This mascarpone chocolate mousse recipe makes a luscious and decadent dessert with a combination of rich and smooth flavors of mascarpone cheese, dark chocolate and cream. It only requires 5 simple ingredients and less than 20 minutes to make!
The mascarpone cheese provides a creamy and slightly tangy base for the dessert, while the cream adds a light and airy texture. The dark chocolate adds a deep, rich flavor that complements the creamy base.
You start by melting the dark chocolate and mixing it with creamed mascarpone cheese, vanilla and powdered sugar, before folding into whipped cream. The resulting velvety mousse makes a luxurious dessert perfect for parties and special occasions.
If you like mousses, you might also want to try this kiwi mousse, apple mousse and durian mousse. And for more light and cooling desserts, try this ube leche flan, coffee jelly, Biscoff pudding and aiyu jelly.
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❤️Why You Will Love This Recipe
- This is a fairly easy chocolate mousse recipe and a quick one to make too.
- There is no baking or cooking required.
- You only need 5 ingredients to make it - mascarpone cheese, dark chocolate, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and heavy whipping cream.
- There is also no egg whites, which means this dessert is perfect for vegetarians too.
What is Mascarpone Cheese?
Mascarpone cheese is a rich and creamy cheese that is traditionally made from cow's milk. It is similar in texture to cream cheese, but with a smoother and more delicate flavor.
Mascarpone is used in both sweet and savory dishes. It is mostly commonly used in making Italian desserts such as tiramisu and cannoli. Mascarpone is also great to be used as a topping for fruits, pancakes, or waffles, or even as a spread on crackers or bread.
Mascarpone cheese is typically made by heating cream to a specific temperature, then adding citric or tartaric acid to curdle it. The resulting curds are then drained, and the resulting cheese is rich and creamy, with a slightly sweet and tangy flavor.
📋Ingredients
- Mascarpone cheese - use full fat cheese for a creamy mousse. Make sure the cheese is at room temperature before using.
- Heavy whipping cream - This chocolate mascarpone mousse is best made with heavy whipping cream (with at least 35% fat). Keep the cream chilled until ready to whip and make sure the cream can be whipped.
- Powdered sugar (icing sugar) - sift first before using to break any lumps.
- Dark chocolate (or bittersweet chocolate) - use a good quality dark chocolate. The higher the cocoa butter content in the chocolate, they more intense will be the chocolate flavor in the mousse. If using chocolate bar, chop it into small, even sized pieces for quick and even melting.
- Vanilla extract - for flavoring.
*Refer to the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and exact quantities. For best results, use a digital kitchen scale where applicable*
🧾Substitution and Variations
- Mascarpone cheese can be replaced with cream cheese.
- For more intense flavor, you can add half a teaspoon of instant coffee powder to the melted chocolate.
- The mousse is great on its own, and tastes even better when topped with cream and white chocolate. Here are some other serving suggestions:
- Sift some cocoa powder for a truly rich chocolate taste before adding the shaved chocolate and whipped cream.
- Drizzle the top with some melted chocolate (white chocolate or milk chocolate).
- Top the whipped cream with some fresh fruit like fresh raspberries or strawberries..
- Top the whipped cream with some grated orange rind (orange zest).
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you do try, please let me know in the comments section below!
👩🍳How to Make
Step 1: Melt the chocolate.
Measure chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate block) into a heatproof bowl (image 1).
Melt it over a double boiler or in a microwave. To melt the double boiler way, fill up some water into a small saucepan. Place the bowl of chocolate over the pot, making sure the water does not touch the bowl. Turn on the flame to a medium-low heat. For this purpose, it helps to use a pot that is smaller than the bowl (image 2).
Let the steam from the water warm up the bowl and melt the chocolate. Stir occasionally to expedite the melting (image 3). You can also melt the chocolate in a microwave. Place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat it up at short intervals of 30 seconds on medium or high until the chocolate is fully melted.
Once the chocolate melts, set the chocolate aside to cool completely to room temperature (image 4).
Step 2: Make the mousse. In a separate large bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft stiff peaks from with an electric mixer (on medium speed).
Place the bowl in the refrigerator while waiting for the chocolate to cool down (image 5).
In another separate bowl, measure the mascarpone cheese and powdered sugar. Whip both until well incorporated (image 6).
Once the chocolate has cooled down to room temperature, add it to the mascarpone cheese mixture (image 7). Add in the vanilla extract.
Whip until well combined (image 8).
Next, remove the whipped cream from the fridge. Set aside about 2 spoonful of the cream into a separate bowl (to be used as the topping later).
Add approximately 2 spoonful of the whipped cream into the mascarpone chocolate mixture. Fold until well combined (image 9). Repeat the process with 2 more spoonful cream and fold well before folding in the remaining whipped cream (image 10).
Step 3: Assemble the mousse.
Transfer the mascarpone chocolate mousse into a large pastry bag. Snip the tip and pipe it into prepared mousse cups (image 11).
To level the tops, place a folded kitchen towel on your kitchen countertop or table and tap the mousse cups gently on cloth to level the mascarpone chocolate mousse (image 12).
Next, grate some white chocolate shavings onto each of the chocolate mousse cups (image 13).
And finally, transfer the earlier reserved whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe a large star in the center of each mascarpone chocolate mousse cups (image 14).
Chill the mascarpone mousse for at least 1 to 2 hours before serving to allow the mousse to set. Keep the mousse chilled at all times, until ready to serve. This mascarpone chocolate mousse is best served chilled.
💡Expert Tips
- Make sure no water comes into contact with the chocolate when melting it to avoid the chocolate from seizing and forming clumps.
- Whipping cream is sensitive to heat. It will not whip at room temperature and need to be chill. For best results, chill the bowl and the beaters as well so that the cream remains cold as it is being whipped.
- Once the cream reaches a soft peak stage, you can stop the whipping process. Whipping for too long (in the hope that it will stiffen more) could result in the cream becoming butter. Hence, it is advisable to stop once the soft peak stage is achieved.
💭FAQs
Chocolate has a tendency to burn very quickly, and it is not advisable to try to melt it over direct heat. Always double boil over hot steam or microwave at short intervals to prevent it from burning.
This mousse should be kept refrigerated at all times. It can last in the fridge for a good 4 to 5 days.
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📖Recipe
Mascarpone Chocolate Mousse
For best results, use the metrics measurements. US customary measurements have not been tested and are only meant for guide.
Ingredients
Mousse
- 250 ml cream
- 250 g mascarpone cheese
- 225 g dark chocolate
- 25 g powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Decoration
- White chocolate
Instructions
- Measure chocolate into a heatproof bowl.
- Melt it over a double boiler or in a microwave. If using chocolate block, chop it into small pieces for quick melting.
- To melt the double boiler way, fill up some water into a small pot. Place the bowl of chocolate over the pot, making sure the water does not touch the bowl. For this purpose, it helps to use a pot that is smaller than the bowl.
- Let the steam from the water warm up the bowl and melt the chocolate. Stir occasionally to expedite the melting.
- To melt using the microwave, place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Heat it up at short intervals of 30 seconds on medium or high until the chocolate is fully melted.
- Set the chocolate aside to cool completely to room temperature (see Note 1).
- In a separate bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks from (see Notes 2 & 3). Set aside in the refrigerator while waiting for the chocolate to cool down.
- In another separate bowl, measure the mascarpone cheese and powdered sugar. Cream both until well incorporated.
- Once the chocolate has cooled down to room temperature, add it to the mascarpone cheese mixture. Add in the vanilla extract and whip until well combined.
- Next, remove the whipped cream from the fridge. Set aside 2 spoonful of the cream. Keep it refrigerated.
- From the remaining cream, add approximately 2 spoonful into the chocolate mascarpone mixture. Fold until well combined. Repeat with 2 more spoonful of cream before folding in all the remaining whipped cream. Mix until well combined.
- Transfer the mascarpone chocolate mousse into a large piping bag. Snip the tip and pipe it into prepared mousse cups. To level the tops, place a folded kitchen towel on your kitchen countertop or table and tap the mousse cups gently on cloth to level the mascarpone chocolate mousse.
- Next, grate some white chocolate onto each of the chocolate mousse cups.
- Transfer the reserved whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe a large whipped cream star in the center of each mascarpone chocolate mousse cup. You can also just add a dallop of the cream onto the mousse with a teaspoon.
- Chill the mousse for at least 1 to 2 hours before serving to allow it to set. Keep the mousse chilled at all times, until ready to serve. This mascarpone chocolate mousse is best served chilled.
Notes
- Make sure no water comes into contact with the chocolate when melting it to avoid the chocolate from seizing and forming clumps.
- Whipping cream is sensitive to heat. It will not whip at room temperature and need to be chill. For best results, chill the bowl and the beaters as well so that the cream remains cold as it is being whipped.
- Once the cream reaches a soft peak stage, you can stop the whipping process. Whipping for too long (in the hope that it will stiffen more) could result in the cream becoming butter. Hence, it is advisable to stop once the soft peak stage is achieved.
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