Creme Egg Mousse Cake for Easter (gluten free)

A perfectly Easter Creme Egg Mousse Cake. Gluten free chocolate sponge, topped with layers of white chocolate-vanilla mousse and drizzles and drips of dark chocolate ganache… all decorated with Creme Eggs. Oh… and there’s a hidden layer of chopped Mini Creme Eggs too!

Originally published 9^th March 2016. Updated 24^th March 2022

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A Gluten Free Creme Egg Mousse Cake for Easter

Looking for show-stopping Easter inspiration? How about a gluten free Creme Egg Mousse Cake? Perfectly ‘Easter’, on account of the Creme Eggs… Appropriately decadent… And stunningly head-turning!

My Creme Egg Mousse Cake consists of a robust, but tender chocolate sponge base, which keeps great texture despite being refrigerated. This is topped with two separate and distinctly coloured layers of vanilla mousse… Which are (of course), a nod to the contrasting yellow and white colours found in the iconic fondant eggs.

The cake is decorated with Creme Eggs and a careful drizzle and drip of wantonly sumptuous dark chocolate ganache. But for any Creme Egg lovers who feel misled… panic not! Hidden within, there is a secret layer of chopped Mini Creme Egg pieces waiting to be discovered, somewhere between the top of the sponge and the start of the mousse… Edible treasure in a gluten free mousse cake trove.

What are Creme Eggs?

A Creme egg is a chocolate egg filled with fondant that is coloured white and yellow to represent the albumen and yolk of an egg. Made by Cadbury since 1971, they have become an icon of Easter chocolates. It is perhaps important to note however, that fondant-filled chocolate eggs had been around long before Cadbury stole the market. But with over 500 million Creme Eggs being made and sold around the world every year, Cadbury is without doubt, the clear winner!

I’ll declare up front that I was a Cadbury Creme Egg child… That is, I actually remember buying my first eggs from the sweet shop when they were introduced back in 1971. Back then they seemed huge and it was always an adventure exploring different ways to eat them.

As I have got older, they seem to have shrunk. But regardless, I now struggle to eat a whole standard-sized one without feeling a little sick.  Nonetheless, they do look exceptionally pretty and very ‘Easter’ topping my Creme Egg Mousse Cake. So, I’ll seasonally oblige.

Creme Eggs – A national Easter obsession with food bloggers

Which brings me to the annual food blogger obsession… Maybe it’s because they are so photogenic, but every year, there seems to be a fight to create the newest and most eye-catching variations of calorific Creme Egg treats. From brownies to rocky road… and cheese cake to cookies. They’ve found their way into and onto every conceivable bake. They’re in cupcakes and ice cream, milk shakes and fudge. There’s Deep Fried Creme Eggs and Creme Egg Pop Tarts. I even saw a post for Creme Egg-Filled Croissants.

At Gluten Free Alchemist, we too have a handful of gluten free treats with this most essential of Easter chocolates. (Although I am not as obsessed as many bloggers). But I am proud to say that I have yet to find another Creme Egg Mousse Cake out there 😁.

How to make a gluten free Creme Egg Mousse Cake – layer by layer

My gluten free Creme Egg Easter Mousse Cake is a little more time-consuming than many cakes, because it needs to be built layer by layer. However, for the end result, it is more than worth the effort.

Okay… Maybe it’s not your average Sunday lunch dessert. But Easter is a special celebration. And special celebrations deserve extra time and decadence.

Layer 1 – The gluten free Chocolate Sponge base

Creme Egg Mousse Cake needs a sturdy base… and this is the first layer to be made. It’s a fairly standard gluten free chocolate cake made with real chocolate as well as cocoa. Its need to be ‘sturdy’, means that the cake is firmer than some, yet remains soft. Indeed, the ratio of ingredients is carefully calculated, to ensure that the sponge remains tender and delicious, even after refrigeration.  

Once the cake has been made, it is removed from the tin and cooled. The tin is washed and then lined with a baking paper or acetate ‘collar’, in which to build the mousse. It’s the same process you use when lining a Christmas Cake tin… Cut a wide strip of baking paper long enough for the full tin circumference… Fold it in half for double-strength… And then neatly fit it around the inside wall of the cake tin with an overlap. The cake is then slotted back into the base of the tin ready for its mousse toppings.

Layer 2 – Chopped Creme Eggs

Being a Creme Egg Mousse Cake, the next layer is a ‘secret’, chopped Creme Egg surprise. Sprinkled on the sponge, the chocolate pieces are then covered and encased in the first mousse. Because they are easier to cut and a little less sweet, I use Mini Creme Eggs for this.

Layer 3 – White-Chocolate Vanilla Mousse (darker yellow)

My gluten free Creme Egg Mousse Cake has two separate coloured White Chocolate-Vanilla Mousse layers to mimic the inside of the Cadbury treats. Each layer has to made separately and allowed to set before adding the next. If you can’t be bothered with the extra process, there is the option to make a single double-quantity batch of just one colour.

The first mousse layer is the darker layer which includes a few drops of orange food colour to represent ‘egg yolk’.

Layer 4 – White-Chocolate Vanilla Mousse 2 (cream coloured)

The next mousse layer is exactly the same as the first, but without the additional colour.

Layer 5 – Dark Chocolate Ganache and Creme Egg decoration

The last layer is the ‘icing on the cake’…Drizzles and drips of rich, slightly sticky, dark chocolate ganache, with a top-decoration of Mini Creme Eggs and optional sprinkles. Simple, but effective and very, VERY Easter.

Is this gluten free Creme Egg Mousse Cake safe for Coeliacs (Celiacs)?

Because my Creme Egg Mousse Cake has been developed with a gluten free sponge base, it is made to be safe for people with Coeliac Disease (Celiac Disease). But while the only obvious gluten-containing ingredient in the recipe is the gluten free flour blend, it is nevertheless important to check other ingredient labels for any hidden gluten or ‘may contain’ warnings.

As far as the choice of gluten free flour blend goes… I use my Gluten Free Alchemist white ‘cake blend’ A (which can be found at the bottom of the Gluten Free Flours and Flour Blending Page). However, any alternative good gluten free flour blend (like Doves Freee Plain White) should work fine.

Cadbury Creme Eggs are gluten free according to labelling, with no ‘may contain’ warnings, They are listed as safe by Coeliac UK.

What equipment do I need to make Creme Egg Mousse Cake?

Most of the equipment you need to make a Creme Egg Mousse Cake is probably already in your kitchen (particularly if you are a keen baker). But these are the key bits that are important to its success…

• Accurate Kitchen Scales
• Measuring Spoons
• Pyrex Bowls (for melting chocolate)
• Mixing Bowls and a mixing Spoon/Spatula. One of my favourite kitchen utensils is my flexible silicone Spoon-Spatula (combined in one), which not only folds batters to perfection, but scrapes the bowl out too!
• Sturdy, well-powered Electric Whisk. I’ve recently been converted to a KitchenAid Hand Whisk. It costs a bit more than many hand-held options, but it’s bloody brilliant!
• A deep 8 inch (or 7 inch minimum) loose-bottom, spring form cake tin. The depth is important as the layers are built up within the tin, stage by stage. I use a Masterclass 8 inch tin, but others are fine, as long as they are spring-form.
• Wire Rack (to cool the sponge)
• Good quality Non-Stick Baking Paper – This is really important, not just to base-line the cake tin, but to make the cake ‘collar’, in which to build and set the mousses.
• Oven and Fridge.

Ready to make my Easter Mousse Cake?

And that’s it. Are you ready to make my Easter gluten free Creme Egg Mousse Cake? Any questions, just shout!

If you do try it, please let me know how you get on. Leave a comment at the bottom of the post, rate the recipe and tag me on social media with your decadently beautiful Creme Egg Mousse Cake photos. Don’t forget to tag me in (#glutenfreealchemist @glutenfreealchemist). You’ll find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest. 

For lots more Easter inspiration, did you know we have a dedicated gluten free Easter Index packed with seasonal recipes. And for everything else, our Main Gluten Free ‘Recipe Book’ Index is the navigational hub for finding anything we’ve ever shared on the site. Grab a coffee and drool!

All shared with my love for FREE

Other Easter Creme Egg Recipes at Gluten Free Alchemist…

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5 from 6 votes

Easter Creme Egg Mousse Cake (gluten free)

A perfectly Eastery Creme Egg Mousse Cake. Gluten free chocolate sponge, topped with layers of white chocolate-vanilla mousse and drizzles and drips of dark chocolate ganache… all decorated with Creme Eggs. Oh… and there’s a hidden layer of chopped Mini Creme Eggs too!

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Mousse setting time8 hours hrs

Total Time10 hours hrs

Course: Cake, Dessert, Easter

Cuisine: British, Gluten Free

Keyword: cake, chocolate, Creme Egg, mousse, Pudding

Servings: 14

Calories per serving: 458.6kcal

Author: Gluten Free Alchemist – Kate Dowse

Key equipment

• Kitchen scales
• measuring spoons
• 8 inch deep springform tin
• baking paper
• oven + hob
• heatproof (pyrex) bowl
• Mixing bowls
• mixing spoon/spatula
• electric whisk
• wire rack
• sharp knife
• Small saucepan
• wooden/silicone spoon

Ingredients 

0.33x0.5x0.66x1x1.5x2x

MetricUS Customary

Chocolate Sponge

• 65 g good quality dark chocolate
• 55 g unsalted butter
• 50 g ground almonds almond meal
• 85 g plain gluten free flour blend I use GFA Blend A (see NOTES)
• ½ tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tsp baking powder gluten free
• ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• pinch fine sea salt
• 12 g cocoa powder unsweetened
• 110 g caster sugar golden
• 2 eggs I used UK medium
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 40 ml plain or greek yoghurt
• 40 ml/g milk

Vanilla Mousse – Layer 1

• 165 g good quality white chocolate finely chopped
• 250 ml/g double cream (heavy cream)
• pinch fine sea salt
• 8 g powdered gelatine
• 2 tbsp water
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• orange food colouring

Vanilla Mousse – Layer 2

• 165 g good quality white chocolate finely chopped
• 250 ml/g double cream (heavy cream)
• pinch fine sea salt
• 8 g powdered gelatine
• 2 tbsp water
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract

Creme Egg layer

• 8 to 10 mini Creme Eggs cut into quarters

Ganache and Decoration

• 60 g good quality dark chocolate finely chopped
• 60 ml/g double cream (heavy cream)
• 7 to 10 mini Creme Eggs dependent on the size of your cake
• sprinkles optional

Instructions

Chocolate Sponge

• Base-line a deep 8 inch spring-form cake tin with baking paper.
• Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4.
• Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in a pyrex bowl with the butter.
• Melt and stir together, either over a pan of just-simmering water or in a microwave on medium setting, 30 second bursts, stirring between each.
• When the chocolate and butter have melted and been blended to a smooth liquid, set aside.
• Weigh and mix together the almonds, flour, xanthan gum. baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cocoa, until all lumps have been broken down. TIP: weigh into an airtight container and shake vigorously. Set aside.
• Beat together the sugar, eggs and vanilla with an electric whisk, until pale and thickened.
• Add the chocolate mix and beat again.
• Add the yoghurt and milk and beat until fully combined.
• Finally, add the dry ingredients and fold through until even. You should have a batter which is thick, but will still drop off the spoon with minimal encouragement. If the batter seems too thick, add a dash more milk and carefully fold in, trying not to over-mix.
• Spoon the batter into the cake tin and smooth the top.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top springs back to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• Leave the cake in the tin to cool for 10 minutes, before carefully removing and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• When the cake is completely cold, use a sharp knife to level it, so that the top is flat and even.
• Wash the cake tin that was used to bake the cake and base-line with clean baking paper.
• Make a 'collar' to completely line the internal side of the cake tin… Cut a wide strip of baking paper long enough for the full tin circumference… Fold it in half for double-strength… Then neatly fit it around the inside wall of the cake tin with an overlap. The collar needs to be a little taller than the top of the tin.
• Place the sponge back into the cake tin inside the collar.

Creme Egg Layer

• Arrange the pieces of chopped Mini Creme Egg on the top of the cooled sponge inside the cake tin.

Making the first Mousse layer

• Combine the chocolate, about 80 ml/g of the cream and the salt and heat, until the chocolate has melted and the liquid is smooth. You can do this in a small saucepan on the hob over a very low heat, stirring frequently. Or in a microwave on 20 to 30 second bursts (medium setting), stirring between each. Set aside.
• Mix the gelatine with the water in a small bowl and leave for a few minutes for the gelatine to absorb the liquid.
• When the water has been absorbed, heat the gelatine in the microwave for about 15 seconds until liquid and stir thoroughly until smooth (or use a small saucepan).
• Pour the gelatine into the chocolate mix and beat immediately and thoroughly until smooth.
• Whisk the remaining cream in a clean bowl straight away, until it forms stiff peaks (be careful not to over-whisk).
• Add the vanilla extract and about half the chocolate mixture and quickly, but gently fold together to combine.
• Immediately add the rest of the chocolate mixture and a good few drops of food colour and fold again, to reach the desired orange hue.
• Transfer the mousse into the tin on top of the sponge and Creme Egg pieces and smooth the top.
• Lightly place a disc of baking paper on top and refrigerate for about 4 hours to set completely.

Making the second Mousse layer

• Make the second mousse layer (but without the food colouring) by exactly the same method as the first.
• Remove the disc of baking paper from the top of the cake tin and transfer the second mousse into the cake tin on top of the first set layer.
• Smooth the top.
• Place a piece of cling film over the tin (not touching the mousse) and chill for about 4 hours until completely set.

Remove the cake from the tin

• When the mousse is set, gently undo the spring on the side of the cake tin, open and carefully remove.
• Carefully remove the base paper (it should come away very easily) and collar and set the cake on a serving plate.

Ganache and Decoration

• Place the finely chopped dark chocolate into a Pyrex bowl.
• In a small saucepan, heat the cream until simmer bubbles just start to appear at the edges of the pan. Do NOT boil.
• Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and leave to stand for about 15 seconds, before GENTLY stirring through. Keep stirring until the chocolate has completely melted and the ganache is smooth.
• Leave to cool at room temperature (do not refrigerate), stirring occasionally until the ganache has started to thicken, but is still pourable.
• Drizzle the ganache in decorative swirls or patterns on top of the mousse, allowing some to trickle down the sides.
• Cut some of the eggs in half and arrange, with some whole eggs, on top of the cake.
• Add sprinkles (if using).
• Store refrigerated, but remove from the fridge for about 15 minutes before serving. Especially good served with cream!

Notes

* Note: nutritional information is an estimate & may vary according to portion size/ingredient variants.

Gluten Free Alchemist Flour Blend A can be found on the GFA Flours & Flour Blending Page. If using an alternative flour blend, the texture may vary. 

If you prefer to make only one batch of mousse, combine both quantities of mousse ingredients and make a single thicker layer.

Nutrition

Calories: 458.6kcal | Carbohydrates: 35.8g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 33.3g | Saturated Fat: 19.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8.1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 84.2mg | Sodium: 105.5mg | Potassium: 202.8mg | Fiber: 2.5g | Sugar: 28.6g | Vitamin A: 738.1IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 130.9mg | Iron: 1.8mg

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© 2019-2023 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist

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