Chocolate Royal Cake

Helene

(1)

Chocolate Royal Cake, also called Trianon, calls for chocolate lovers. Some cakes are more traditional than others, and this is one of them: a chocolate mousse cake with a crunchy layer over an almond biscuit base (=dacquoise).

a slice of Chocolate Royal Cake on a cake slicer server

Chocolate Royal Cake is a classic French dessert in its pure elegance you will find in every bakery when visiting France. The combination of the chocolate mousse and the crunchy layer brings an amazing texture that you won’t resist.

This Chocolate Royal Cake is not too complicated to make. Each layer is very approachable, and I keep things easy by dusting the top with cocoa powder and skipping the chocolate mirror glaze you sometimes see on this mousse cake.

Chocolate Royal Cake on marble cake board with small plates in the background

Note:

If you have a passion for French pastries, you will be interested to know that this Chocolate Royal Cake is also called a Trianon Cake (2 names but the exact same cake). The traditional cake has a crunchy layer made of Paillete Feuilletine (= lacy crepes), but it can be hard to find in grocery stores, so I replaced it with cornflakes, and the result is amazing.

Why you’ll love this Chocolate Royal Cake

  • Flavorful: the chocolate mousse pairs perfectly with the crispy layer (made with hazelnut praline paste) and the almond dacquoise (=biscuit base).
  • The texture is fantastic: the melt-in-your-mouth chocolate mousse and crispy layer combine perfectly in every bite.
  • A classic French cake you can easily make in your home kitchen, just like the Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake (another French classic).
  • This chocolate dessert is perfect for chocolate lovers or to serve on special occasions like birthdays, Christmas and Easter.

Equipment Needed

  • Cake ring 20cm / 8in – minimum height: 8cm / 3in
  • Cake collar, also called acetate sheet.
  • A cooking thermometer, it’s not compulsory but can help you get more precise results to make the chocolate mousse.
  • And classic baking stuff like baking paper, spatula, etc….
Chocolate Royal Cake on marble cake board, close view

Ingredients

Dacquoise (biscuit base): almond meal (or ground almond that you sieve), egg white from large eggs (keep the yolk for the chocolate mousse), powdered sugar, and fine sugar (caster or granulated sugar)

Crunchy layer: milk chocolate (40%), cornflakes, hazelnut praline paste (homemade or store-bought)

Chocolate mousse: egg yolk (from large eggs), whole milk, heavy cream (36% milk fat), chocolate with 52% cocoa content (you can choose a 60% cocoa content if you love dark chocolate.)

How to make a Chocolate Royal Cake / Trianon?

Here is a summary of the recipe. Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions at the end of this post.

Step 1: dacquoise (The dacquoise is a biscuit base made from a French meringue, combined with almond meal. It is crispy on the outside but still moist and chewy in the center.)

  • Prepare the batter.
  • Spread the batter in a circular pattern on a baking sheet.
  • Bake until lightly golden and no longer sticky to the touch.
  • Let it cool completely before handling it.
  • Then, cut it to fit inside your cake ring and place it in the cake ring with cake collars (=acetate sheet).  

Step 2: Crunchy Layer

  • Melt chocolate and add hazelnut praline paste. Mix.
  • Stir in cornflakes, previously crushed, until fully coated.
  • Spread the crunchy mixture on top of the dacquoise and place in the fridge until it is set (20-30 min).

Step 3: Chocolate Mousse

  • Prepare the chocolate mousse by combining a custard cream with chocolate, then folding it in whipped cream. Pour the mousse over the crispy layer and spread evenly.
  • Chill for 6 hours or overnight.

Step 4: Decoration

  • Decorate the cake with cocoa powder 10-15 minutes before you plan to serve it. If you do it too early, the cocoa powder will absorb moisture.
  • Decorate with chocolate decor.
image divide in 3 for a cake in preparation with a dacquoise batter on the left, a cooked dacquoise in the middle and a crunchy layer on the right
image divide in 3 for a cake in preparation with a chocolate mousse on the left, the chocolate mousse in a cake ring in the middle and the chocolate cake on the right

Tips

Chocolate mousse:

  • When making the custard, constantly whisk to avoid a lumpy cream.
  • When ready to add to the whipped cream, the chocolate cream needs to be around 40C (105F). That’s very important. If it is too cold, you will have difficulties folding in the whipped cream. On the other hand, if the chocolate cream is too hot, the whipped cream will lose its airy texture and flatten out.

Cake:

For a professional look, use a cake collar, the side of the mousse cake will be smooth, and it will be so much easier to remove the cake ring.

Decoration:

As said previously, decorate the cake with cocoa powder 10-15 minutes before you plan to serve it. If you do it too early, the cocoa powder will absorb moisture.

Variation

The dacquoise: You can use hazelnut meal instead of almond meal for a full hazelnut version, or make half almond/hazelnut.

Decoration: replace the chocolate decor with hazelnuts or chocolate curls.

FAQs 

How to store the Chocolate Royal Cake?

Store this cake for 2-3 days in the fridge under a cake dome.

Can I make it ahead?

If you make the hazelnut praline paste, you can prepare it ahead of time. It stores very well for a few weeks.

For the cake itself, it is best to prepare the cake the day before you plan to serve it. It will need about 6 hours to set.

I won’t recommend freezing this cake due to the ingredients.

a slice of Chocolate Royal Cake in a beige dessert plate with a gold spoon

Try these recipes, next:

If you tried this Chocolate Royal Cake or any recipe on the blog, let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment below.

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Chocolate Royal Cake

  • Prep time: 45 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Serves: 8

Chocolate Royal Cake, calls for chocolate lovers: a chocolate mousse cake with a crunchy layer over an almond biscuit base.

Ingredients

Biscuit base (dacquoise)

  • 75 g (3/4 cup) almond meal
  • 75 g (3/4 cup) powdered sugar
  • 2 egg whites (from large eggs)
  • 25 g (1/8 cup) fine sugar

Crunchy layer

  • 50 g (1.8 oz) milk chocolate (40% cocoa content), finely chopped
  • 60 g (1/4 cup) hazelnut praline paste (Recipe here)
  • 55 g (1 cup + 1/3 cup) cornflakes

Chocolate Mousse

  • 160 ml (2/3 cup) whole milk
  • 2 egg yolks (from large eggs)
  • 25 g (1/8 cup) fine sugar
  • 200 g (7 oz) semi-sweet chocolate (52% cocoa content), finely chopped
  • 300 ml (1cup + 1/4 cup) heavy cream, 36% milk fat

Decoration

  • unsweetened cocoa powder
  • chocolate decor, optional

Info

  • recipe for ring cake of 8 inch (20cm) diameter, minimum height: 3in (8cm)

Method

Biscuit Base (dacquoise)

  • 1)

    Preheat the oven to 180°C (350F), fan off. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or with perforated silicone mat.

    Optional: Draw a 22 cm (8.5inch) circle on parchment paper to use as a guide. Put the paper on a baking sheet with the ink side down.

  • 2)

    In a medium bowl, stir together the almond meal and powdered sugar until well combined. Set aside.

  • 3)

    With an electric mixer, whip the egg whites on medium-low speed. Once the eggs are foamy, gradually add the sugar, then increase the speed to medium-high and whisk until stiff peaks form and the sugar has dissolved. Note: The whipped eggs shouldn’t be too stiff.

  • 4)

    Using a spatula, fold the almond-powdered sugar mixture into the meringue in 2 additions. Gently fold, being careful not to deflate the batter.

  • 5)

    To spread the dacquoise, fill a pastry bag with batter and pipe a circle starting from the center. If you don’t have a pastry bag, spread the batter on a baking sheet.

  • 6)

    Bake for 15-18 minutes or until lightly golden and no longer sticky to the touch.

  • 7)

    Remove from the oven and let it cool completely before handling. Once the dacquoise has cooled, cut it to fit inside your cake ring. Use the cake ring like a cookie cutter.

  • 8)

    Place the cake ring on a cake board / or cake serving plate. Place the dacquoise base inside the cake ring and then place cake collars (=acetate sheet) around the inside side of the cake ring to make it easier to remove the cake later. Set aside.

Crunchy layer

  • 1)

    Crush the cornflakes with your hands. Set Aside.

  • 2)

    In a heat-proof bowl, add the chopped chocolate. Place the bowl over a double boiler and melt the chocolate over low-medium heat. Make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the simmering water to avoid burning.

  • 3)

    Once the chocolate has melted, with a spatula stir in the hazelnut praline paste until completely incorporated.

  • 4)

    Add the crushed corn flakes, and stir until they are fully coated.

  • 5)

    Spread the crunchy mixture on top of the dacquoise in a thin layer, using the back of a spoon to spread it evenly. Place in the fridge until it is set (20-30 min).

Chocolate Mousse

  • 1)

    Place the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Set aside.

  • 2)

    Heat the milk, sugar, and egg yolks in a saucepan over low-medium heat, constantly whisking until it reaches 84C (183F), and you have a custard cream that has just thickened.

    Note: If you don’t have a thermometer, test the thickness of the custard by dipping your spatula into it and drawing a line across the back of the spoon with your fingertip. If the line stays, the sauce is ready; if it doesn’t, cook it a little longer.

  • 3)

    Pour the custard over the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then, with a spatula, stir until fully combined. Set aside and let it cool slightly.

  • 4)

    In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks.

  • 5)

    When the chocolate cream is at about 40C (104F) (it should be slightly warmed to the touch), add it to the whipped cream in 2 batches. Fold gently with a spatula, making sure not to deflate the batter.

  • 6)

    Pour the mousse over the crispy layer and spread evenly. Cover with plastic wrap but don’t touch the chocolate mousse. Chill for 6 hours or overnight.

Decoration

  • 1)

    Decorate the cake 10-15 minutes before you plan to serve it. If you do it too early, the cocoa powder will absorb moisture.

    Dust the mousse cake with cocoa powder before removing it from its ring.

  • 2)

    Then gently remove the cake from the cake ring. Pell off the cake collar (acetate sheet).

  • 3)

    Decorate with chocolate decor if desired.

Notes

– Store this cake for up to 2 days in the fridge under a cake dome.

– US/UK standard Baking Spoons:  teaspoon: 5ml / tablespoon: 15ml / cup: 240ml

– Scroll back to read tips and frequently asked questions within the blog post that you might find helpful

 

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