Chocolate mousse cake filled with fresh berries [vegan]

"Let’s face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot of people; it does for me.” – Audrey Hepburn

Last month my mum celebrated her birthday and because she is my special person (and because I love birthday cakes) I wanted to make a very special birthday cake for her. However, I baked a unicorn cake for my sister’s birthday so I kind of had to come up with something VERY special. But I’m not a great baker. I love baking but I’m not good at following recipes and not patient enough to mix a gazillion thing in different bowls to then in the end just combine all of them (sense?!). It probably makes a lot of sense to trained professionals, because this way the cake is fluffier, prettier, tastier. Well, I just want cake. I don’t want to win the Nobel prize for baking, I just want to eat my chocolate cake. I might not be an award-winning baker but I love setting myself new challenges. So, I spent the days prior to my mum’s birthday with creating a simple yet delicious and beautiful looking chocolate cake. I might still not be a great baker, but I’m now ready to present to you a delicious chocolate mousse cake with berries! If you are like me and you want to make a special cake for someone special (you are special too and sometimes you just deserve to bake a delicious chocolate cake for your own!), this cake will be the answer! So, let’s get started!

Today's piece of happiness:

All you need:
Cake:
330 gr. flour
210 gr. sugar
75 gr. cacao powder
370 ml. sparkling water
50 ml. vegetable oil (I used sunflower oil)
3 tbsp. baking powder
A little bit of fresh vanilla or vanilla extract

Filling:
Double the amount of chocolate mousse (http://miss-felicious.blogspot.de/2015/08/chocolate-mousse-with-strawberry-mint.html)
250 gr. fresh raspberry
Some fresh fruits for decoration

1. Step: Cake time

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and line three 20cm/8inch baking tins (or bake them one at a time). Place all cake ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Use an (electric) whisk to beat the mixture until smooth and well combined.

Divide the cake batter between three baking tins and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool for at least 15 minutes before removing from the tins and let them cool completely, before frosting them. I would recommend baking them the night before and to frost them in the next morning. If your cakes aren’t perfectly flat, cut off the tops, to create a smoother surface.

Top tip: Freeze them for 15 minutes before you frost them, this way it’s even easier to frost them.

2. Step: Frosting time

Take the mousse out of the fridge 30 minutes before frosting the cake. Spread a little chocolate mousse over the top of one of the chocolate cakes, then cover it with a layer of raspberries (~125 gr.). Mine looked like this ↓

Then carefully top with the other cake and repeat the process. Top the second layer of raspberries with the third cake. Put it in the fridge for 1-2 hours. Transfer the cake to a serving plate and frost the cake all over with the chocolate mousse, using a baking knife.

I prefer the rather rustic look (said every food blogger, who failed ever), so I didn’t make it very smooth. Even though I smoothed it out just a little more after taking the picture above. Now to the fun part: making the cake even prettier! Decorate it with all the berries you desire (and which fit on top of the cake).

Here we go, I'm delighted to tell you: you have done it! Now go on and enjoy your self-made piece of happiness ♥

I hope you liked this slightly more special cake recipe. My mum absolutely loved her birthday cake and I’m sure your special person will, too (or bake it for yourself and your tummy will be super excited!). It just looks super special even though it’s not that hard to make.
Have a great July, filled with lots of sunshine and I’m excited to see you again in two weeks! Until then:
Do not forget: Happiness can be delicious, so go on and spread some feliciousness ❤️

Love, Miss Felicious XXX