Vegan or not you are going to love this new recipe for Peanut Butter Mousse Cake!
It is so creamy and light with a brownie base and ganache icing, globs of peanut butter cookie dough and fudge rosettes!
You are going to flip over this new cake!
It is a pretty intense Building On Recipes project which is not a surprise when it comes to cakes like this one.
We do have to prepare several recipes to get to the final cake, but trust me it is worth the effort!
For the base I made my favorite brownie recipe so you will want to get that prepared ahead of time.
Also since the whipped cream for the mousses is coconut milk, you will want to be sure to get your cans of coconut milk to the refrigerator to solidify the night before you start.
The peanut butter cookie recipe for the raw cookie dough garnish is completely optional but really ties it all together, in my opinion.
I used my inside out peanut butter cookie dough recipe but you can use whatever recipe you love the most.
Be sure to make the vegan version though so you have no problems with raw eggs!
UPDATE: There is a new alert to eating raw cookie dough though, since there has been some trouble with an association with raw flour and salmonella, so be wary of that.
- ½ Recipe Your Favorite Brownie Recipe
- For the Peanut Butter Mousse:
- Creamy Peanut Butter ¾ cup (195g)
- Milk Alternative 2 tablespoons (30ml)
- Vanilla Extract 1 teaspoon (5ml)
- Aquafaba ¼ cup (60ml)
- Coconut Fat from 1-15oz can full fat coconut milk
- Granulated Sugar 2 tablespoons (28g)
- Cream of Tartar ¼ teaspoon
- For the Chocolate Mousse:
- Semi Sweet Vegan Chocolate 1 scant cup (113g)
- Brewed Coffee 2 Tablespoons (28g)
- Vanilla Extract 1 teaspoon (5ml)
- Aquafaba ¼ cup (60ml)
- Coconut Fat from 1-15oz can full fat coconut milk
- Granulated Sugar 2 tablespoons (28g)
- Cream of Tartar ¼ teaspoon
- Vegan Ganache Recipe:
- Semi Sweet Chocolate 1 cup (170g)
- Milk Alternative ½ cup (120ml)
- Prepare the brownie recipe as per the instructions on that blog post, and bake it into the same size pan as you will be building your final mousse cake, I have used a 5" ring mold for mine, so I baked the brownie in a 5" cake pan
- Prepare the peanut butter mousse by slightly melting the peanut butter, then add the milk alternative and vanilla extract, whisk smooth
- Whip the aquafaba on high speed and gradually add the sugar with the cream of tartar. Whip to stiff peaks.
- Whip the coconut fat to soft peaks then fold into the peanut butter base.
- Fold in the aquafaba last and then pour into the ring mold fitted with the brownie base.
- Freeze while you prepare the chocolate mousse.
- Melt the chocolate and then add the brewed coffee and vanilla extract. Whisk smooth
- Fold in the whipped coconut cream and then the aquafaba and pour the mousse over top of the peanut butter mousse in the ring mold
- Freeze for at least 3 hours or until it is set and firm.
- Prepare the ganache by warming the chocolate with the milk alternative over low heat stirring constantly until smooth.
- Pour the ganache over the top of the frozen mousse cake, then refrigerate until serving.
- *Optional garnishes as shown in the video
Will stay fresh for up to 1 week.
Freeze for longer storage, wrapped well for up to 1 month
Terri
May 4, 2017 at 1:49 amAgain Gretchen you have made a masterpiece. I will need to get 5 friends over or I’ll eat the whole.thing thing myself. I noticed that this time you didn’t reduce and chill overnight the aquafaba. Obviously it works without that step.
Gretchen
May 4, 2017 at 1:57 amLOL! You may regret those 5 friends! (Or just make 2 and hide 1!) Correct no need to reduce the AF
Lillian
May 4, 2017 at 11:37 pmThis looks fabulous! Is there a way another alternative to a ring mold, which I don’t have? Would a spring mold work?
Gretchen
May 5, 2017 at 12:40 amYes! this is the BEST way to use a springform pan! (no bottom!)
lillian
May 12, 2017 at 5:04 amI made it and it was delicious! Everyone loved it, espcieally the peanut butter mousse. I will cut down on the milk because my ganache came out too runny. Definitely a hit! Thanks for the recipe!
lillian
May 12, 2017 at 5:05 amAnd the springform worked like a dream!
CiCi
June 11, 2017 at 7:19 pmThis looks amazing! Does it scale well? I’d like to make a larger version for a party – maybe 8 or 9″ ?
Gretchen
June 12, 2017 at 12:28 amthanks! Yes sure double for 8″ cake
CiCi
June 12, 2017 at 2:19 amThank you!
V. Gomathy hri
June 23, 2017 at 5:47 pmHi Gretchen, all your. Recipes are awesome. In this mousse recipe. Can I replace coconut fat with normal heavy cream. If so how much heavy cream I need to use.
Gretchen
June 23, 2017 at 6:08 pmyes same quantities as listed for the regular heavy cream
V. Gomathy shri
June 30, 2017 at 7:23 amHi Gretchen, substituting heavy cream with coconut milk. coconut milk in 15oz can. Out of that we are not using the sedimented water in that after refrigeration. 15oz comes to 444ml. If I use 444 ml of heavy cream. Won’t it be more of heavy cream. Kindly clarify how much of heavy cream to use.
V. Gomathy shri
June 23, 2017 at 6:13 pmHi Gretchen, I would like to make white chocolate Mousse. Can just replace the quantity of semi sweet chocolate with white chocolate. Or how much quantity of white chocolate I need to use. Can quantity of other ingredients be same. Please suggest
Gretchen
June 24, 2017 at 1:16 amCLICK HERE FOR A RECIPE TO FOLLOW and then yes to white chocolate in place
V. Gomathy shri
June 29, 2017 at 6:09 pmHi Gretchen, I have small doubt. You have not used agar here in this recipe. Is it not necessary to use gelatin or agar agar for mousse. Or is it not needed. Please clarify.
Also I have some queries outside of the above recipe. Queries about agar agar that is used in “agar agar mentioned recipes”. I get only agar agar bar here in my country. Also it is not standard size bar. Here it is measured in grams. I get 2 to 3 bars together 10g. I tried to powder it in coffee blender as you said. But it s not getting powdered to fine powder. It is becoming smaller flakes. I saw photo of agar flakes. The flakes that I made are smaller than the agar flakes that is available in amazon.com. Also the flake are yellowish in US market, but the the one I made is whitesh transparent. So I don’t know how to measure. Will the agar agar powder available in US market be very fine powder ? The agar bar I get here is whitesh transparent one. Can I use this whitesh agar flakes in recipe. Please clarify.
Is it possible for you to tell in the amount of agar agar used in recipe in grams. How many grams does 1 teaspoon of agar will be ? Please clarify.
V. Gomathy shri
June 29, 2017 at 6:08 pmHi Gretchen, I have small doubt. You have not used agar here in this recipe. Is it not necessary to use gelatin or agar agar for mousse. Or is it not needed. Please clarify.
Also I have some queries outside of the above recipe. Queries about agar agar that is used in “agar agar mentioned recipes”. I get only agar agar bar here in my country. Also it is not standard size bar. Here it is measured in grams. I get 2 to 3 bars together 10g. I tried to powder it in coffee blender as you said. But it s not getting powdered to fine powder. It is becoming smaller flakes. I saw photo of agar flakes. The flakes that I made are smaller than the agar flakes that is available in amazon.com. Also the flake are yellowish in US market, but the the one I made is whitesh transparent. So I don’t know how to measure. Will the agar agar powder available in US market be very fine powder ? The agar bar I get here is whitesh transparent one. Can I use this whitesh agar flakes in recipe. Please clarify.
Is it possible for you to tell in the amount of agar agar used in recipe in grams. How many grams does 1 teaspoon of agar will be ? Please clarify.
Alison
July 1, 2017 at 12:46 pmLooks fabulous! Can you just confirm that it is not served frozen? Cheers.
Gretchen
July 2, 2017 at 9:15 pmthanks! Correct not served frozen
V. Gomathy shri
July 3, 2017 at 8:50 amHi Gretchen, substituting heavy cream with coconut milk. coconut milk in 15oz can. Out of that we are not using the sedimented water in that after refrigeration. 15oz comes to 444ml. If I use 444 ml of heavy cream. Won’t it be more of heavy cream. Kindly clarify how much of heavy cream to use.
Gretchen
July 5, 2017 at 9:35 pmThats correct so it would be about 1 cup of whipped cream after it has been whipped – which is approx 1/2 cup liquid cream
V. Gomathy shri
July 6, 2017 at 12:29 pmThanks for your reply
V. Gomathy shri
July 6, 2017 at 12:30 pmHi Gretchen, I have small doubt. You have not used agar here in this recipe. Is it not necessary to use gelatin or agar agar for mousse. Or is it not needed. Please clarify.
Also I have some queries outside of the above recipe. Queries about agar agar that is used in “agar agar mentioned recipes”. I get only agar agar bar here in my country. Also it is not standard size bar. Here it is measured in grams. I get 2 to 3 bars together 10g. I tried to powder it in coffee blender as you said. But it s not getting powdered to fine powder. It is becoming smaller flakes. I saw photo of agar flakes. The flakes that I made are smaller than the agar flakes that is available in amazon.com. Also the flake are yellowish color in US market, but the the one I made is whitesh transparent. So I don’t know how to measure. Will the agar agar powder available in US market be very fine powder ? The agar bar I get here is whitesh transparent one. Can I use this whitesh agar flakes in recipe. Please clarify.
Is it possible for you to tell in the amount of agar agar used in recipe in grams. How many grams does 1 teaspoon of agar will be ? Please clarify.
Leary
November 15, 2017 at 5:13 amI need to make bigger cake?
Please tell me.
Gretchen
November 15, 2017 at 2:49 pmsure you can double or triple the ingredients to suit you
Margaret Berger
November 24, 2017 at 9:19 pmI just made this for Thanksgiving with an Oreo crust – I’ve made the PB a few times now but this was the first time with the double layer. It was devoured. I love this recipe. I drizzled chocolate and PB over it because I think it looks pretty but I just used your ganache recipe. FYI I subbed the coconut water wherever you called for nut milk, and it worked out just fine. Delicious! Love this!
Gretchen
November 26, 2017 at 9:50 pmawesome thankyou for the variation tip!
Magda
March 28, 2019 at 5:58 pmHi 🙂 My mousse cake tasted perfectly, but unfortunately it didnt have such a great stability as yours.. any idea why? Its really like a mousse, almost impossible to cut it and not ruining the rest of the cake. My piece definietly doesn’t look like yours 😀
I didn’t have cream of tartar (its hard to get it in Poland), so i used a small amount of apple vinegar (as i always do in recipies with aquafaba). I also didnt use a milk alternative as my peanut butter seemed to be runny even without warming it up – so i didn’t do it either ;x I also skipped the brewed coffe as I cannot drink any coffee. Could any of that things can be a reason or is it sth else? Maybe you cut it just before freezing, like.. when it is a little bit freezed out? I freezed it for 3 hours and then the cake went to the fridge for a night. In the morning I took it from a fridge, tried to cut into pieces and it was messy.
If you have any idea what can i change next time (I’m not giving up! :D) – i would be very greatful.
Thank you in advance! 🙂
Gretchen
March 28, 2019 at 6:17 pmHmm, seems that by leaving out some of the liquid (coffee) if would be more stiff rather than runny!. I do find the aquafaba to be tricky sometimes, if you do not get the right consistency it will break down and get runny over time (or not set at all) The cream of tartar has definitely proven to help, but I know not meny people can easily get that.
You mentioned your peanut butter was runny even before melting, but I am not sure that was the culprit since I actually melt mine to get it to that consistency.
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