Here is a recipe for Royal cake - French dark chocolate mousse cake, also called Trianon - that consists of nut dacquoise, crispy layer of crepes Gavottes, and chocolate mousse. Just make it and enjoy the best chocolate goodness ever.
If you are a lover of rich mousse chocolate cakes, this Royal cake (aka French cake Trianon) is for you!
It is a classic French dessert that is made with a crispy almond and hazelnut meringue - dacquoise - and crunchy praline feuillantine (French pronunciation: [paj.te fœj.tin]). Then it is topped with a thick layer of rich dark chocolate mousse. Finally, it is covered with a cocoa mirror glaze.
Jump to:
Royal cake in French
Royal cake is gâteau Royal in French, where gâteau means cake, and Royal means Royal. Another name of Royal cake in French is Royal au Chocolat, which means chocolate Royal.
Origin of Royal cake
The origin of the Royal cake is unknown, but it is one of the most popular cakes in France. The dessert is also called “Versaillais” or “Trianon.” According to one of the versions, the cake was named after a village Trianon near Versailles. It is usually made in a round or rectangular form.
French Royal chocolate cake
The Royal cake looks sophisticated, but it is easy to make. There is a couple of ingredients that you may be unfamiliar with. They are crepes Gavottes and hazelnut praline paste, but I will guide you where to buy and what alternatives to use in the recipe.
The cake itself is a three-layer dark chocolate mousse cake. The bottom layer is dacquoise - a meringue with added almond and hazelnut flour. It tastes like French macarons, but its texture is softer and moist.
The middle layer is crunchy praline feuillantine that is made with crispy French crepes Gavottes, milk chocolate, chocolate paste, and hazelnut praline. This layer is the most delicious one and a signature of Royal chocolate cake.
The cake is topped with a creamy dark chocolate mousse that is based on whipping cream. Yes, three simple ingredients (chocolate, whipping cream, and milk) result in a dangerously addictive and delicious chocolate mousse.
How to decorate Royal chocolate cake
The most popular way to decorate the cake is to coat it with a chocolate glaze. The application of cocoa nibs at the base of the dessert is optional.
Another way of decoration is to cover the edges of the dessert with a chocolate band and sprinkle the top of the cake with cocoa powder. To make the band, cut a strip of the acetate collar equal to the diameter and height of the edge of the cake.
Cover it with melted chocolate on one side, using a bent spatula, and let set at room temperature for 1 minute. Place the chocolate film all around the cake, chocolate inside. Refrigerate for 10 minutes and gently remove the film.
Then dust the top of the cake with cocoa powder and prearrange the cake pieces with the back of the knife’s blade.
The easiest way to decorate Royal cake is to sprinkle the sides of the cake with chocolate shavings and to dust the top with cocoa powder.
Why this mousse chocolate cake recipe works
- The Royal chocolate cake recipe is straightforward and easy enough to make;
- The chocolate taste and flavor of the cake are the best in this dessert: it is worth devoting your time for the pleasure of the mouth!
- The freezing option of the cake is at its best: the dessert can be frozen for a few weeks. So, it becomes evident that it is one of the best cakes for a homemade cake business.
- The top of the dessert is perfect for decorations of your choice.
Ingredients
Here is a quick overview of what ingredients you will need. Follow the full recipe below for detailed amounts and instructions. I recommend making this recipe as written for the best results.
Crepes Gravottes (crêpe dentelle in French): these crispy and buttery cookies are a specialty of France. They are the star of the Royal cake. You can purchase crepes Gravottes (you will need a half of the box) or feuilletine flakes (crepes Dentelles crumbs) on Amazon. You can try to replace this ingredient with corn flakes; they are not the same, but they will work with the absence of the authentic crepes-cookies.
Milk chocolate: use any brand of milk chocolate, for example, Lindt.
Chocolate paste: use Nutella hazelnut spread.
Hazelnut praline paste: make it yourself or use a store-bought hazelnut praline.
Egg whites: use egg whites at room temperature.
Sugar: the recipe calls for granulated white sugar.
Icing sugar: make it yourself with a coffee grinder or use powdered sugar.
Whipping cream: use a chilled bowl to whisk cold whipping cream.
Milk: the recipe calls for whole milk.
Dark chocolate: use high-quality dark chocolate such as Valrhona dark chocolate *.
Cocoa powder: the most flavorful cocoa powder is the one produced by the European brand Valrhona; although, you can use any other brand.
Gelatin: use gelatin sheets with a strength of 200 bloom. To substitute sheet gelatin in the recipe, use 8 g of powdered gelatin and ¼ cup (60ml) of cold water.
Almond flour, hazelnut flour/meal.
Try this simple Cake Pan Converter if you ever need to adjust your baking pan and re-calculate the amounts of ingredients to make your favorite dessert.
How to make Royal cake step by step
To make the dacquoise, preheat oven to 335 F/170 C. Using a flour sifter, sift powdered (icing) sugar, almond, and hazelnut flour.
In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites and gradually add granulated sugar until slightly firm (photo 1). Once the meringue is ready, add icing sugar/flour mixture and gently mix with a spatula (photo 2).
Transfer the preparation in a pastry bag with Ateco plain pastry tip 809. Adjust a mousse cake mold to 7 inches/18 cm in diameter. Pipe a spiral inside the mold placed on a baking sheet with the parchment paper (photo 3) or simply use a spoon. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Let it cool in a frame (photo 4).
To make the crunchy praline feuillantine, crush crepes Gravottes roughly with hands or a rolling pin. Melt milk chocolate in a bain-marie/water bath. In a bowl, place hazelnut praline, Nutella, and crepes' chips and mix (photo 5). Add melted chocolate and mix again (photo 6).
Use a knife to loosen the dacquoise from the mold, but keep it inside. Pour the crunchy mixture over dacquoise, spread it on a thin layer with the back of a spoon (photo 7). Then remove the mold and freeze the dacquoise for about 10 to 15 minutes (photo 8).
To make the chocolate mousse, whip the cold whipping cream in a bowl to get the whipped cream and refrigerate (photo 9).
Melt dark chocolate broken in small pieces in a bain-marie/water bath. Bring milk to a boil, pour it over the melted chocolate, and mix with a rubber spatula until smooth.
When the chocolate mixture is lukewarm, add it to the whipped cream and mix with a spatula as fast as possible (photo 10). Transfer the mousse in a pastry bag with a plain tip.
To assemble the cake, seal one side of an 8 inches/20 cm cake ring with a plastic film and place it on a wooden board or a baking sheet. Insert an acetate collar inside the ring. Poach the chocolate mousse in the mold, trying to raise on the sides of the ring (photo 11).
Take the dacquoise disk from the freezer, turn it over and place it over the mousse (dacquoise side up). Slightly press the disk and remove the excess mousse with a bent spatula (photo 12). Cover with a plastic film and freeze for at least 5 hours, better overnight.
To make the cocoa mirror glaze, soak gelatin sheets in cold water for 10 minutes. Heat whipping cream over low heat and set aside. Pour water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the sugar syrup starts boing actively, pout it over the sifted cocoa powder and gently mix, trying not to incorporate air.
Add the drained gelatin and mix it with an immersion hand blender. Then pour hot whipping cream and mix again. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and mix with a hand blender (photo 13). Let the glaze cool down to 86 F/30 C.
To glaze the cake, take the dessert out of the freezer. Place the cake on a wire rack or a plate, which is itself placed on a baking sheet to collect the excess glaze. Remove the plastic film, mold (heat the sides of the ring with a blow torch), and acetate collar.
Pour the glaze over the cake and remove the excess glaze with a bent spatula, passing it over the top once (photo 14). Transfer the dessert on a cake board with the use of two metal spatulas. Place the cake in the fridge to thaw for 3 to 4 hours.
Expert tips
- Do not over whisk egg whites while making the dacquoise. They have to be slightly firm to incorporate the nut flour.
- Spread the chocolate mousse well inside the mold, using a rubber spatula to avoid trapping air in the cake.
- Once the cocoa mirror glaze is applied, use a bent metal spatula to remove the excess with a single pass over the top of the cake to avoid making marks.
- Store the decorated cake for 2 to 3 days in the fridge.
- Take the dessert out of the fridge about 20 minutes before tasting (the cold temperature alters the taste of chocolate).
Frequently Asked questions
Can you make the Royal cake in advance?
Yes, make this dark chocolate mousse cake one or more days in advance and keep it frozen. Decorate the cake on the day of serving.
How to freeze Royal cake
Wrap the cake in a plastic film well to prevent the absorption of freezer odors. Keep the cake frozen for up to two to three weeks. On the day of serving, decorate the cake and let it thaw 3 to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
More delicious cake recipes you will love
- Layer Cashew Cake Sans Rival
- French Meringue Cake Merveilleux
- Coconut Dacquoise Cake Recipe
- Browse all the Cake Recipes
You can follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook to see what I am getting up to. Visit my Yummly page and save recipes to your Yummly recipe box. Also, subscribe to my newsletter.
Try this simple Cake Pan Converter if you ever need to adjust your baking pan and re-calculate the amounts of ingredients to make your favorite dessert.
Recipe
Royal Chocolate Cake - Trianon
Here is a recipe for Royal cake - French dark chocolate mousse cake, also called Trianon - that consists of nut dacquoise, crispy layer of crepes Gavottes, and chocolate mousse. Just make it and enjoy the best chocolate goodness ever.
- Total Time: 2 hours (plus chilling time)
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
For the dacquoise:
- 3 ½ tablespoons (55 g) egg whites (see note #1)
- 2 ½ tablespoons (35 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup + 1 teaspoon (65 g) icing sugar
- ⅓ cup (30 g) almond flour
- 2 tablespoons (15 g) hazelnut flour/meal
For the crunchy praline feuillantine:
- 1.7 oz (50 g) crepes Gravottes
- 1.7 oz (50 g) milk chocolate
- 1.7 oz (50 g) hazelnut spread Nutella
- 1.7 oz (50 g) Hazelnut Praline Paste
For the chocolate mousse:
- 2 cup + 3 tablespoons (500 ml) whipping cream
- 5 tablespoons (75 g) whole milk
- 7 oz (200 g) dark chocolate
For the cocoa mirror glaze:
- ⅔ cup + 4 ½ tablespoons (210 g) granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons (75 g) water
- 9 ½ tablespoons (70 g) cocoa powder, unsweetened
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (145 ml) whipping cream
- 3 ⅓ gelatin sheets (8 g powdered gelatin - see note #2)
*Don't you have the correct baking pan on hand right now? Try this simple Cake Pan Converter!
Instructions
- To make the dacquoise, preheat oven to 335 F/170 C. Using a flour sifter, sift powdered (icing) sugar, almond, and hazelnut flour. In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites and gradually add granulated sugar until slightly firm. Once the meringue is ready, add icing sugar/flour mixture and gently mix with a spatula.
- Transfer the preparation in a pastry bag with Ateco plain pastry tip 809. Adjust a mousse cake mold to 7 inches/18 cm in diameter. Pipe a spiral inside the mold placed on a baking sheet with the parchment paper or simply use a spoon. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Let it cool in a frame.
- To make the crunchy praline feuillantine, crush crepes Gravottes roughly with hands or a rolling pin. Melt milk chocolate in a bain-marie/water bath. In a bowl, place hazelnut praline, Nutella and crepes' chips and mix. Add melted chocolate and mix again.
- Use a knife to loosen the dacquoise from the mold, but keep it inside. Pour the crunchy mixture over dacquoise, spread it on a thin layer. Then remove the mold and freeze the dacquoise for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- To make the chocolate mousse, whip the cold whipping cream in a bowl to get the whipped cream and refrigerate. Melt dark chocolate broken in small pieces in a bain-marie/water bath. Bring milk to a boil, pour it over the melted chocolate, and mix with a rubber spatula until smooth. When the chocolate mixture is lukewarm, add it to the whipped cream and mix with a spatula as fast as possible. Transfer the mousse in a pastry bag with a plain tip.
- To assemble the cake, seal one side of an 8 inches/20 cm cake ring with a plastic film and place it on a wooden board or a baking sheet. Insert an acetate collar inside the ring. Poach the chocolate mousse in the trying to raise on the sides of the ring. Take the dacquoise disk from the freezer, turn it over and place it over the mousse (dacquoise side up). Slightly press the disk and remove the excess mousse with a bent spatula. Cover with a plastic film and freeze for at least 5 hours.
- To make the cocoa mirror glaze, soak gelatin sheets in cold water for 10 minutes. Heat whipping cream over low heat and set aside. Pour water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the sugar syrup starts boing actively, pout it over the sifted cocoa powder and gently mix, trying not to incorporate air. Add the drained gelatin and mix it with a hand blender. Then pout hot whipping cream and mix again. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and mix with a hand blender. Let the glaze cool down to 86 F/30 C.
- To glaze the cake, take the dessert out of the freezer. Place the cake on a wire rack or a plate, which is itself placed on a baking sheet to collect the excess glaze. Remove the plastic film, mold (heat the sides of the ring with a blow torch), and acetate collar. Pour the glaze over the cake and remove the excess glaze with a bent spatula, passing it over the top once. Transfer the dessert on a cake board with the use of two metal spatulas. Place the cake in the fridge to thaw for 3 to 4 hours.
Notes
- 55 g egg whites approximately equal 1 ½ raw fresh egg whites from extra large size chicken eggs.
- To substitute sheet gelatin, use 8 g of powdered gelatin and ¼ cup (60ml) of cold water.
- Do not over whisk egg whites while making the dacquoise. They have to be slightly firm to incorporate the nut flour.
- Spread the chocolate mousse well inside the mold, using a rubber spatula to avoid trapping air in the cake.
- Once the cocoa mirror glaze is applied, use a bent metal spatula to remove the excess with a single pass over the top of the cake to avoid making marks.
- Store the decorated cake for 2 to 3 days in the fridge.
- Take the dessert out of the fridge about 20 minutes before tasting (the cold temperature alters the taste of chocolate).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 635
- Sugar: 58.8 g
- Sodium: 60 mg
- Fat: 41.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 23.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 70.2 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 8.7 g
- Cholesterol: 97 mg
Keywords: Cake Royal, Royal cake, Royal chocolate cake recipe, cake Trianon, dark chocolate mousse cake
The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator and is intended for informational purposes only and should be used as a general guideline. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should independently verify it using your preferred tool. Please, read the disclaimers in our Privacy Policy.
The recipe was adapted from http://www.elle.fr. It was originally published on May 11, 2018. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.
Laurie says
What a gorgeous cake it is! I bet it tastes amazingly delicious. I need to make it ASAP!
★★★★★
Irina says
Thank you, Laurie! Happy baking and enjoy it! 🙂
Anvayee says
Thank you for such an amazing recipe!! I made it for the first time, and the cake was soooo delicious., Also, I followed your hazelnut praline recipe, and it turned out perfect. I’m definitely going to make it again. 😊
Irina says
Thank you very much, Anvayee! I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed both recipes.
Jeanette says
May I clarify about substituting sheet gelatin with powdered gelatin? When using sheet gelatin, after soaking in water --> drain. With powdered, do I just use the whole mixture after mixing 8 g with 60 ml water? And will I still need the hand-blender steps? Thanks in advance!
Irina says
Thanks for your interest in the recipe, Jeanette! Yes, please, use the whole gelatin mixture and follow the recipe, including the blender step. Happy baking and enjoy it! Please, let me know how it went. 🙂
Hannah Jordan says
Hello! This looks so delicious. I plan on making this for Christmas, but I have one question...I am a little nervous about chocolate mousse's stability since your recipe doesn't include egg yolks, and I live at a high altitude (Colorado Springs). Will the mousse set up firmly enough?
Irina says
Hi Hannah, thanks for your interest in the recipe. It is a difficult question for me to answer, to tell the truth. But the mousse thickens while you make it. I really hope and believe that it should be fine. The best is to try to test it using 1/4 of the amount of chocolate and re-calculate other ingredients. You could make it in the morning on December 23. Let's say that in the afternoon, you will get the test results. Please, let me know how it went. Happy holidays!!!
Suzanne says
Might I suggest that a better substitute for the French cookies is to use plain waffle cones? Not the ones that are pale and thin but the real waffle cones, and to purchase the ones that are not lined in chocolate. Basically, the same ingredients as Gravottes. And because the hazelnut brittle, milk chocolate, and hazelnut spread are sweet, the waffle cones don’t add more sweetness but just crunch. This is a nice mix
★★★★★
Irina says
Thank you very much, Suzanne, for your suggestion! It is beneficial for those who cannot get/purchase Gravottes. 🙂