How to Make Copycat Olive Garden Black Tie Mousse Cake

Olive Garden's indulgent Black Tie Chocolate Mousse Cake should be your next copycat baking project.

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You’ve slurped up a bowl of Olive Garden minestrone, devoured one too many Olive Garden breadsticks and polished off every last bite of your chicken and shrimp carbonara. If you have room for dessert, it’s undoubtedly going to be a slice of Olive Garden black tie mousse cake.

While we also wouldn’t say no to a slice of chocolate lasagna, Olive Garden’s black tie mousse cake is the dessert we always always have room for.

What Is Black Tie Mousse Cake?

With rich layers of decadent chocolate cake, fluffy dark chocolate cheesecake and creamy custard mousse, this chocolate ganache-covered delight is a long-standing bestseller for a reason. It’s downright delicious!

This stunning dessert is reminiscent of what many people call tuxedo cake. While both desserts begin with layers of fudgy chocolate cake, Olive Garden’s recipe differs from the traditional version in a few ways.

The main difference is that Olive Garden’s recipe features layers of chocolate cheesecake and a vanilla custard mousse. On the other hand, tuxedo cakes (like Costco’s tuxedo cake) don’t include cheesecake and typically opt for layers of chocolate mousse and white chocolate ganache. Some tuxedo cakes include layers of white cake, too.

However, the only hard and fast rule about tuxedo cake is that it contains contrasting black and white layers!

How to Make Copycat Olive Garden Black Tie Mousse Cake

ingredients for black tie mousse cakeTMB studio

Don’t be intimidated by the lengthy ingredient list. While this copycat recipe may require a bit more prep than other layered dessert recipes, your efforts won’t go unrewarded. Trust us when we say the end result will look stunning and taste even sweeter!

Editor’s Tip: If you’re looking to make this recipe over the course of two or three days, scroll to the end of this post for our make-ahead method.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup baking cocoa
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Cheesecake:

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, melted and slightly cooled
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

White chocolate mousse:

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 3 ounces white baking chocolate, melted and cooled

Chocolate ganache:

  • 1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Garnish:

  • 2 cups miniature semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup white baking chips, melted
  • 3/4 cup reserved chocolate ganache

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the cocoa

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease and line a 9-inch round baking pan with parchment paper. Combine the cocoa powder and boiling water in a large glass measuring cup. Set aside to cool completely.

Step 2: Mix wet ingredients

using an electric mixer to beat in eggsTMB studio

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Next, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

Step 3: Blend dry ingredients and combine

adding dry ingredientsTMB studio

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the cooled cocoa mixture from Step 1.

Make sure to beat the mixture well after each addition!

Step 4: Bake the cake layer

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Editor’s Tip: Not sure if your cake is fully baked? Learn how to test cake doneness.

Step 5: Start the cheesecake layer

Tohcom23 272334 Dr 04 13 5b Olive Garden Black Tie Mousse Cake Tmb StudioTMB studio

While the cake cools, prepare the cheesecake layer. In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until smooth. Pour in the melted dark chocolate chips and beat until fully combined.

Step 6: Whip the cream

Tohcom23 272334 Dr 04 13 9b Olive Garden Black Tie Mousse Cake Tmb StudioTMB studio

In another medium bowl (or in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment), beat the heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold it into the cream cheese mixture until evenly incorporated.

Editor’s Tip: For a fluffy, creamy cheesecake, use a light hand when folding the whipped cream into the cheesecake batter. You want to retain as much air as possible from the whipped cream.

Step 7: Layer and chill

layering a cakeTMB studio

In a 9-inch springform pan, place the cooled cake layer in the bottom. Next, pour the cheesecake batter over the top and spread in an even layer. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

Editor’s Tip: Take this moment to do some kitchen cleanup, especially if you don’t live in a home with an endless supply of mixing bowls.

Step 8: Start the mousse

beating cream and sugarTMB studio

In a large bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Then, gradually add the sugar, beating on a medium speed until stiff peaks form; set aside.

Step 9: Add cream cheese

In another bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy, then add the melted white chocolate. Beat until smooth, then gently fold the mixture into the sweetened whipped cream.

Editor’s Tip: We always suggest melting white chocolate gently on the stovetop using a double boiler as opposed to the microwave since it’s more prone to seizing than other types of chocolate. This is because it contains more cocoa butter than its milk and dark chocolate cousins and has a lower melting point. Go low and slow to avoid a big clumpy mess.

Step 10: Layer on the mousse

Remove the cake from the refrigerator and spread the white chocolate mousse over the chilled chocolate cheesecake layer. Return to the refrigerator and chill until set, about 1 hour.

Step 11: Prepare the ganache

making ganacheTMB studio

Place the chocolate chips into a large bowl. Next, bring the cream to a low boil in a small saucepan. Pour the warm cream over the chocolate chips, then stir until glossy and smooth. Cool slightly, stirring occasionally to prevent lumps.

Transfer 3/4 cup of the chocolate ganache to a container with a lid, then cover and refrigerate to reserve for final decoration before serving.

Step 12: Pour ganache

Remove the cake from the refrigerator and remove the outer ring from the springform pan. Transfer the cake to a wire rack positioned over a rimmed sheet pan. Then quickly (yet carefully) pour the remaining ganache over the entire cake, allowing it to coat the sides of the cake completely. You can tilt the cake carefully to help direct the ganache to any bare spots you might have missed.

Editor’s Tip: Getting a perfectly even and smooth homemade ganache layer can take practice. Luckily, the chocolate chips pressed onto the sides in the next step will conceal any imperfections, so don’t sweat this step too much. For best coverage, check to ensure the ganache is cool enough not to melt the chilled cake when poured, yet warm enough to flow and spread easily over the surface.

Step 13: Garnish with chocolate

For garnish, drizzle melted white chocolate over the top of the cake as abstract stripes or zigzags. Then, gently press miniature chocolate chips onto the sides of the cake once the ganache has partially set. Cover (we suggest using a cake carrier with a lid) and refrigerate until chilled.

Editor’s Tip: Drizzling the warm white chocolate over the ganache before it has fully set will allow it to sink into the surface partially, so you end up with a smooth, uniform top on the finished cake. If your chocolate has set, don’t fret. Your cake will still look beautiful. It will just have a bit more texture and dimension on top.

Step 14: Decorate with ganache

Before serving, beat the reserved ganache from Step 11 until it reaches a piping consistency, about 15 seconds. Transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe the ganache into rosettes around the top edges of the cake. Slice and serve immediately or refrigerate until serving.

Tips for Making Copycat Olive Garden Black Tie Chocolate Mousse Cake

Use a warm knife for clean slices

To slice this layered chocolate mousse cake, run a sharp knife under hot water and dry. Cut the first slice and transfer it to a plate. Rinse the knife, then repeat with every slice.

Make part of this copycat cake ahead

We admit that making this Olive Garden recipe is a process. Luckily, the steps can easily be broken up over a few days if your schedule will not accommodate preparing the recipe in a single day. Here are two options we recommend for making this showstopping cake recipe ahead.

2-Day Black Tie Chocolate Mousse Cake

  • Day 1: Complete steps 1 through 7 as directed. Then, cover and refrigerate overnight.
  • Day 2: Complete steps 8 through 14 as directed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

3-Day Black Tie Chocolate Mousse Cake

  • Day 1: Complete steps 1 through 4 as directed. Allow the cake to cool completely, then wrap it tightly in two layers of plastic wrap and store it at room temperature overnight. You may also chill for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
  • Day 2: Complete steps 5 through 10 as directed. Then cover and refrigerate overnight.
  • Day 3: Complete steps 11 through 14 as directed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Freeze leftover Olive Garden Black Tie Mousse Cake

This cake freezes like a dream. Cover the cake in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Store in the freezer on a flat surface for up to 1 month. Remove the cake from the freezer and allow it to defrost for 24-48 hours before slicing and serving.

Experiment with gluten-free chocolate cake

We have not tried making this cake gluten-free, so it would be an experiment. You could swap the all-purpose flour in the chocolate cake layer for your favorite 1-to-1 gluten-free baking alternative or try this gluten-free chocolate cake recipe instead. Take care to also check the labels of the other ingredients (especially the confectioners’ sugar) to ensure they were processed in gluten-free facilities and do not include any gluten-containing additives.

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Lauren Habermehl
Lauren Habermehl is a recipe developer, food photographer and creator of the blog, Frydae. She is a prolific quoter of FRIENDS, lover of weekend DIY projects and procrastinating fitness enthusiast who enjoys exploring the Milwaukee-area with her husband, daughter and ugly mutt named Tyson Doodles.