How To Make An Entremet

Learn how to make a gorgeous dark chocolate entremet cake that looks like it came straight out of the finest French bakeries. This multi-layered dessert is built with a chocolate sponge cake, silky ganache, a perfect chocolate mousse, a shiny chocolate mirror glaze, and all the mouthfeel of each layer that makes an entremet such a towering treat. Designed by pastry chefs but absolutely achievable at home, this sophisticated dessert proves that even technical skills become manageable when you break them down step by step.

This chocolate mousse cake is elegant, impressive, and surprisingly doable for home cooks who aren't afraid of a little challenge. Whether this is your first entremet or you’ve dabbled in French pastries before, you’ll learn exactly how to build the entire thing from the base to the entremet inserts to the final tower of glossy finish. HUGE thank you to my friend Chef Christophe Rull for teaching us everything we need to know.

It is a two-day culinary adventure, so treat it as a labor of love. But the moment you slice into this mousse-filled mold, the whole thing becomes so worth it—one of the best sweet treats you’ll ever create in your own kitchen.

This recipe makes six entremets so you'll have plenty to share or you can freeze them and enjoy them later!

Entremet Ingredients & Components

The number of ingredients might look long, but each part of the entremet plays a crucial role in the stability of the entremet, full flavor, and aesthetic appeal. For a full list of ingredients for each component, be sure to review the recipe card below.

Every entremet cake combines multiple recipes to create distinct textures—creamy, light, crunchy, chewy—so each bite feels intentional. It’s a multi-layered dessert that pulls inspiration from pastry creams, crispy cookies, fragrant fruit filling, and airy mousse layers. The importance of its taste comes from how every component works together, and this original iteration focuses on classic dark chocolate.

Chocolate Fudge Cake Ingredients

This sponge cake layer forms the core of your entremet. Moist, rich, and sturdy enough to be part of the entremet without falling apart, it sets the foundation for the hot mixture of ganache that will eventually sit on top. You can switch the chocolate cake out for any cake recipe like vanilla cake, strawberry cake, or even lemon cake!

• Eggs – Add structure and richness so the sponge cake holds up inside the entremet. You can swap for carton liquid eggs if that's what you have on hand.
• Granulated sugar – Sweetens the cake while helping keep the crumb tender. Caster sugar works just as well.
• Vanilla extract – Rounds out all the chocolate notes and adds warmth. Almond extract or coffee extract can replace it.
• Mayonnaise – My secret trick for an ultra-moist, fudgy sponge that never turns dry. Sour cream or Greek yogurt works, just expect a slightly thicker texture.
• All-purpose flour – Gives the cake structure. Cake flour is a good substitute if you want a softer crumb.
• Cocoa powder – Adds deep chocolate flavor. Dutch-process cocoa makes it smoother and richer.
• Baking soda – Helps the sponge rise and react with the cocoa. Baking powder can be used in a pinch.
• Baking powder – Adds a little extra lift. If you don’t have any, increase the baking soda slightly.
• Salt – Balances the sweetness and boosts the chocolate flavor. Sea salt or kosher salt both work.
• Water – Loosens the batter and keeps the sponge moist. Hot brewed coffee is a fantastic substitution if you want to intensify the chocolate.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Ingredients

This ganache becomes the center of the mousse-filled mold. Glucose or corn syrup gives the chocolate mixture stability at room temperature, helping it stay smooth and glossy. You can also use white chocolate ganache.

• Granulated sugar – Adds sweetness and keeps the texture smooth. Brown sugar can deepen the flavor.
• Glucose – Gives the ganache stability and a silky finish. Corn syrup or honey can be used instead.
• Heavy whipping cream – Creates the creamy ganache base. Coconut cream works for a dairy-free option.
• Dark chocolate – Provides rich, intense chocolate flavor. Any real chocolate between 60–70% cocoa will work.
• Milk chocolate – Softens the dark chocolate and creates a super smooth center. You can replace it with more dark chocolate if you prefer less sweetness.
• Unsalted butter – Adds shine and a luxurious mouthfeel. European butter like Plugra gives the best texture, but any unsalted butter is fine.

Chocolate Mirror Glaze Ingredients

The shiny mirror glaze is what gives the final tower its stunning presentation. Gelatin, or agar-agar if needed, transforms the hot cream mixture into that flawless, glossy finish you see on professional chocolate cherry bombes and other French desserts. You can also use regular mirror glaze.

• Water – Helps dissolve the sugar and bloom the gelatin. Coffee can be used to deepen the flavor and color.
• Granulated sugar – Creates the shiny mirror glaze and keeps it stable. Caster sugar is a great substitute.
• Red food coloring – Just a couple drops deepen the chocolate color and enhance the shine. You can skip it or use orange coloring instead.
• Heavy whipping cream – Adds richness and helps emulsify the cocoa powder. Coconut cream can be used for dairy-free glazing.
• Glucose – Helps the glaze achieve that flawless, bubble-free finish. Corn syrup is an easy swap.
• Cocoa powder – Gives the glaze its dark chocolate flavor and glossy appearance. Dutch-process cocoa gives an even smoother finish.
• Gelatin sheets – Set the glaze so it flows beautifully over the frozen entremet. Powdered gelatin works when bloomed in cold water first.

Chocolate Mousse

Chef Christophe Rull uses 64% dark chocolate, but you can use any real chocolate—milk chocolate or white chocolate—as long as it contains cocoa butter. The whipped cream component acts as the airy ingredient, the pâte à bombe creates structure, and the ganache adds full flavor to the mass of mousse. If you want an easier version, my easy chocolate honey mousse would also work.

• Heavy whipping cream – Whipped to soft peaks to lighten the mousse and make it airy. Coconut cream is the best dairy-free alternative.
• Dark chocolate (64%) – The base flavor of your mousse. Any real chocolate between 60–70% cocoa works beautifully.
• Egg yolks – Used to make the pâte à bombe, which gives the mousse its structure and velvety texture. Pasteurized yolks are a safer and easier swap.
• Granulated sugar – Sweetens and stabilizes the pâte à bombe. Caster sugar also works well.
• Water – Used to cook the sugar syrup for the pâte à bombe. Coffee or espresso can be used instead for a deeper chocolate flavor.
• Whipped cream – Folded in at the end to create the light, airy texture that makes mousse so irresistible. Stabilized whipped cream works too if you need extra firmness.

Making the Chocolate Fudge Cake

This fudgy cake comes together quickly and easily and is the perfect base for your entremet! You can switch the cake out with other flavors like vanilla cake, strawberry cake or even lemon cake!

1. Line a ¼ sheet pan (9"x13") with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, mayonnaise, water, and vanilla until smooth.
4. Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients on low speed, then increase to high speed to combine fully.
5. Spread the batter evenly across the prepared pan.
6. Bake the cake for 15-20 minutes or until the center is set.
7. Cool the cake for 15 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan to cool fully.
8. Use cling wrap or plastic wrap to cover once baked and cooled, then freeze so it’s easier to trim later with a cookie cutter.

Preparing the Ganache

1. Combine your glucose, granulated sugar, and cream together and bring the pan to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan.
2. Then, in a heat-proof or glass bowl, pour in about ⅓ of your boiling mixture over your chocolate and mix them together until you reach a shiny and smooth consistency. Then, repeat this step in thirds until you’ve added all your cream. If you put all of your cream in at once, then your ganache may separate.
3. Next, place your butter into a tall container, and then pour the melted chocolate into the pitcher over the butter.
4. Then, using an immersion blender, mix the chocolate and the butter together until it is shiny. PRO TIP: Hold the mixer at a slight angle to prevent incorporating air into the ganache.
5. Cover the ganache with plastic wrap. Do this by pressing the plastic wrap right up against the surface of the ganache. This step will prevent any water in the air from being added to the ganache.
6. Finally, let the ganache set. Set it aside for at least 5-6 hours at room temperature (or you can put it in the refrigerator and cut the time in half). The texture is smoother if you leave it at room temperature.

Making the Chocolate Mousse

This chocolate mousse is made up of three components: pâte à bombe, ganache, and whipped cream. I will walk you through how to make each of them.

Whipped cream adds a lightness and airiness to the mousse.

1. Whip the heavy cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form.
2. Set it aside.

Ganache adds flavor and structure to the mousse.

1. Bring the heavy cream to JUST boiling and then pour it over the chocolate.
2. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
3. Set it aside.

Pâte à bombe is a light, creamy base made with cooked sugar syrup and egg yolks, similar to Italian meringue but using yolks instead of egg whites.

1. Begin by cooking the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat to 244°F.
2. Place the egg yolks into the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment attached.
3. While mixing on medium speed, slowly pour the sugar mixture into the stand mixer.
4. Whisk until the egg yolk mixture reaches ribbon stage.

1. To build the chocolate mousse, fold ½ of the whipped cream into the ganache to lighten it.
2. Then add in the rest of the whipped cream by folding gently.
3. Then fold in the pâte à bombe to create the perfect mousse for the entremet.

Assembling the Entremet Layers

Now it's time to bring it all together!

1. First, remove the plastic wrap from the frozen cake.
2. Next, use a 3” cake cutter to create small cake rounds. 
3. Prepare a piping bag with a large round tip (an 8 or 9 tip) and fill it with your chocolate ganache.
4. Then, pipe your chocolate ganache on top of the center of your cake rounds.
5. Freeze the cake rounds with ganache on top for 1 hour or until they are set.
6. While the cake rounds with ganache are in the freezer, prepare your 4” cake rings/entremet mold for assembly.
7. You will start by coating the inside of the cake rings with cooking spray.
8. Cut your acetate sheets to 2” x 9.25”, and cut out squares of acetate that will cover the entire bottom of the cake rings.
9. Then, line the inside of your non-stick cake rings with acetate sheets. Next, place a square sheet of acetate on a baking sheet. Then, place your cake ring that is lined with acetate on top of the square.
10. Once the cake rounds with ganache have set in the freezer for 1 hour, remove them from the freezer.
11. Prepare a piping bag and fill it with your chocolate mousse.
12. Now it is time to assemble the entremet. PRO TIP: Before you begin piping your mousse ensure that the acetate squares on the bottom are in place so none of the mousse will escape.
13. Start by piping chocolate mousse into the acetate-lined cake rings about ¾ of the way to the top of the cake rings.
14. Next, hold the cake round topped with ganache and place it mousse side down into the center of the ganache (cake side should be on top). Gently press the cake round into the mousse until the mousse moves up to the top. You will see a ring of mousse form around the cake and that is when you know the mousse is filled on the sides.
15. Then, flatten out the mousse and scrape off any excess from the cake ring so that it’s level.
16. Freeze the entremets for a minimum of 3 hours. Chef Christophe recommends freezing them overnight. This will allow all of the layers to fully set in place.

Chocolate Mirror Glaze

This mirror glaze is super shiny, smooth, and sets the perfect finish for our entremet.

1. Bloom gelatin sheets in cold water.
2. Cook sugar, water, and optional food coloring to 222°F. Food coloring adds depth of color to the final mirror glaze.
3. Separately warm the glucose and cream, then combine with the sugar syrup.
4. Slowly pour the warmed glucose and cream mixture into the large saucepan of your sugar and water while whisking continuously to combine.
5. Then, bring the mixture to a boil.
6. Add the cocoa powder, turn off the heat, and mix until smooth.
7. Pour over the bloomed gelatin and blend with an immersion blender until fully emulsified and free of bubbles.
8. Cool the glaze to 104°F before using.

Pouring the Glaze and Final Assembly

Congratulations! It's time to glaze and finish your gorgeous entremet!

1. Unmold the frozen entremets using a heat gun, peel away acetate, and set each one on a cooling rack over a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap to catch excess glaze.
2. Pour glaze over the top of the cake and along the sides for full coverage.
3. After it sets, pour a second layer for a truly flawless finish.
4. Decorate with gold leaf, chocolate shards, nuts, or crispy cookies.
5. Transfer the finished dessert using a skewer inserted in the center, then twist it out and cover the hole with gold leaf or another decoration for a delicious display that rivals the nation’s culinary standards.

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