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This Baileys Chocolate Mousse Brownie Cake has a dense, delicious brownie base with smooth Baileys chocolate mousse on top. You won’t be able to stop eating it!
Baileys Chocolate Mousse Brownie Cake
So I’m totally loving the new series at our church. This week was the second message of the series (called What Happy Couples Know) and it was perfectly on target in so many ways. We all bring certain hopes and dreams into marriage – how could we not? – that turn into expectations. Those expectations change the nature of the relationship and not necessarily for the better. How to overcome that is the trick. He talks about how happy couples do that and WHY they do what they do.
A lot of what he’s talking about is stuff that the hubs and I experienced and worked through at one point years ago. It was a challenge to let go of certain expectations and put the other person before yourself. And as he mentions, it’s scary! But my gosh it was one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but the change I look back on now was massive – both for me in my faith and for my relationship with my husband. If you ever want to get married or are already married, it is SUCH a great message! I can’t wait to see where he takes the rest of it.
And of course since you can watch it online, you could even enjoy a slice of this cake while watching. 😉 Score!
Speaking of this cake – oh my gosh! It’s no secret that I’m a fan of the combo of chocolate and Baileys. Between this Baileys Chocolate layer cake, these mini Baileys chocolate cheesecakes, these mini Baileys chocolate cheesecake trifles, Baileys fudge brownies and more Baileys and chocolate treats, it’s hard to decide a favorite. But there’s no doubt that this combination of brownie and mousse in a cake is pure Baileys and chocolate heaven!
How to Make This Heavenly Cake
The brownie bottom is one of my favorite brownies. SUPER easy to put together – just mixing of the ingredients! I don’t even bother with a mixer. Pour it right into a 9×13 inch pan, bake and let it cool.
The mousse isn’t quite as simple, but it really isn’t hard. It’s a more traditional cooked mousse, rather than an easy no-cook one. The smooth and silky texture of a cooked mousse is the best!
To start, you’ll combine the egg yolks, sugar and Baileys in the top of a double boiler (or in a metal bowl over a pot of boil water, which is what I do). The main goal here is to slowly and gently cook the eggs without scrambling them. You want them to reach 160°F so they are safe to eat. I like to use an instant read thermometer to test the temperature of the mixture, but you could also try eyeballing it and looking for things to thicken and grow in volume.
Once the egg mixture is ready, it’s combined with the melted chocolate chips, cooled to room temperature, then gently combined with whipped cream. Once made, spread it evenly over the cooled brownie and refrigerate until firm. The waiting is the worst!
Fortunately, after the worst part of waiting comes the best part – eating!! So, so good! The smooth, silky mousse with the dense, chewy brownie is to die for. When you consider that it’s also Baileys and chocolate, it’s maybe my new favorite dessert ever!
Watch How To Make It
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Baileys Chocolate Mousse Brownie Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 24 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours
- Yield: 12-15 Slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Baileys Chocolate Mousse Brownie Cake has a dense, delicious brownie base with smooth Baileys chocolate mousse on top. You won’t be able to stop eating it!
Ingredients
BROWNIE LAYER
- 1 1/2 cups (336g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups (414g) sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp Baileys Irish Cream
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/2 cup (195g) all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (85g) natural unsweetened cocoa
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
BAILEYS CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
- 6 large egg yolks
- 6 tbsp (78g) sugar
- 3/4 cup Baileys Irish Cream
- 1 3/4 cups (296g) semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 cup (115g) powdered sugar
BAILEYS WHIPPED CREAM
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1/4 cup (29g) powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp Baileys Irish Cream
- Chocolate bar, for shavings
- Mini chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
1. To make the brownie, preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
2. Combine the butter, sugar, vanilla extract and Baileys in a medium sized bowl. Add eggs and mix until well combined.
3. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in another medium sized bowl, then slowly add dry ingredients to the egg mixture until well combined.
4. Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake for 22-26 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
5. While the brownie cools, make the chocolate mousse. Combine the egg yolks, sugar and Baileys in the top of a double boiler until combined. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can use a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Cook the mixture, whisking constantly and occasionally lifting the bowl to release the steam so it doesn’t get too hot. The mixture will thin out at first, then begin to thicken. The mixture will be ready when is has thickened and has more volume. It should take about 7-10 minutes and reach 160 degrees. Do not boil. When done, remove egg mixture from heat and set aside.
6. Place chocolate chips for mousse in a medium sized bowl and melt in the microwave in intervals of about 15-20 seconds, stirring between each interval, until smooth. You could also melt them in a double boiler, if you prefer.
7. Add the chocolate to the egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Set aside to cool to about room temperature.
8. In another bowl, make the whipped cream. Add the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar to a large mixer bowl and whip until it reaches stiff peaks.
9. Fold about a ¼ cup of whipped cream into the chocolate mixture until combined. Then fold about a 1/4 of the chocolate mixture into the whipped cream. Slowly fold in the remaining chocolate mixture into the whipped cream.
10. Spread the chocolate mousse into an even layer on top of the brownie, then refrigerate until firm, 4-5 hours.
11. To finish off the cake, make the Baileys whipped cream. Add all ingredients to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
12. Pipe swirls of whipped cream onto each slice, then finish with chocolate shavings and mini chocolate chips, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 697
- Sugar: 56.1 g
- Sodium: 128.9 mg
- Fat: 43.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 70.9 g
- Protein: 8.1 g
- Cholesterol: 220.1 mg
Enjoy!
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I made this over the weekend and just wanted to thank you! So far I’ve tried 3 of your recipes and they are all a WIN. I’m from South Africa and used Amarula – yum! Although I found my mousse was not as stiff as yours looked. Possibly got the temperature wrong or over combined? It tasted amazing. My brownie was also a lot thicker, so think I should use a larger dish next time. There will be a next time 😉
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Not sure about the potential difference in stiffness. There are several things that could play a factor. Glad it worked well with the Amarula though!
Quiero probar estas recetas se ven riquísima! !!!! ????????????
How can you make this gluten free without the flour?
That looks good I just made it as my lock screen.
I think you hit it right on the nose with “Bailey’s and chocolate heaven” – I can’t think of a better way to describe how this looks!
I am thinking of making this. Looks amazing. My friend who bakes with me sometimes had a question on the raw eggs used in the refrigerated topping. I know with curd, the eggs do get heated at a point, then the curd is refrigerated. I wasn’t sure how to answer her question. Any help?? Thank you.
Actually, my friend read the recipe (which I neglected to do). They are cooked. Never mind!!! We are going to make! 🙂
Whoops, just saw your second comment. I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
The eggs in this are actually not raw. They get cooked over the double boiler, just slowly so that they don’t scramble. If you have a thermometer you can use, that’s best. The recommended temperature to heat them to for safe eating is 160 degrees.
Is this safe for kids to eat? IF not, what can I substitute?
You can follow the ingredients in this chocolate mousse. They are very similar, but that one uses heavy cream instead of the Baileys and the amounts needed are different. It’s not a 1:1 swap. They produce the same amount of mousse though. Once the mousse is made, add it to the brownie and follow the rest of this recipe.
Bailey’s and Brownies ❤️
You just described my perfect Saturday night.
This looks great. I would love to make this for our upcoming Women’s Christmas Brunch. However, I need to be careful about adding alcohol to my recipes. What do you recommend to replace the Baileys?
You can follow the ingredients in this chocolate mousse. They are very similar, but that one uses heavy cream instead of the Baileys and the amounts needed are different. It’s not a 1:1 swap. They produce the same amount of mousse though. Once the mousse is made, add it to the brownie and follow the rest of this recipe.
This looks great, but it would be really great if the recipe could be printed without it taking 20 pages.
There’s a print button right in the recipe card that will print just the recipe. If you use the print button in your browser, you’ll get those 20 pages.
Hi. I love chocolate and this sounds super amazing! Would love to try it. Just 1 issue, what is Bailey’s Irish cream? Is there a substitute?
I live in South Africa
Baileys is an Irish whiskey and cream-based liqueur. I would say it’s similar to Amarula in South Africa as far as being a creamy liqueur, the flavor is just a little different.
You can buy Bailey’s Irish Cream in South Africa. Well done, Lindsay! You know about Amarula. ????
My husband is South African. We actually have some Amarula in our cupboard from the last time his family came over to visit. 🙂
I made it with Amarula this weekend, we are also from South Africa. Very yum! Amarula has a strong flavour but it worked beautifully. Could also try Cape Velvet, we also get that here.
Oh, my! I must make this!! Thank you, Lindsay!
Where can I buy Bailey’s Irish Cream?
You should be able to find it at the liquor store, as it’s a liqueur.
This looks soooo good, and thanks for sharing the message!!
What can I use instead of the Bailey’s.
You can follow the ingredients in this chocolate mousse. They are very similar, but that one uses heavy cream instead of the Baileys and the amounts needed are different. It’s not a 1:1 swap. They produce the same amount of mousse though. Once the mousse is made, add it to the brownie and follow the rest of this recipe.
If you want that flavor but without the alcohol, how about a Bailey’s -flavored coffee creamer?
I love love love chocolate, mousse, brownies….so I am all in….I am making this !!! Yay !!!! Thanks so much Lindsay 🙂