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This Easy Chocolate Mousse Tart is egg-free and no-bake! Just stock up on heavy cream and chocolate and you’ll be ready to create this easy, decadent chocolate dessert recipe.

This Chocolate Mousse Dessert showcases a simple, one-ingredient chocolate garnish. You won’t break a sweat making this stunning Chocolate Tart.

Easy Chocolate Mousse Cake on a white ceramic serving plate.
Table of Contents hide
1 Why You Must Make
2 Expert Tips
3 How to Garnish
4 Frequently Asked Questions
5 You May Also Like:
6 Easy Chocolate Mousse Tart Recipe

Why You Must Make

  • This recipe comes from an old issue of Fine Cooking magazine.
  • Most mousses I’ve made contain raw eggs, resulting in an uber-silky texture to the mousse. No raw eggs here!
  • This mousse was just chocolate and cream! So simple and exquisite.
Overhead view of Easy Chocolate Mousse Cake on a white cake plate.

Expert Tips

  • Use salted butter for your crust. The tiny bit of salt enhances the flavor of the crust without tasting salty.
  • Whip your cream to stiff peaks. This means when you lift your beaters out of the cream, peaks of cream will remain in place instead of slumping back into the bowl.
  • If you overwhip and the cream becomes clumpy, you can add slowly mix in more cream until it’s smooth again.
  • Folding is when you use a rubber spatula and in a circular motion, cut down through the middle of the two components that need to be combined. Once you hit the bottom, scrape along that lower part of the bowl and bring it up along one side. Rotate the bowl a bit and repeat over and over until the mixture is combined. The goal is not to deflate the cream, so restrain from rushing the process.

How to Garnish

Instead of my usual chocolate curls, I jazzed up this chocolate mousse cake with chocolate shards. Boy, was this a lot easier! Since this was my first attempt making and using them, I haven’t perfected the skill of scattering them artfully. But they did kick this dessert up a notch or two. Basically, you melt 4 ounces of chocolate, spread it out over a sheet of waxed paper, top with another sheet of wax paper, roll, and chill. When you unroll the wax paper, the shards are formed. It’s as simple as that. Here is the recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Mousse?

Mousse is the French term for froth or foam. A mousse is any sweet or savory dish that is rich and airy. Whipped cream or beaten egg whites give them their light consistency.

Can Mousse Be Made without Raw Egg Whites?

Yes, a mousse can be made using whipped cream instead of whipped egg whites to make them fluffy.

Is Mousse Gluten Free?

This mousse, like many mousses, is gluten-free. But the crust, made of Nabisco Famous Wafers, contains gluten.

What is Chocolate Mousse?

Chocolate mousse is a light, rich dessert made with melted chocolate or cocoa powder and whipped egg whites, whipped cream, or both. It’s served chilled.

You May Also Like:

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Easy Chocolate Mousse Tart Recipe
The Recipe:

Easy Chocolate Mousse Tart Recipe

Prep Time 40 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Yield 12 servings

A no-bake chocolate mousse tart adapted from Fine Cooking.

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted; more for the pan
  • 8 ounces chocolate wafer cookies, ground into crumbs (I use Nabisco Famous Wafers)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 9 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided
  • A pinch of salt
  • 3 ¼ cups heavy cream, divided
  • ½ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
  2. Mix together butter, crumbs, and sugar. Spread the crumbs over the bottom of the pan and press evenly to form the crust. Refrigerate.
  3. Combine the chocolate, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla, and the salt in a large bowl. In a microwave-safe measuring cup, heat ¾ cup of cream to almost boiling.
  4. Pour the cream over the chocolate, let sit for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to cool.
  5. Beat 1-½ cups of the cream in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Whisk the chocolate mixture to loosen it, then fold in a large dollop of the whipped cream into the chocolate to lighten the mixture. Fold the lightened chocolate mixture into the whipped cream with a rubber spatula until no streaks are left.
  6. Scrape the mousse into the pan, gently spreading it to the edges. Smooth the top with an offset spatula. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
  7. Before serving, beat the remaining 1 cup cream, powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl to medium-stiff peaks. Run a knife around the pie to loosen it from the pan and then remove the side of the pan.
  8. Slide a spatula under the crust to loosen it from the pan, then use a large spatula to transfer the tart to a serving plate.
  9. Mound or pipe the whipped cream over the mousse and top with chocolate curls, shards, or shavings. To serve, use a hot, dry knife (dip into very hot water, then wipe dry).
  10. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Notes

Garnish with chocolate shards for an impressive presentation!

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 494Total Fat: 39gSaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 194mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 2gSugar: 28gProtein: 4g

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© Liz Berg
Cuisine: American / Category: Chocolate