This low carb chocolate mousse cake is for any day, any time, any occasion. It is simple to make with easy to source ingredients. It is rich, decadent, indulgent and makes the most incredible centrepiece. It is a true talking point as not only is it gluten and grain free but it is also very low in carbs, making it perfect for anyone living with diabetes.
I recently shared it on my social media (here) and it was one of the most widely requested recipes I have ever created, so as promised here it is. Tried and tested many times over the last couple of months, shared at dinner parties, lunches and most recently made with my Easter cookery class and the feedback was joyful.
Now, there are two absolute wins with this recipe as you ultimately end up with 3 recipes in one. You have the chocolate sponge- which makes for a delicious chocolate cake all by itself. You have the mousse, which could be portioned into ramekins and popped in the fridge. Then you have the whole chocolate mousse cake itself. The centrepiece, the show stopper.
The ingredients used are simple ones. Ingredients you’ll find in your local supermarket at least. Nothing fancy or hard to source. I always find the best recipes are the most simple, don’t you? Free from grains and gluten so perfect for those with coeliac. If you are confident making substitutions to make it dairy free then please do so, likewise, swapping the ground almonds out for a ground seed (something like ground flax / linseed) to make it nut free. It is a cake you can experiment with and put your own twist on. Decorate the top with anything you wish for. The decorations on mine have not been included in the nutritional information. Things I like adding: some melted very dark chocolate, a dusting of cocoa powder, freeze dried raspberries for colour or if for Easter, some dark Easter eggs. Be creative!
If you had told me 18 yrs ago that I would be able to enjoy a slice of chocolate mousse cake I simply wouldn’t have believed you. Back then I lived by the idea that I had insulin so I could eat whatever I wanted. It’s what I was told was achieveable. Yet this never worked… I could never find any balance with my blood sugars and was on a constant rollercoaster as a result. High blood sugars and correction doses. For what? For food that left me feeling terribly unwell, out of control and gave me very little pleasure. The “moment of the lips” ended up being an afternoon / day of chasing my tail to get my blood sugars back to down.
Food affects us all in different ways and food and mood are often united. The same as food and blood sugar. If my blood sugars are well controlled and I am able to eat delicious desserts such as this then the smile on my face is unbreakable. We (diabetes or not) deserve to enjoy food and so if making a small change in ingredients gives you better control of your blood sugars, then what a brilliant result and one worth continuing.
This is a recipe for you to share with your friends and family. For them to celebrate and enjoy alongside you. It’s a cake that keeps blood sugars balanced. A cake that doesn’t take your sugars on a rollercoaster and then leave you feeling heavy and low in energy.
- Chocolate cake:
- 15g coconut flour
- 40g sweetener (if you want to split 20g sugar or honey / 20g sweetener please do, totally your call on how you sweeten your pudding or just 40g sugar- you will need to amend nutritional info)
- 25g cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs
- 120g cream cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 75g ground almonds
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 30g milk
- Chocolate mousse:
- 250g Double cream
- 100g cream cheese
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
- 30g cocoa powder
- 20g milk
- 2 tbsp honey (can use sugar free or just sweetener)
- 2 tbsp powdered sweetener
- Sponge:
- Preheat your oven to 180°C. Grab a cake tin and butter the sides and line the base.
- In to a large mixing bowl add coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, ground almonds and sweetener. Mix together.
- Make a well.
- Into a separate bowl add eggs, cream cheese, vanilla and milk. Whisk together.
- Pour into the well and using a spatula fold the ingredients together and fully combine.
- Now is the perfect opportunity to have a taste- if it needs more sweetener add it (just be mindful that you don't want to add too much as the mousse top is sweet too).
- Into your cake tin, fold in the batter evenly.
- Pop onto a baking tray in and place in the centre of your oven for 20-25 minutes. Until the top has risen (mine usually has some joyful baking cracks) but still has a little wobble.
- Remove the cake from the oven carefully and place the tin on top of a wire wrack and leave it to fully cool (this will take a couple of hours). Do not attempt the remove the cake from the tin.
- Making the mousse (you can do this anytime from when the cake is cooling):
- Into a deep glass or metal bowl add the double cream.
- With a balloon whisk you want to whisk the cream until it starts to thicken and the whisk starts to drag.
- Add in the cream cheese, vanilla, milk and honey. Sieve in the cocoa powder and powdered sweetener.
- Use a spatula to fold all the ingredients together until fully combined.
- Have a taste! Do you like it? Does it need more of anything?
- Combining your cake:
- Once your cake has fully cooled, you can spoon your mousse onto. Do this carefully and smooth it down using the back of a dessert spoon. Once you have spooned in all the mousse, pop it in the fridge to set for approximately 1 hour (the longer the better).
- Once ready you can decorate and serve!
What sweetener do you use?Â
I use powdered erythritol in my baking and raw desserts. It’s a product I am comfortable cooking with and have no adverse effects with it. However, your body, your health. See what works for you. If it’s more a case of reducing sugar in dishes then follow my guidance (recipes) and replace sweetener suggestion with sugar. You will need to amend carbs accordingly. If you would like to use honey please do, again just mindfully adjust / calculate carbs where needed.
There are plenty of sweeteners available, it’s just a case of trying them.
What is the difference between cocoa and cacao? Does it matter which one I use?
I use a powdered cacao. Cacao is the raw, unprocessed (or minimally processed) version of cocoa with no additives. It is more expensive to buy but worth its health weight in gold. If you are buying cocoa, just check the back of the packet / tub. Opt for minimal added ingredients and be mindful if it has sugar in it.
I love this product as it lasts forever. For a smaller amount, this product is equally wonderful and one of my favourite small businesses.
I would prefer to use fat free / reduced fat products?
Yes of course. Using fat free / reduced fat cream cheese / milk / single cream will all work. You just want to work out any nutritional information for yourself as the numbers I have worked out will differ a little with carbs (will go a little higher) and fat (will be much lower).
If I just make the sponge on its own can I add anything extra?Â
Of course. Be adventurous. The recipe works so if it’s a case of adding some orange zest to make it chocolate orange, do that. Add some fresh raspberries or fold in some keto white chocolate. Alternatively double the recipe and make a vanilla frosting for the centre, that would look fab!
For a whole ebook of baking recipes, why not try my Low Carb Baking Bible. 24 baking classics. Here.
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Made this at the weekend and it is absolutely lush! 😋
OMG Emma, thank you for sharing this. It comes at exactly the right moment, as it’s my birthday in a few weeks’ time, and I need a cake that will please both myself and my keto-skeptic family (yes, even after five years!). I look forward to it!