
Mocha mousse for a crowd
- Published: 28 Apr 25
- Updated: 30 Apr 25
Go large with a giant mocha mousse that’s made for sharing. Here’s why we love this supersized, make-ahead dessert….

- Hidden depths: Dig into the thick chocolate mousse to discover a golden coffee layer hidden below the chocolate.
- Feed a crowd: Instead of fussing about trying to chill lots of small glasses in the fridge, all you need is one big serving bowl. This simple but sophisticated mocha mousse serves 12 and is designed to be brought to the table and dished up in front of everyone – for maximum impact.
- Make ahead: The mousse is ideal for making the day before so it’s ready to go.
Tuck into more XL versions of your favourite desserts and bakes with our giant recipes collection.
Ingredients
- 200g dark chocolate, chopped
- 75g milk chocolate, chopped
- 530ml double cream
- 4 gelatine leaves
- 110ml espresso coffee (or 1½ tbsp instant espresso coffee mixed into 100ml water)
- ½ tbsp camp coffee
- 8 medium eggs, separated
- 265g golden caster sugar
- Drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and salt flakes to serve (optional)
Specialist kit
- 3 litre serving bowl
Method
- Heat both types of chocolate and 265ml of the cream in a large bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (don’t let the water touch the bowl) until the chocolate has melted and combined with the cream – it will thicken as it does. Remove the bowl from the pan and set aside to cool a little.
- Soak the gelatine leaves in a jug of cool water for 5 minutes. In a small pan combine the espresso and camp coffee, then heat gently. Once warm, squeeze out the gelatine and stir into the coffee until dissolved.
- Whip the remaining 265ml cream in a large bowl until it reaches soft peaks (that flop over when the whisk/beaters are removed). Put the egg yolks and 100g sugar in another large bowl and use an electric mixer to whisk until the mixture is pale, thick and the sugar has dissolved. Transfer half the egg mixture into the whipped-cream bowl and add the coffee mixture. Use the electric mixer to whisk together until silky and combined.
- Add a little of the chocolate mixture to the remaining egg mixture, then stir it in. Stir in the remaining chocolate mixture.
- In a third bowl (or wash and dry the bowl that had the chocolate mixture in it), use a clean electric whisk to beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Add the remaining 165g sugar a little at a time while whisking continuously until combined in a thick, glossy meringue with stiff peaks.
- Gently fold half the meringue into each mixture (a large metal spoon or balloon whisk are good for folding). Pour the coffee mousse into the base of the large serving dish and spread evenly. Spoon over the chocolate mousse (don’t pour this one as it will disrupt the coffee mousse layer underneath). Cover the dish with a beeswax wrap or plate (without letting it touch the surface) and chill for at least 3 hours to set. Serve at the table for everyone to help themselves. It’s great served with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt flakes.
- Recipe from May 2025 Issue
Nutrition
- Calories
- 424kcals
- Fat
- 31g (19g saturated)
- Protein
- 2.7g
- Carbohydrates
- 32g (31g sugars)
- Fibre
- 2g
- Salt
- 0.1g
delicious. tips
We served the mousse in a very large, shallow dish but you could use something smaller but deeper and have deeper layers.
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