Four layers, three kinds of chocolate, and one seriously impressive slice - this Black Tie Mousse Cake was made for proper celebrations!

A slice of homemade black tie mousse cake, viewed from the side, showing the distinct layers.

Quick Look: Black Tie Mousse Cake

A four-layer chocolate dessert consisting of chocolate cake, chocolate cheesecake, white chocolate mousse, and chocolate ganache.

Makes 16 slices

Prep 40

Bake 40

Total 4 50

☆ Why make THIS version? I've made each element as simple as possible without compromising on indulgence, plus it uses one ganache to coat the whole cake and then pipe the decorations on top.

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Olive Garden made the Black Tie Mousse Cake famous, and honestly, I can see why. It takes everything good about a rich chocolate dessert and stacks it into one spectacular cake. My homemade version keeps the dark chocolate cheesecake but uses a light white chocolate mousse in place of the traditional custard-style layer, giving you a lovely contrast against all that deep chocolate.

I won't pretend this is a 20-minute dessert, but it is much more manageable than it looks! Each individual layer is straightforward, and a lot of the time is just spent waiting for things to cool or set. I'll walk you through the order, the visual cues that really matter, and how to get those beautifully clean, defined layers when you slice it.

Black Tie Mousse Cake is sometimes confused with the Costco Tuxedo Cake because of its contrasting chocolate layers, but the fillings are quite different. I have a homemade Tuxedo Cake recipe too if that's your jam!

Reader Review:

This cake was amazing. It got rave reviews from all that enjoyed it. Highly recommend for the WOW's you will get. Lots of steps but overall very easy.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - April

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Quick Look: Black Tie Mousse Cake
Key Ingredients
How To Make Black Tie Mousse Cake
Storage + Make Ahead
More Chocolate Showstoppers
Black Tie Mousse Cake Recipe

Black tie mousse cake with a big slice taken out of it to reveal four layers of chocolate.

Key Ingredients

There are quite a few ingredients across the four layers, but these are the ones where choosing the right product really matters. See the recipe card for quantities.

All-purpose Flour - Plain flour in the UK. Stick with all-purpose flour rather than cake flour, as the base needs enough structure to support the mousse layers.
Cocoa Powder - Dutch-processed cocoa powder gives the cake its deep colour and smooth chocolate flavour.
Chocolate - Dark and milk chocolate. Use chopped chocolate bars or couverture, not chocolate chips as they are designed to hold their shape, not melt.
White chocolate - Choose real white chocolate containing cocoa butter, not compound coating or "white baking chips." White chocolate is particularly sensitive to heat, so melt it gently to prevent it from seizing.
Cream Cheese - Use full-fat cream cheese and let it come completely to room temperature so it blends smoothly into the cheesecake layer.
Heavy Cream - Heavy whipping cream or double cream containing at least 35% fat will whip firmly enough to support the mousse layers. Keep it cold until you are ready to whip it.
Vegetable Oil - To keep the cake layer super moist. You can substitute with any neutral oil, like canola or sunflower.

See recipe card for quantities.

How To Make Black Tie Mousse Cake

There are four components to this mousse cake: the chocolate cake base, no-bake chocolate cheesecake, white chocolate mousse, and the chocolate ganache topping. We'll break down each element step-by-step.

Make the Chocolate Cake Base

This chocolate cake is the same base recipe I use in a lot of my layer cakes because it is so foolproof and reliable, and comes together really easily by hand. For a full-sized version, try my chocolate espresso layer cake.

Mixing dry ingredients, including flour, sugar, and cocoa powder, together in a large white bowl to make chocolate cupcakes.

Sift the dry ingredients, including flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, together into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.

Wet ingredients and dry ingredients to make chocolate cupcakes in a large white bowl with a whisk.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and mix with all the wet ingredients (except the hot water). Whisk until smooth, then pour into the dry ingredients and whisk just until combined.

pouring hot water and espresso powder into cake batter to make tuxedo cake.

Add the hot water to the chocolate cake batter and stir just until combined.
Then pour the batter into a prepared cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Base layer of black tie mousse cake - chocolate cake layer.

Let the cake cool completely, then use a cake leveler or serrated knife to slice the top to make it completely flat.
Place it into the bottom of the pan you will be building the black tie mousse cake in.

Make the Chocolate Cheesecake

This layer is a light, no-bake chocolate cheesecake. If you're looking for a full-sized baked version, try my rich and creamy chocolate cheesecake with an Oreo crust.

Dark chocolate melted in a glass bowl until smooth and shiny.

Melt the dark chocolate gently in the microwave using 20-30-second bursts, stirring between each one. Set it aside until it is still fluid but no longer hot.

Chocolate cheesecake batter in a glass mixing bowl.

Beat the room-temperature cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until completely smooth.
Add the cooled melted chocolate and mix until evenly combined.

Whisk with homemade whipped cream on it, whipped to stiff peaks.

Whip the cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla until it reaches medium peaks.

Chocolate cheesecake being spread onto chocolate cake for black tie mousse cake.

Gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture, just until combined. Then spread it evenly on top of the chocolate cake base and chill for 20 minutes while you prepare the white chocolate mousse.

time saving tip

I like to whip all of the cream for the cheesecake and mousse layers at the same time, just to save myself an extra step. Then you can just use roughly ⅓ of it for the chocolate cheesecake layer and use the rest for the mousse.

Make the White Chocolate Mousse

The third layer of white chocolate mousse is probably the easiest to make and has only three ingredients.

Chop the white chocolate finely, then melt it very gently either over a double boiler or in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring in between. White chocolate is a lot more prone to overheating than milk or dark, so be careful not to let it get too hot.
Once melted, let it cool until it is no longer warm to the touch.

White Chocolate mousse being added as the third layer in black tie mousse cake.

Carefully fold the cooled, melted white chocolate into the reserved whipped cream.

Then pour it over the top of the chocolate cheesecake layer and smooth it out.

Put the whole cake back in the fridge to set for at least 3 hours.

Technique guide

What does 'medium peaks' mean? If you're unsure what medium peaks should look like, my guide to whipped cream stages includes pictures of every stage and how to avoid overwhipping.

Decorate

The fourth layer is glossy chocolate ganache. We are going to make one large batch of ganache and pour ¾ of it over the cake, like in my Prinzregententorte recipe. Then the rest we will let cool further to pipe on top of the cake.

Making glossy chocolate ganache in a glass bowl.

Heat the cream in a pan over medium heat until is starts to steam, then pour over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for 1 minute before stirring in the middle until totally smooth and melted.

Let it cool until it is thick enough that it flows easily but leaves a slight trace when drizzled back into the bowl.

Chocolate ganache being poured over black tie mousse cake.

Carefully remove the chilled cake from its pan and place it on a wire rack set over a tray.

Reserve roughly ¼ of the ganache for piping, then pour the remainder over the cake, working from the centre outwards and allowing it to run down the sides.

black tie mousse cake from above with three slices cut out of it. White chocolate feathering on top of chocolate ganache.

While the dark ganache is still wet, pipe a little melted white chocolate in concentric circles over the top. Drag a toothpick from the centre towards the edge to make the feathered pattern, working quickly before the ganache begins to set.

Or for an easier design, just pipe some random blobs and swirl them with a knife or toothpick to make a pretty pattern.

close up of slice of black tie mousse cake slices.

Press the mini chocolate chips or flakes onto the sides while the coating is still wet.

Leave the reserved ganache until it cools completely - it should become thick enough to hold its shape. Put it into a piping bag with a star tip and pipe around the outer edge of the cake.

Chill the cake for another 15 minutes or until ready to serve.

bakery tip

How To Get Perfect, Clean Slices

Cut the cake while it is thoroughly chilled using a large, sharp knife warmed in hot water. Dry the blade, press it straight down through the cake, and clean and rewarm it between every cut - this prevents the ganache from dragging through the mousse and keeps each layer beautifully defined.

Storage + Make Ahead

Keep the finished cake covered in the refrigerator and enjoy it within 3 days. Serve it chilled but let it sit at room temp for 10-15 minutes before serving.

This is a great cake to make ahead because the mousse needs plenty of time to set. You can bake the chocolate cake up to 2 days in advance; once completely cool, wrap it tightly and keep it at room temperature. Add the cheesecake and mousse layers the day before serving, then leave the assembled cake in its pan to chill overnight. For the glossiest finish, add the ganache and decorations on the day you plan to serve it.