If you LOVE Olive Garden's Black Tie Mousse Cake as much as I do, surely you want to make it at home! This copycat recipe tastes just like the real thing!
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Why Choose This Recipe
- Tastes just like the Black Tie Mousse cake from the Olive Garden Restaurant!
- Even though it takes a bit of time to make and requires planning ahead to ensure proper chilling, it's actually an easy dessert to prepare!
- From scratch using ideas from my Death by Chocolate Cake recipe and Chocolate Mousse Pie!
Ingredient Notes
- Cocoa - for the best flavor, avoid Hershey brand cocoa.
Step by Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a 9-inch cake pan with a parchment paper circle and spray the cake pan edges with non-stick cooking spray.
- Measure 1 Cup of sugar, 1 ¼ Cup flour, ½ Cup of cocoa, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk to mix.
- Add the eggs, ½ Cup milk, ¼ Cup olive oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
- Beat until the batter is thick and well-mixed.
- Pour the ½ cup of boiling water (boiling, not just hot) into the batter while your beaters are running in a slow, steady stream.
- Beat the batter until the water is mixed in and the batter is very thin.
- Pour the batter into the cake pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-27 minutes.
- Cool for 20 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
- Peel the parchment off the back and cool completely.
- Level the top of the cake with a sharp serrated knife and eat the top you cut off.
- Place the leveled cake in the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
- Carefully melt ¾ Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and 4 oz cream cheese together in the microwave. (Mine took about 30 seconds to melt).
- Whisk together and make sure no chocolate lumps remain.
- Allow to cool while you do the next few steps.
- In a small bowl, mix 1 Tbs. cold water with 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin to soften the gelatin.
- Then whisk 2 Tbs. boiling water into the softened gelatin to dissolve it.
- Measure 1 Cup heavy cream into a deep bowl or 4 cup measuring cup.
- Add ¼ Cup powdered sugar and dissolved gelatin to the cream.
- Beat at a high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the chocolate cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream.
- Continue folding until it's completely mixed in.
- Spread the chocolate mousse evenly over the chocolate cake layer.
- Put in the fridge while you prepare the white chocolate mousse layer.
- In a small bowl, soften 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin in 1 Tbs. cold water.
- Bring ½ Cup of heavy cream to a boil.
- Whisk the softened gelatin into the boiling cream and whisk until dissolved.
- Pour the boiling cream over 1 Cup of white chocolate chips.
- Stir until the chips are melted and completely smooth.
- Measure 1 Cup of heavy cream into a deep bowl or measuring cup.
- Beat until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the melted white chocolate into the whipped cream.
- Continue to fold until it's completely incorporated.
- Spread the white chocolate mousse over the chocolate mousse layer.
- Place in the fridge and chill for at least an hour before doing the ganache layer.
- Bring 1 ½ Cups of heavy cream to a boil.
- In a deep bowl or measuring cup, pour the boiling cream over 3 ¼ Cups or an 18 oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Whisk until all the chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is completely smooth.
- Allow to cool until the ganache is still pourable but not a hot liquid.
- Loosen the mousse cake by running a sharp knife around the edges.
- Remove the springform pan rim.
- Once the ganache has cooled to a pourable but not hot state, pour some over the top mousse cake, spreading it carefully, allowing it to run down the edges and smoothing it around the edges as well.
- You will use ⅔rds of the ganache to coat the cake.
- Press mini semi-sweet chocolate chips to the ganache-coated sides of the cake. Yes, this is a bit messy.
- Place the cake back in the fridge and let it chill while the remaining ganache cools and sets up to a pipeable consistency.
- If you want to transfer the mousse cake to a cake plate, this is time.
- Carefully slide a spatula under the mousse cake and loosen the entire cake from the springform pan bottom.
- Carefully slide onto a cake plate.
- Scoop the ganache into a frosting bag fitted with a large decorative tip of your choice. I usually use a large star tip.
- Pipe the ganache around the top and bottom edges of the mousse cake.
- Melt the white chocolate and drizzle or pipe over the middle of the cake.
- Place the cake back in the fridge to set the ganache and properly chill all the way through.
- Plan for at least 4 hours of chilling time.
- Slice and serve when ready.
Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
How do I cut this cake?
To slice this cake, make nice clean cuts, run a sharp knife under very hot water for a moment, dry and quickly but carefully make a cut for the first slice. Rinse the knife under very hot water, dry it, and repeat cutting as before with every slice.
Need a few more Olive Garden copycat recipes? Try these...
Everyone LOVES the Breadsticks there! And their Salad Dressing is the best! My personal favorite that I usually order is the Chicken Scampi!
Have you tried this recipe? If so, leave me a rating and a comment below! And don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to get my latest recipes sent right to your email! You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram!
Black Tie Mousse Cake Recipe
If you LOVE Olive Garden's Black Tie Mousse Cake as much as I do, surely you want to make it at home! Follow my recipe below to experience this descant dessert in your own kitchen!
Ingredients
Bottom Layer (Chocolate Cake):
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1 ¼ Cups Flour
- ½ Cup Cocoa
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 Eggs
- ½ Cup Milk
- ¼ Cup Canola Oil
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ Cup Boiling Water
Second Layer (Chocolate Mousse):
- ¾ Cup Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
- 4 oz. Cream Cheese
- 1 teaspoon Knox Unflavored Gelatin
- 1 Tbs. Cold Water
- 2 Tbs. Boiling Water
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream
- ¼ Cup Powdered Sugar
Third Layer (White Chocolate Mousse):
- 1 teaspoon Knox Unflavored Gelatin
- 1 Tbs. Cold Water
- 1 Cup White Chocolate Chips
- 1 ½ Cups Heavy Cream
Fourth Layer (Chocolate Ganache):
- 1 ½ Cups Heavy Cream
- 18 oz. Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1 bag Mini semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
- ¼ Cup White Candy Melts
Instructions
Bottom Layer (Chocolate Cake):
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a 9-inch cake pan with a parchment paper circle and spray the cake pan edges with non-stick cooking spray.
- Measure 1 Cup of sugar, 1 ¼ Cup flour, ½ Cup of cocoa, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk to mix.
- Add the eggs, ½ Cup milk, ¼ Cup olive oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
- Beat until the batter is thick and well-mixed.
- Pour the ½ cup of boiling water (boiling, not just hot) into the batter while your beaters are running in a slow, steady stream.
- Beat the batter until the water is mixed in and the batter is very thin.
- Pour the batter into the cake pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-27 minutes.
- Cool for 20 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
- Peel the parchment off the back and cool completely.
- Level the top of the cake with a sharp, serrated knife and eat the top you cut off.
- Place the leveled cake in the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
Second Layer (Chocolate Mousse):
- Carefully melt ¾ Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and 4 oz cream cheese together in the microwave. (Mine took about 30 seconds to melt).
- Whisk together and make sure no chocolate lumps remain.
- Allow to cool while you do the next few steps.
- In a small bowl mix 1 Tbs. cold water with 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin to soften the gelatin.
- Then whisk 2 Tbs. boiling water into the softened gelatin to dissolve it.
- Measure 1 Cup heavy cream into a deep bowl or 4 cup measuring cup.
- Add ¼ Cup powdered sugar and dissolved gelatin to the heavy cream.
- Beat at a high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the chocolate cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream.
- Continue folding until it's completely mixed in.
- Spread the chocolate mousse evenly over the chocolate cake layer.
- Put in the fridge while you prepare the white chocolate mousse layer.
Third Layer (White Chocolate Mousse):
- In a small bowl soften 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin in 1 Tbs. cold water.
- Bring ½ Cup of heavy cream to a boil.
- Whisk the softened gelatin into the boiling cream and whisk until dissolved.
- Pour the boiling cream over 1 Cup of white chocolate chips.
- Stir until the chips are melted and completely smooth.
- Measure 1 Cup of heavy cream into a deep bowl or measuring cup.
- Beat until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the melted white chocolate into the whipped cream.
- Continue to fold until it's completely incorporated.
- Spread the white chocolate mousse over the chocolate mousse layer.
- Place in the fridge and chill for at least an hour before doing the ganache layer.
Fourth Layer (Chocolate Ganache):
- Bring 1 ½ Cups of heavy cream to a boil.
- In a deep bowl or measuring cup, pour the boiling cream over 3 ¼ Cups or an 18 oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Whisk until all the chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is completely smooth.
- Allow to cool until the ganache is still pourable but not a hot liquid.
- Loosen the mousse cake by running a sharp knife around the edges.
- Remove the springform pan rim.
- Once the ganache has cooled to a pourable but not hot state, pour some over the top mousse cake, spreading it carefully, allowing it to run down the edges and smoothing it around the edges as well.
- You will use ⅔rds of the ganache to coat the cake.
- Press mini semi-sweet chocolate chips to the ganache-coated sides of the cake. Yes, this is a bit messy.
- Place the cake back in the fridge and let it chill while the remaining ganache cools and sets up to a pipeable consistency.
- If you want to transfer the mousse cake to a cake plate, this is time.
- Carefully slide a spatula under the mousse cake and loosen the entire cake from the springform pan bottom.
- Carefully slide onto a cake plate.
- Scoop the ganache into a frosting bag fitted with a large decorative tip of your choice. I usually use a large star tip.
- Pipe the ganache around the top and bottom edges of the mousse cake.
- Melt the white chocolate and drizzle or pipe over the middle of the cake.
- Place the cake back in the fridge to set the ganache and chill all the way through for at least 4 hours.
- Slice and serve when ready.
Notes
- This dessert requires a significant amount of chilling time, so be sure to plan for it.
- The total amount of Heavy Cream needed for this recipe is 1 quart.
- The total amount of regular semisweet chocolate chips (not including the mini chips) is a 24 oz bag.
- To slice this cake, make nice clean cuts, run a sharp knife under very hot water for a moment, dry and quickly but carefully make a cut for the first slice. Rinse the knife under very hot water, dry it, and repeat cutting as before with every slice.
Nutrition
Calories: 672kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 6gFat: 48gSaturated Fat: 27gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 149mgPotassium: 343mgFiber: 4gSugar: 42gVitamin A: 1007IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 129mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Greeshma
Hi Mindy,
This turned out absolutely wonderful.
Just wanted to update my personal experience that the bottom layer took about 37mins in my oven and also, i was left with a lot of mousse and ganache , but the cake in itself was awesome.
Thank you.
Kristi Daetwyler
I made this recipe for New Years Day and I could not be more happy than how it turned out! All of my family loved how it turned out. This recipe is going into the family recipe book! ❤️
Mindee
I'm so happy! Thank you!!!
Anna Troutman
Can you make the cake ahead of time and freeze it? I'm concerned about it thawing unevenly... but trying to make this for an even and won't have time the day before to make it.
Mindee
I haven't tried freezing it myself so I don't know. I think it would be ok but since you're making this for an event I would hate for you to freeze it without knowing for absolutely sure that it was going to thaw out well. You can make this cake 2-3 days before you serve it and it will be good though.
One frustrated Jess
Similar to Brittney, but I am on the white chocolate layer and the melted white chocolate completely deflated the whipped cream. Are you supposed to wait until the melted white chocolate mix cools? It's not mentioned in the steps but I'm thinking it necessary. And is it supposed to be runny? It's definitely not as thick as regular melted chocolate. I was so paranoid I boiled down too much heavy cream that I did it 2x....and still...same result. I wasted so much white chocolate chips. It's now 9pm and I'm giving up and going to bed.
Mindee
I do apologize that this has happened to you. Yes, when you add the white chocolate it should be cool. I didn't specify that in the instructions because having made this dessert many, many times my white chocolate has been almost too cool when I've mixed it in. The white chocolate layer may be looser than the chocolate one at first but should set up firm in the fridge and shouldn't be runny.
Katie
Hi. I’m obsessed with this recipe. I’ve made it probably umm nine or so times. But I am struggling with the white chocolate layer, I just can’t get it perfect. I do cheat and heat the cream in the microwave is this just not going to happen unless I use the stove? Either way it still works out as it sets up in the fridge thankfully but I always end up having lumps of white chocolate and have to spend lots of time whisking and so on. Anyway, thank you so much. I love love love this recipe!
Mindee
Wow! I'm so glad you love my recipe! Heating in the cream in the microwave should work. The key is getting it hot enough. White chocolate doesn't melt as easily as regular chocolate and with some brands, usually off brands like great values or food club, it's even more resistant to melting. So here's a couple ideas I have. Maybe try a different brand of white chocolate chips. If you're already using a good quality brand of chocolate chips, chop them up into much smaller pieces before pouring the hot cream over them. Or you could use the Baker's brand white chocolate bars instead of chips. 1 cup of white chocolate chips is equal to 6 ounces of white chocolate. I think that ends up being a bar and a half. Grate the white chocolate bar and pour the hot cream over the white chocolate shavings. Where you're heating the cream in the microwave grating a bar of white chocolate may actually work best for you. Good luck! And let me know how it goes or if you have more questions!
Paula
I’m having the same problem, you definitely need to change this recipe to not to cool the chocolate mixture before folding it into the whipped cream mixture, I am left with a giant bowl of cottage cheese looking goop and am very upset.
Mindee
I'm sorry this happened to you. It is an absolute must to cool the chocolate before folding it in. If the chocolate is warm or hot the whipped cream with essentially go back to a liquid. The reason you have a cottage cheese looking result has nothing to do with the chocolate but is because the whipped cream is overbeaten.
Rachel Yates
If you are not super comfortable working with mousse and ganache, do yourself a favor & pour the top layer of ganache on the cake while still in the springform pan. Pop it back in the fridge for 5 mins. Then take it out & run a knife around the edge & separate it from the springform pan & use a spatula to apply ganache to the sides of the cake.
If the weight on top is too heavy, the white chocolate mousse layer will “melt” when you try and spread the ganache down the sides.
Eli
Will this work with a 10in springform pan?
Mindee
Yes, as long as you bake the cake layer in a 10 in cake pan instead of a 9 inch one. Otherwise you'll have an 1 wide gap between the cake layer and the edges of the springform pan.
Jeannette Navas
Are the ingredients for the first layer right? It seems there is not enough liquid for the dry ingredients. It was not a normal cake consistency but more for like brownies or harder.
Mindee
Yes, the ingredients are correct but no the batter should not be that thick. It's thicker until the boiling water is added. Did you add the boiling water?
Kristen Hale
Mindee, Thank you so much for making this cake and sharing it with me for teacher appreciation! It is so, so, so delicious. Seriously one of the best slices of cake I have ever eaten. You are awesome!
Mindee
Thank you!!! I truly appreciate all your hard work and kindness this school year!
Hannah
Hi, I was looking to make this for the holidays, but I don't have a springform pan, would there be a substitute for this, or am I just out of luck?
Mindee
I really can't think of another pan that would be deep enough. The reason for the springform pan is because of the depth of it and the removable outside ring so you can add the ganache and chocolate chips to the sides, show off the dessert, and for easier cutting and serving.
Brittney
I'm having issues getting my whipped cream to peak for the chocolate layer with the gelatin mix. Help?
Mindee
Hmmm...ok, let's troubleshoot this. Were you using actual heavy cream? Meaning not organic cream or another substitution? Was your cream cold? Was the bowl you were whipping it in usually warm? How close to expiration date was the cream? Was it an off brand? Is it possible it was over beaten? Did you stop beating many times while beating to check to see how close to stiff peaks it was?
Greeshma
Hi Hannah,
i actually bought a springform pan specifically for this recipe but the pan i received was the incorrect size and i ended up having an inch gap.
so i staped together some parchment paper and wrapped it snug around the cake and proceeded with the chocolate and white chocolate mousse and then removed the paper and poured the ganache.You could even use an acetone paper or a cake frame.
hope you find this helpful
Rose
I made this cake for the birthday dinner of my boyfriend's father. Everyone loved it and it looked and tasted so decadent. I absolutely loved the balanced flavor, not too sugary although very chocolatey.
Cindy
How can i tell if ive over folded the cream into the white chocolate? It almost looks curdled to me but it was folded throughly. I hope it doesnt affect the taste!
mindeescookingobsession
Even if you over folded these ingredients it would still be smooth. Heavier, but smooth. It's more likely the whipped cream was over beaten. When you over beat whipped cream it starts to separate and look curdled.
Shauna
Can I just bake the bottom cake layer in spring pan?
Mindee
You can if you have a springform pan you trust not to leak in your oven. Even though I know my springform doesn't leak I am so paranoid that for some reason it will and I don't want to deal with that mess which is why I bake the cake part in a cake and transfer it.
Christina
I'm wanting to do a 9x13 glass dish. Do you recommend just doing a double recipe?
Mindee
I think that doubling may be too much, but I'm not 100% sure. If I were to try a 9x13 I would probably 1 1/2 the recipe. As I've never made this in a 9x13 though, I can't guarantee an ideal outcome.