only have a 9” springform pan.. Any thoughts on how it might turn out? Thanks!
A 9″ will work! The cake will just be thinner and probably bake a little faster, so reduce the bake time by 5 minutes. So happy you are enjoying the recipes!
I just make the base as brownies and it’s delicious, well defined crumb and fudgy especially the next day. So chocolatey….
★★★★★
YAY!! I am so happy you liked it, yes couldn’t describe it better myself🍫😋 Thank you for the feedback!
Ok Natalie, you already know how EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL this was for me but I just had to share it again – wow. This guy is scrumptious as described above (ooooooo that mousse frosting… and so simple too!) and in its incarnation as “hills” on a (https://www.feastingonfruit.com/gluten-free-vegan-chocolate-cake/) birthday cake! Xx
★★★★★
Oh yes, I remember your beautiful success of a bday cake well🤗🚲🎂 Thanks for taking the time to share the positive words here too! Happy saturday, Aleks❤️
This looks delicious! Can I make cupcakes from this recipe?
Yep that works too! They aren’t super fluffy like a traditional cupcake though, somewhere in between brownie and cake 🙂
I made the base and the mousse last night. The base turned out great! But the mousse is not setting up at all! Its for my dad’s birthday and I really and needing it to turn out well, and ideas?? It’s been in the fridge for more than 12 hours and is still just liquid. HELP!!
Oh no!! I am so sorry to hear that Paige, I was away from my computer all day so I am just now seeing this. What percent chocolate did you use? And you used full fat milk, not lite correct?
Yep! I used semi sweet chocolate. Just the chocolate chunks from Trader Joe’s. I whipped it after a few hours to see if that would help, but it didn’t whip very well either. I eventually just stuck it in the freezer and it helped it set up, but it still was fairly liquidy.
I have no idea what it could be, that’s so odd. Sorry!
Can I make cake ahead of time and freeze it and then put moose on the day of party
That will work! The cake may be a little drier than if you make it fresh, but still good 🙂
Hi Natalie! Do you think I can use Carob powder instead of coco powder ? And also not using chocolate in brownie ? I wanna make something that I eat with my toddler ! Let me know. Thank you xoxo
Yes carob powder will work, and you can skip the chocolate chips in the brownie part too! Hope you guys enjoy 🙂
Hi! I love your recipes and I can’t wait to make this! I was wondering- is there a reason that no flax egg is needed for the brownie?
The flax egg helps to bind the brownie part, you can skip it but your brownie might be a little crumbly😊
wait, we don’t need flax-egg, do we? It’s not in the recipe. Are you saying that adding it will help? It didn’t look crumbly in your video, it doesn’t appear to need it. btw, thank you for making one of the only vegan grain-free cakes I’ve found! Gonna try it for Christmas.
Nope, no flax egg in this one! It’s really quite moist and fudgy, not too crumbly 🙂 Hope you love it and happy holidays!
Thank you so much! I made it for Christmas this year and it was a big hit! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes 🙂
★★★★★
Woohoo!! I am so happy you liked it, hope you had a delicious and happy holiday❤️🎄
It’s been a minute but I did remember to come back and let you know this was awesome! I couldnt get the mousse to set but that’s ok. It was so good that I made it for Christmas and New Years. Thanks <3
★★★★★
Aw I extra appreciate you taking the time to come back after all the holiday craziness and leave a review, Rose! Hmm idk why the mousse wouldn’t set, might have to do with the brand of chocolate chips. Sorry to hear that, but I’m glad you still enjoyed! Thank you for the feedback❤️
Hi Natalie,
well, the brownie part is in the oven 😉 I almost ate the batter itself 😉 it’s so delicious.
For the mousse part I have a question though.
“For the mousse, melt together the Hu Gems and coconut milk in a bowl. Whisk until smooth.”
You mean, I have to melt it above pan of simmering water (a bain marie)?
Thanks
Tom
Hi Tom! So happy you are trying this one🤗 For the mousse you can melt it in a double boiler on the stove or put both in a microwave safe bowl and do it that way. Hope your cake turns out perfect!
Taste is amazing! But my mousse never set…Not sure why. I used 1 can Thai kitchen coconut milk full fat and melted enjoy life chocolate chunks. Maybe it was the brand of coconut milk?
Aw no I’m so sorry to hear that! I used the Native Forest brand, but Thai Kitchen should work fine too. Next time try just half the can for the same 1 cup chocolate chips, should set up firmer 🙂
Hi Natalie,
This cake looks amazing! Do you think this batter could be used to make a chocolate loaf cake? This recipe seems perfect but I don’t have any cake pans right now.
Similar to what I said about the carrot cake, loaf pan’s are always more risky than a cake pan. It may work here since this is just a smaller amount of batter, but I still cannot guarantee it. A muffin pan would be a better alternative if you have one!
Hi there.
I just wanted to say I’m such a fan of your recipes and how to manage to create such decadence with all natural /healthy ingredients.
Is it necessary to line the baking tin/spring form pan with baking paper to avoid sticking? I tried your other gf brownies and forgot to use paper, but managed to save them 🙄
Thanks so much
I am so happy you are enjoying the recipes Gretha! And yes, I do recommend greasing the pan here or lining with paper. All those “nonstick” pans…I never trust them and better safe than stuck in the pan cake. Happy baking 🙂
That’s perfect, yeah can’t trust the “non-stick”. I’m going to get some dates and nut butter this week and give it a try.
Thanks again!
That’s perfect, yeah can’t trust the “non-stick”. I’m going to get some dates and nut butter this week and give it a try.
Thanks again!
★★★★★
Yay!! Keep me updated, I think you will love this one Gretha😊
I will most definitely let you know.
X
Can I possibly replace the dates for something other than dried fruits?
I haven’t tested with any other sort of sweeteners, but you could maybe try this chocolate cake recipe for the base instead: https://feastingonfruit.com/vegan-paleo-chocolate-cake/
The mousse part is a little runny…can I place in the freezer and then thaw when ready to eat?.. and if so ~> how long would it need to thaw before I can indulge?
Better would be to just freeze for about 1 hour before you want to eat so the mousse doesn’t freeze through completely and get icy at all but firms up! But it will work to store it in the freezer too and then thaw for probably 30 or so before eating
Would it be okay to use Hershey’s dark cocoa powder in place of the cacao powder?
Also, can I bake this in an 8” square aluminum pan if I don’t have a spring form pan? Perhaps line the entire pan with one sheet of parchment paper so cake can be lifted out?
Hershey’s cocoa will work, yes! And yes it will work in an 8×8″ pan too, the cake will be a little thinner since that pan is a little larger. Just make sure you let it chill/set completely before you try to lift it out. Hope you enjoy Cassie!
Thanks for the quick response, Natalie! I’m looking forward to trying this.
Let me know how it turns out for you…🤗
Natalie, I would post 10 stars if I could!! Just served the brownie mousse cake to dear friends in honor of a birthday. Everyone LOVED it, they couldn’t stop raving. Best cake ever for these choco-holics!!
My mousse came out perfectly – the coconut milk was mostly coconut cream so I’m sure that helped. I didn’t catch the post about greasing the pan lol, but no problem serving! I finished my Hu Gems with the mousse so for a topping I melted some chocolate chips with a TB of peanut butter and then spread that on top…delightful addition to your amazing cake.
Thank you thank you!! I really enjoy reading your notes, it’s a joy getting to know you in that way.
Your recipes are amazing and perfect for the way we like to eat.
I
★★★★★
Valerie, yayyyyy!! I am so happy this cake was such a delicious chocolate success🤗🍫🍫🍫 I LOVE the sound of your pb drizzle, what a way to step up the decadence even more! A very lucky friend you have, chocoholics are the best company haha! I enjoy reading your comments and personal experience with the recipes just as much, so thank you❤️