I don't do store-bought cakes, but when I first came across Costco's Tuxedo Cake, I knew I had to recreate it the way I'd make it: from scratch with rich chocolate cake, silky custard-based chocolate mousse, and glossy chocolate ganache.
Tuxedo Cake Recipe Snapshot
What it is: A layered dessert with chocolate cake, dark chocolate mousse, white chocolate mousse and a milk chocolate ganache.
Why it's different: Professional techniques, broken down for the home baker.
Make Ahead?: Can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the fridge.
Owning a bakery completely changes the way you develop recipes. Every decision has to balance cost, consistency, shelf life, and how efficiently the recipe can be made hundreds of times a week.
These days, I get to focus on developing recipes for the home baker, which means my priority is to help you create the best possible version of every dessert.
That's exactly how this Tuxedo Cake came to be. Costco's famous cake inspired the idea, but instead of recreating it exactly, I transformed it into a showstopping homemade celebration cake with rich chocolate cake, a silky custard-based chocolate mousse, and glossy chocolate ganache.
Then I tested, refined, and explained every step so you can confidently create a triple chocolate mousse cake that looks like it came from a patisserie, right in your own kitchen.
Reader Review:
"This cake is unbelievably delicious and surprisingly simple to put together!! The rich custard in the filling makes it so luxurious as compared to a standard ganache, and the CAKE!!! My god woman it's the moistest cake I've ever made, I'm obsessed. Thanks for a great recipe!"
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Leah
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
- One custard, two mousses - A single custard base is divided to make both the dark and white chocolate mousse layers, so you only have to make it once.
- Silky, stable mousse - The egg yolks in the custard create a rich, velvety mousse that slices cleanly and holds its shape.
- Balanced chocolate ratios - White chocolate is naturally softer than dark chocolate, so each mousse uses a different amount of chocolate to achieve the same silky consistency.
Ingredient Notes
- Cocoa Powder - Make sure you use Dutch-processed cocoa powder in this recipe - natural cocoa powder may make the chocolate cake too dense and throw off the texture.
- Eggs - Whole eggs for the cake and egg yolks for the chocolate mousse. Get some ideas for ways to use the leftover egg whites.
- Oil - I use vegetable oil, but you can use any kind of flavorless oil like canola. The oil helps to keep the chocolate cake moist.
- Espresso Powder - You can skip this if you want, but espresso powder won't make the cake taste like coffee; it just enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Heavy Cream - Use heavy cream, heavy whipping cream, or double cream; the fat content should be at least 36%. Any lower than this and the mousse may not set.
- Chocolate - Use real chocolate, not chocolate chips or candy bars. This recipe uses milk (semisweet), dark (bittersweet), and white chocolate.
See recipe card for quantities in both cups and grams (though I always recommend weighing your ingredients with a kitchen scale).
What You'll Need
- 8-inch Round Cake Pan
- Dessert Ring - or a loose-bottomed cake pan lined with acetate.
- Saucepan
- Balloon Whisk
- Stand Mixer - or electric whisk, to whip the cream.
How to Make Tuxedo Cake
We'll make this cake in four stages: the chocolate cake, the chocolate mousses, the assembly, and the ganache. Don't worry if it looks like a lot - I'll guide you through each step with plenty of photos and visual cues.
If you want all of the indulgence but a lot less effort, check out my flourless chocolate torte recipe.
Before You Begin...
- Plan the timing - The chocolate cake needs to be completely cool before making the mousse, and the assembled dessert needs to set overnight - so factor both of those into your timing.
- Plan ahead - The lemon filling needs to chill completely before topping with the Swiss meringue, so it's best to make it several hours ahead or even the day before.
Chocolate Cake Layer
Start by making the chocolate cake as it needs time to cool before making the mousse. This is my easy and foolproof chocolate cake recipe; I use it in a lot of desserts, like my Chocolate Espresso Cake and Chocolate Cupcakes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C (160° fan), and prepare an 8-inch cake pan. I like to use baking spray and parchment paper circles.
- Sift all the dry ingredients, except the espresso powder, into a large bowl and stir to combine.
- In a separate bowl, mix together all the wet ingredients, except the hot water. Then pour into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
- Dissolve the espresso powder in the hot water, then pour into the cake batter and whisk gently until combined.
- Pour the chocolate cake batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer in the middle comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pan for at least an hour before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cool, use a serrated knife or cake leveler to cut off any dome on top, and slice the cake in half lengthwise, so you have two thin layers of cake.
Make the Chocolate Mousse Layers
The base recipe for both of the chocolate mousses is the same, so for efficiency, I have made the recipe so you make a big batch of the mousse and then split it into two at the end to mix with the different chocolates and make one dark chocolate mousse and one white chocolate mousse.
This chocolate mousse has a custard base, unlike my chocolate mousse pie filling which is a meringue-based mousse. A custard base makes for a thicker, creamier mousse which is perfect in this dessert.
- Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch together until they are pale and thick.
Meanwhile, heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until scalding hot. (Steam rising and tiny bubbles appearing).
- Pour the hot cream into the egg yolks very gradually, whisking as you go. It's important to do it slowly to gently raise the temperature of the eggs and stop them from scrambling.
- Once all the cream is incorporated, pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan and continue to heat, whisking constantly (but not vigorously), until it thickens and just begins to boil. Then remove from the heat.
- Pour half of the custard base into the white chocolate, and half into the dark chocolate. I judged it by eye, but you can weigh it and divide it in two for total accuracy.
Stir until both chocolates have completely melted.
- Once the chocolate mixtures have cooled, whip the remaining heavy cream to medium peaks and add half of it to the dark chocolate mixture. Gently fold it in until totally incorporated.
- Repeat with the white chocolate mixture, and then you are ready to assemble!
Assemble the Tuxedo Cake
I recommend doing the first three steps of this assembly before you start making your chocolate mousses - this is because you don't want to wait too long after the mousse is ready to pour it into the cake ring, or it might start to set already and won't be lovely and smooth.
- Place a dessert ring on top of a cake board or serving plate. I use an expandable cake ring so I can adjust the size to my cake, but if yours isn't adjustable, make sure it is the same size as the cake pan you baked your chocolate cakes in. if you don't have a dessert ring, see the section below on how to make this recipe without one.
- Cut any dome off of your cooled chocolate cake layers so they are nice and flat. I like to do this with any layer cake, but it's especially effective with this tuxedo cake, as it's all about those pretty layers.
- Depending on how much your chocolate cake rose in the oven, you may end up with a pretty thick layer for the chocolate cakes. Ain't nothing wrong with a thick layer of cake, but if you'd like a thinner layer, for aesthetics or elegance, simply trim the chocolate cake down to the thickness you'd like it to be. Make sure both layers of chocolate cake are the same thickness though.
- To form the first layer of the tuxedo cake, take one of the layers of chocolate cake and place it inside the dessert ring. There is no need to line or grease the dessert ring with anything.
- I would do these things first, and at this point, I would start making the chocolate mousses, so the cake ring and first layer are ready to go when your mousses are done.
- Once your mousses are ready, pour the dark chocolate mousse on top of the chocolate cake layer and spread it out evenly to form the 2nd layer.
- As the dark chocolate mousse is likely to be thicker and sturdier than the white chocolate mousse, you should be able to pour the white chocolate mixture right on top without the two mixing together, but if the dark chocolate mousse still seems super liquid, let it sit in the fridge for 5 minutes before pouring the white chocolate mousse on top.
- Place the three-layered cake in the fridge for 30 minutes, then add the second cake layer of chocolate cake on top of the white chocolate mousse. Place the whole cake back in the fridge and leave to set for at least 4 hours.
Decorate the Tuxedo Cake
Once your tuxedo cake is completely set, it's time to decorate! The top layer is made of delicious chocolate ganache.
- Chop the chocolate into fine pieces. I used milk chocolate but you can use dark chocolate or semi-sweet - whatever you like.
- Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat, just until scalding (tiny little bubbles just starting to form on the surface).
- Remove the cream from the heat and pour it over the chopped chocolate - let it sit for a minute then use a spoon to stir together until the chocolate has completely melted and the ganache is glossy and smooth.
- Let the ganache cool and thicken slightly, just until it is thick enough not to run off the side of the cake, but still thin enough that it will settle into a beautiful smooth surface. Timings on this can vary but it takes my ganache about 30 minutes, just keep checking until it seems right.
- Remove your delicious chocolate mousse cake from the fridge and unmold it from the cake ring. This should reveal the very pretty sides of the cake with gorgeous contrasting layers.
- Use a spoon or spatula to spread the chocolate ganache on top of the cake. Spread it out all the way to the edge of the cake, but be careful not to let it run down the sides and ruin that pretty profile view!
- Top with whatever you like, you could use sprinkles, white chocolate curls, or maybe some chocolate shavings. You could even pipe some swirls of chocolate whipped cream on top.
- Voila! You have created a showstopping masterpiece of a dessert! Now dig in and enjoy all your hard work.
Storage
Once your tuxedo cake is assembled, you need to store it in the fridge to keep the chocolate mousse layers nice and fresh. It will be good in the fridge for up to 3 days, but I highly doubt it will last that long before being gobbled up! If you have a small airtight container that fits in your fridge, this is the best way to keep it as fresh as possible.
If you make the chocolate cake layers ahead of time, wrap them in plastic wrap, or in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 2 days.
FAQs
A dessert ring, or cake ring, is a handy tool for making mousse cakes and entremets. It is basically just a ring, usually made of stainless steel, without a base that will allow you to build your layers up inside of it, and then lift it off again when it is set.
I used an expandable dessert ring to make my tuxedo cake, as it lets me adjust the size to fit whatever size of cake I am making. But you also get fixed-sized dessert rings - if your cake ring is fixed, just make sure it is the same size as the cake pan you baked your chocolate cakes in.
If you don't have a dessert ring, or it isn't the right size, you can still make this recipe, there are a few options:
If you have a cake ring but the sides aren't high enough for all the layers - you can still use the cake ring but try lining the inside with an acetate sheet to expand the height of the ring. It's just a sheet of plastic that tapes together to form a higher ring. Once your cake is set you can just remove the tape and peel the acetate away.
If you don't have a cake ring - Use a loose-bottomed cake pan. You could technically make this in a loose-bottomed cake pan, just make sure that the edges are high enough to hold all the layers. Also, you will have to be a little more careful when you are removing the tuxedo cake from the pan, as you'll need to push it up from the bottom, rather than lifting the ring off from the top.
If you have a cake ring but it's not the same size as your cake pan - If you have a cake ring but it's too small for your cake layers, you can use it like a cookie cutter to cut the cake down to the right size. If your cake ring is bigger than your cake layers, try one of the other methods instead.
Tuxedo cake gets its name from the contrasting layers of dark and white chocolate, representing the black and white layers of a tuxedo. That's why we have dark chocolate cake layers right next to the white chocolate filling - to make it pop and show off the pretty layers of mousse inside the cake.
More Chocolate Desserts
Tuxedo Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 120 g (1 cup) All-purpose Flour
- 200 g (1 cup) Granulated Sugar (Caster Sugar)
- 35 g (⅓ cup) Cocoa Powder
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 60 ml (¼ cup) Whole Milk (room temperature)
- 2 Large Eggs (room temperature)
- 60 ml (¼ cup) Vegetable Oil
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Espresso Powder
- 60 ml (¼ cup) Hot Water
- 5 Large Egg Yolks
- 480 ml (2 cups) Heavy Cream
- 65 g (⅓ cup) Granulated Sugar (Caster Sugar)
- 2 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 100 g (3.5 oz) Dark Chocolate finely chopped
- 170 g (6 oz) White Chocolate finely chopped
- 140 g (5 oz) Milk Chocolate finely chopped
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) Heavy Cream
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F / 180°C (160°C fan-assisted) and grease an 8-inch cake pan.
- In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients, including the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Whisk everything together.120 g (1 cup) All-purpose Flour, 200 g (1 cup) Granulated Sugar, 35 g (⅓ cup) Cocoa Powder, 2 tsp Baking Powder, ½ tsp Salt
- In a separate bowl, combine all the wet ingredients, except the hot water, which includes the eggs, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla. Whisk together lightly until smooth.60 ml (¼ cup) Whole Milk, 2 Large Eggs, 60 ml (¼ cup) Vegetable Oil, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until everything is combined and there are no lumps.
- In a small bowl or a glass, combine the hot water with the espresso powder and mix until completely dissolved. Pour into the cake batter and mix until combined.½ tsp Espresso Powder, 60 ml (¼ cup) Hot Water
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Let it cool completely in the pan.
- Once cooled, use a cake leveler or serrated knife to cut off any dome on top, then slice cake in half lengthwise so you have two thinner layers.
- Place a cake ring on top of a cake board or serving plate and place one of the layers of cake on the bottom. Set aside until the mousse is ready.
- Put egg yolks in a bowl with the sugar and cornstarch and whisk until they become slightly thick and pale.5 Large Egg Yolks, 65 g (⅓ cup) Granulated Sugar, 2 tbsp Cornstarch
- Pour 1 cup of the heavy cream into a saucepan and warm over medium-low heat until it is scalding hot. This means it is giving off steam and there are tiny bubbles appearing on the surface. Don't let it boil.(Make sure you keep the remaining heavy cream in the fridge so it is cold enough to whip later).240 ml (1 cups) Heavy Cream
- Drizzle a little of the hot cream into the egg yolks and whisk it in. Keep drizzling a little more, whisking the whole time, until all the cream is added. Then pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan and return to the heat.
- Heat the mixture, whisking constantly (but not vigorously - just enough to keep it moving and avoid burning) until it begins to thicken and boil. Let it boil for about a minute.
- Remove from the heat and mix in the vanilla extract and salt.2 tsp Vanilla, ½ tsp Salt
- Divide the mixture evenly between two bowls, then stir the dark chocolate into one and the white chocolate into the other. Mix each bowl until the chocolate has completely melted.100 g (3.5 oz) Dark Chocolate, 170 g (6 oz) White Chocolate
- In a separate bowl, whip up the reserved heavy cream until medium peaks form. By the time you have whipped the cream, the two chocolate mousse bases should have cooled to room temperature. If they are still warm, let them cool completely, then split the whipped cream evenly between the two chocolate mousse mixtures and fold it in gently until completely combined.240 ml (1 cups) Heavy Cream
- Pour the dark chocolate mousse on top of the cake layer in your dessert ring and smooth it out with a spatula.
- Pour the white chocolate mousse on top and smooth it out in the same way. The dark chocolate will be a lot firmer than the white chocolate, so you should be able to pour the white chocolate mousse on top without them mixing together. If your dark chocolate is still very liquid, put it in the fridge for a few minutes after pouring it onto the cake before adding the white chocolate layer.
- Put the entire cake in the fridge for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, add the second cake layer on top, then return to the fridge to set for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Once the cake has been chilling for at least 4 hours, remove it from the fridge and release it from the cake ring. Return to the fridge while you make your ganache.
- Chop your chocolate finely and place it in a bowl.140 g (5 oz) Milk Chocolate
- Heat the cream on medium heat, just until scalding (tiny bubbles just starting to form). Don't let it boil. Remove from the heat and pour the cream over the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute.80 ml (⅓ cup) Heavy Cream
- Mix the cream and the chocolate together until completely melted, glossy and smooth. Let it cool completely to room temperature. It should be thick enough that it won't just run off the side of the cake, but thin enough to spread out into a nice smooth layer on top of the cake.
- Spread the ganache on top of the cake and use a spatula or knife to spread it out to the edges.
- Decorate with sprinkles or chocolate shavings.
Nutrition
Notes
EDIT - 8th November 2024:
After feedback from readers, I have made a few small tweaks to this recipe to help everyone have the best chance of success. The changes made were:- Increased the amount of white chocolate in the white chocolate mousse so it sets up better.
- Adjusted the ratio of cream to chocolate in the chocolate ganache so it is less runny
- Improved instructions to clarify how the cream is divided and used.
- Improved the instructions for heating the cream properly so that the mousse thickens.
FAQ
Tuxedo cake gets its name from the contrasting layers of dark and white chocolate, resembling the black and white of a tuxedo.
Tuxedo cake consists of a layer of chocolate cake, topped with dark chocolate mousse, white chocolate mousse, more chocolate cake and then chocolate ganache.
julie says
I am looking forward to making this cake.
Wondering if I can double the recipe to make a 10 inch cake.
Any suggestions are welcome.
Nancy says
A terrific cake recipe but next time I would add more whipped cream to lighten up the chocolate mousse just bit. I know it has to support the weight of the white chocolate mousse and another cake layer, but it was too dense. Also, the vanilla should added after the custard is cooked.
Jules Grasekamp says
Hi Nancy,
That's really great feedback, thank you = I'll give it a go next time I make this!
Thanks for trying my recipe!
Jules
Sarah Bloom says
I’m making this cake for a cake auction and it will need to be at room temp for a few hours. Is this okay, or will it melt? Planning on making it the day before the event and letting it solidify in the fridge overnight.
Jules Grasekamp says
Hi Sarah,
I'm so sorry I didn't get back to you sooner - it's a busy time here with our new baby!
Yes that tuxedo cake will be absolutely fine at room temp for a few hours.
How did your cake auction go? I hope you enjoyed the recipe.
Jules
Sarah Bloom says
No problem! The cake auction is this weekend, so you got back with me just in time! I’m excited to try it and will report back!
suja says
cake came out great
thanks for the recipe
Jules Grasekamp says
Yay! I'm happy to hear that suja! Thank you for letting me know 🙂
Jules
Gabrielle says
Hey!
I absolutely love these cakes! I was just wondering while making it my egg and cream mixture starter thickening into a paste very quickly, so I put it into each chocolate mixture but when I added the whipped cream it was more of a custard then a mousse. I tried whipping that mixture and adding more whipping cream but nothing was working. The white chocolate still was like a light custard. Is there anyway to tell what I did wrong?
Kathy says
I would like to add that you should add the vanilla after cooking the custard. Vanilla is alcohol, so cooking it will evaporate it. I made the cake for my son’s birthday. We haven’t eaten it yet but I am sure it will be delicious.
Avery says
I LOVE THIS CAKE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!
Jules Grasekamp says
Haha I'm so glad to hear you love the tuxedo cake Avery!
Thank you for trying my recipe 🙂
Jules
Ree says
So the top part says just whisk egg yolks, makes no mention of sugar or cornstarch... but the bottom part does. Do I whisk sugar and cornstarch with eggs or no?
Jules Grasekamp says
Hi Ree,
Thank you for pointing this out! I recently tweaked the recipe as a few people had been saying they had difficulty with their mousse setting up, I changed the recipe card and must have made an error in that step of the post above. I have fixed it now!
Yes you should whisk the sugar and cornstarch in with the eggs.
Thank you,
Jules
Ree says
Thank you!
Gretchen says
I would like to know if this cake can be sliced and frozen?
Jules Grasekamp says
Hi Gretchen,
I wouldn't recommend freezing this cake as the filling has a custard base which doesn't always respond well to temperature changes, there is a risk of the texture of the filling going a bit funny.
Jules
Jo says
I made 3 layer cake. Can I use them all.
Cake bottom, choc mousse, cake layer, white mousse, cake layer and ganache. It is for next week. Thanks
Jules Grasekamp says
Hi Jo,
Yes you absolutely can! I hope you love the cake!
Jules
LORI NAY says
Can I bake the cake in a 9x13 and make it a rectangle instead of a round?
Jules Grasekamp says
Hi Lori,
You can definitely make this tuxedo cake a rectangle instead of round. For a 9x13 inch pan you may want to double the recipe or your layers could be too thin - especially the mousse layers.
A loaf pan would also work if you don't want to double the recipe but still like the rectangular shape.
Jules
Jo says
I don't have an acetate cake round. Can I just add it by hand. Thx