How To Achieve Velvety Smooth Chocolate Mousse Using Cocoa Powder

Chocolate mousse is simultaneously decadent and light, with a creamy consistency that melts in your mouth. Tips you need for a perfect chocolate mousse may argue over the merits of whipped egg whites versus whipped cream, but chocolate bars are usually the one ingredient all mousse recipes share. Cocoa powder may not be the most common form of chocolate for mousse, but we've consulted Victoria Johnson, head chocolatier at Temper Chocolates inside Denver Central Market, on how cocoa powder can transform into a velvety smooth chocolate mousse.

"When using cocoa powder in your chocolate mousse, be sure to use high-quality cocoa powder and sift it to remove any clumps," Johnson says. "It's also important to add liquid (like milk) to help the cocoa powder mix evenly into the mousse and to prevent any grit. Since cocoa powder is not sweetened and is more bitter than chocolate, add a little extra sugar for balance."

There are many types of cocoa powder to choose from, but some high-quality brands that pack a powerful punch include Guittard's Cocoa Rouge, Ghirardelli Majestic, and Valrhona Pure cocoa powder. Cocoa powder needs liquid to help it dissolve into a smooth consistency similar to that of melted chocolate. Hot milk will it help dissolve more effectively; pour a thin stream of hot milk into cocoa powder and sugar, whisking to combine until smooth. Then, you can proceed with blending in egg yolks and folding in whipped egg whites like we do in this dreamy chocolate mousse cake recipe.

Typically, the ratio for swapping baking chocolate with cocoa powder is three tablespoons of cocoa powder plus one tablespoon of oil or butter for every ounce of baking chocolate. A chocolate mousse recipe that calls for a four-ounce chocolate bar would thus need three-fourths of a cup of cocoa powder. While you can use regular cane sugar to sweeten cocoa powder, powdered sugar is an even better option because its ultra-fine consistency melts and disperses as easily as the cocoa powder does. If you want a rich, bitter, ultra-concentrated dark chocolate, you might not need to add any more sugar to a typical chocolate mousse recipe. If you want your mousse to be more milk chocolatey, you can add sugar a tablespoon at a time until you're satisfied.

Victoria Johnson's tip for blending the cocoa powder with milk is especially relevant if you're using egg whites as the aerator.  However, if you use only whipped cream, the fat and milk in the heavy whipping cream is enough to dissolve cocoa powder. Consequently, you can execute an easy whipped cream and cocoa powder mousse by whipping cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and heavy cream together. It may not be the traditional form of folding the aerator into smooth melted chocolate, but it'll still result in fluffy chocolate mousse.