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This Angel Cake Recipe has a delicious twist! It’s a luscious chocolate cake filling that’s revealed when the first slice is removed!

On the exterior, this looks like your typical Angel Food Cake Recipe, but it’s the egg-free chocolate mousse in the middle that steals the show!!

Slice of Mousse Filled Angel Food Cake in front of rest of cake on a plate

Why You Should Make this Cake

I used to make this cake with a storebought cake when my kids were wee ones. Then I misplaced the recipe and finally recreated it for the blog in 2011. It had two dark photos and little to say about the recipe. So here we go again!  Apparently the whole family loved it 10 years ago.

  • If your family loves the light, airy angel food cake, this amped-up version will be a hit!
  • Normally, an angel food cake does not wow a chocoholic, but this mousse-filled version will.
  • Even with the whipped cream and mousse, it’s a lighter dessert than many cake recipes.
Side view of Mousse Filled Angel Food Cake with a slice removed

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Fill an Angel Food Cake?

The process is easy. Slice 1-inch off the top of the cake. Remove the inner part of the cake without breaking through the bottom. Fill that trench with mousse or another filling, then replace the top.

How Do You Slice an Angel Food Cake?

Use a serrated knife and a sawing motion. A straight edge knife will smash instead of slice.

How Do You Store Angel Food Cake?

A plain angel food cake can be covered with plastic wrap at room temperature for 2-3 days. It can be kept in the refrigerator for 4 additional days. It can also be frozen, wrapped well in plastic, then a layer of foil for up to 3 months.

If the cake has whipped cream frosting or a filling, it must be refrigerated and is best eaten on the day it’s filled or frosted. But it will be safe to eat for about 3 days. To cover with plastic wrap, use toothpicks inserted into the cake to keep the plastic from sticking to the frosting.

Tips for Making an Angel Food Cake Recipe

  • PRO-Tip: Have your bowl and beater scrupulously clean. Any oil or fat (including any yolk) on either will prevent the whites from whipping properly. And a typical angel food cake takes 12 egg whites, so you don’t want to start over!
  • Use a 2-piece angel food cake pan and do not grease the pan.
  • PRO-Tip: Eggs separate best when cold, but beat better if warmer.
  • Make sure not to separate eggs over a bowl of egg whites. Any yolk that falls into your whites will contaminate them and you’ll have to start over. Use 3 bowls. One to catch the whites, one to collect the yolks, and a third to collect all the whites (move from the bowl used for catching).
  • PRO-Tip: Have egg whites at 60 degrees. Warmer than from the refrigerator, but cooler than room temperature.
  • Whip the whites on low until foamy, then on medium while adding the sugar.
  • Don’t overbeat the whites. They should be fluffy, but not st
  • Use cake flour. It has less gluten.
  • Add the sugar very slowly.
  • Once the flour is folded in, the batter should be fluid; droopy but not stiff. It’s thick, but with help of a spatula, it will flow into the pan.
  • Do Not Open the oven door while the cake is baking!
  • Test for doneness by tapping the top of the cake with your fingertip. The cake is done if the indentation pops back up. If the indentation remains, bake a little while longer. PRO-Tip: The toothpick test is not reliable when making an angel food cake.
  • Cool upside down. Either use the “feet” that are on the top of the pan or invert onto a glass soda or wine bottle. Cool for 2-3 hours before removing the cake from the pan.

Ingredient Notes

  • Angel Food Cake – a large cake is needed or you’ll have too much mousse (but that’s never a bad predicament, is it?). If you go for storebought, a bakery might have a large version. Look for one that serves 10-12. You can also make one, but stock up on eggs as you’ll need 12 egg whites.
  • Heavy Cream – Both for the mousse and for the whipped cream angel food cake frosting. Look for cream with 36% butterfat or more.
  • Semi-Sweet Chocolate – Chocolate chips or chopped Semisweet Chocolate both work
  • Strong Coffee – Coffee helps accentuate the flavor of chocolate
  • Kahlua – Coffee Liqueur will also accentuate the chocolate
  • Butter – I use salted, but unsalted will work, too. Just add a pinch of salt when you melt the butter with the chocolate.
  • Plain Gelatin – Look for Knox brand in the supermarket
  • Powdered Sugar – Will sweeten the whipped cream frosting. Sift to make sure there are no lumps.
  • Whip-It – This is a whipped cream stabilizer by Dr. Oetker. It can be found in the baking aisle at many major supermarkets. It will help keep the whipped cream from breaking down. It’s optional, but useful if you don’t plan to consume the cake in one day.
  • Vanilla – Use real vanilla extract as artificially flavored vanilla is substandard.

More Cake Recipes You’ll Love

The Recipe:

Mousse Filled Angel Food Cake

A sweet, airy angel food cake filled with a creamy chocolate mousse

Ingredients

  • One Homemade Angel Food Cake or large bakery angel food cake (see link in the post to my cake recipe)

Mousse:

  • 1 3/4 cups whipping cream
  • 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 3 ounces strong coffee
  • 1 tablespoon Kahlua
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon plain gelatin (I use Knox brand)

Whipped Cream Icing:

  • I cup whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 envelope Whip It, whipped cream stabilizer, optional
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  1. If using a homemade angel food cake, bake and cool completely before continuing with the recipe.
  2. Melt together the chips, coffee, Kahlua, and butter in the microwave, stirring and stopping every 30 seconds till smooth.  Cool until the mixture is just slightly warm. 
  3. Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup of the cream in a small bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. 
  4. Add gelatin to chocolate when chocolate has cooled.
  5. Whip the remaining 1 1/2 cups cream till soft peaks form.  Fold 1/4 cup into chocolate, then fold half the remaining cream, followed by the last half of the whipped cream.  Refrigerate for about an hour.
  6. To assemble the cake, slice off the top about an inch down.  Set aside top.  Cut out a trench in the bottom of the cake, making sure not to get too close to the bottom or edges.  Save removed cake pieces for snacking. 
  7. Fill the trench with mousse and top with the reserved round of cake.  
  8. To make the icing, whip cream with sugar, Whip It, and vanilla. Frost cake. Chill before serving.

Notes

Store bought angel food cakes are usually smaller than what you make at home. You will probably have extra mousse filling if you buy your cake, but it can be served in bowls with a little whipped cream and chocolate shavings for a lovely dessert.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 393Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 84mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 2gSugar: 22gProtein: 3g

Thatskinnychickcanbake.com occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although thatskinnychickcanbake.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe. Also, many recipes on thatskinnychickcanbake.com recommend toppings, which may or may not be listed as optional and nutritional information for these added toppings is not listed. Other factors may change the nutritional information such as when the salt amount is listed “to taste,” it is not calculated into the recipe as the amount will vary. Also, different online calculators can provide different results. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information obtained is accurate.

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© Liz Berg
Cuisine: American / Category: Cakes