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pouring ganache over tuxedo cake
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3.34 from 3 votes

Costco Tuxedo Cake Recipe (Step-By-Step)

This cake is not for the faint of heart, BUT this homemade recipe will tasted even better than Costco's tuxedo cake! This chocolate mouse cake is inspired by the very good tasting Costco tuxedo cake. The layers are moist and creamy, perfectly complimenting the dark cocoa cake and brownie pieces.
Prep Time2 days 2 hours
Cook Time2 hours
Fridge Time10 hours
Total Time14 hours
Course: Christmas Baking, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Birthday Cake, Brownie, Cake, Chocolate, Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Layered Cake, Chocolate Mouse, Chocolate Mouse Cake, Cocao, Decadent Cake, Ganache, Holiday Cake, Layered Cake, Mouse, White Cholocate Mouse
Servings: 12 slices

Equipment

  • Hand or Stand Mixer
  • Several Mixing bowls x2 Small, 2x Medium, x1 Large
  • Mixing Cups and Spoons or a Volume Scale
  • 2 Cake Pans 8 inched worked well
  • 1 Bread Loaf Pan 9 x 5 inches worked well
  • Whisk
  • Spatula
  • Small Pot or double boiler set up
  • Cake Mold or a oven dish the size of you cake pans
  • Cling Wrap also called Glad Wrap

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

  • 2/3 cup Flour 160ml
  • 1/3 cup Cocoa Powder (Dutch Pressed) 80ml
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder 5ml
  • 1/4 tsp heaped Baking Soda 2.75ml
  • 1/3 tsp Salt 2.75ml (1/4 tsp heaped)
  • 1/3 tsp Ground Cinnamon 2.75ml (1/4 tsp heaped)
  • 1/3 tsp Ground Espresso 2.75ml (1/4 tsp heaped)
  • 3 tbps Unsalted Butter 45ml
  • 3/4 cups Granulated Sugar 180ml
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract 2.5ml
  • 1 tbsp Sunflower Oil 15ml
  • 1 tbsp Sour Cream 15ml
  • 1/3 cup Buttermilk 80ml
  • 3 tbsp Strong Coffee 45ml

Brownie

  • 1/3 cup Flour 80ml
  • 3 tps Cocoa Powder (Dutch Pressed) 45ml
  • 1/2 tsp Salt 2.5ml
  • 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon 5ml
  • 4 tsp Ground Espresso 5ml
  • 1/4 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate 120ml
  • 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter 60ml
  • 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar 118ml
  • 1/2 cup Brown Sugar 60ml
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract 5ml

Chocolate Mouse

  • 2 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate 60ml
  • 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter 30ml
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1/4 tsp Salt 1.25ml
  • 1/8 tsp Cream of Tartar
  • 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar 60ml
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract 2.5ml
  • 1/4 cup Heavy Cream 60ml

White Chocolate Mouse

  • 4 oz Cream Cheese 120ml
  • 3 oz White Chocolate 90ml
  • 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter 60ml
  • 1/4 tsp Salt 1ml
  • 1/2 cup Heavy Cream 118ml
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract 2.5ml

Chocolate Ganache

  • 3 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate 90ml
  • 3 tbsp Heavy Cream 45ml

Instructions

Chocolate Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F
  • Grease x 2 cake pans (8 inch pans work well)
  • In a MEDIUM bowl, mix dry ingredients together
  • In a LARGE bowl, cream together butter and sugar
  • Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract
  • Whisk in the oil and sour cream until combined
  • Fold in half of the dry ingredients
  • Fold in the buttermilk and coffee
  • Fold in the other half of the dry ingredients
  • Pour batter into cake pans and bake for 35 minutes (or until a fork comes out clean without any batter attached)
  • Remove the cake pans from the oven and let them rest for a few minutes
  • Extract cakes from pans and let them cool

Brownie

  • Layer parchment paper into bread pan
  • In a MEDIUM bowl, mix dry ingredients together
  • In SMALL bowl, melt the chocolate and butter together on a double boiler on your stovetop
  • In a LARGE bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugars and vanilla until it is fluffy
  • Once the chocolate is melted, whisk into egg mixture (LARGE BOWL) until it is thick
  • Fold in there dry ingredients
  • Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes (or until a fork comes out clean without any batter attached)
  • Once cool, dice into 2-3 inch squares

Chocolate Mousse

  • In a SMALL bowl, melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler on your stovetop. Once melted, set aside.
  • Separate egg whites from egg yolks
  • Ready 3 mixing bowls for the next steps (for preparing your egg whites, cream, and egg yolks mix)
  • In BOWL 1 (small), whip the CREAM until it reaches stiff peaks
  • In BOWL 2 (medium), whip the EGG WHITES, cream of tartar and salt until it reaches stiff peaks. Mix in HALF OF THE SUGAR as you whip the egg whites.
  • In BOWL 3 (medium), whisk the EGG YOLKS + OTHER HALF OF SUGAR and vanilla extract over a double boiler on your stovetop
  • Add melted chocolate in with egg yolks mix (BOWL 3)
  • Still on the stovetop with the heat turned down to low, fold in the egg whites mixture (into the egg yolk mixture on the stove)
  • Take mixture off the stove
  • Then fold in the cream until just combined

Construction of Cake

  • Layer a oven dish with cling wrap (or Glad wrap) carefully to ensure the entire base and sides are covered well. If you have a cake mold, you don't need to do this step.
  • Start with a cake layer at the bottom
  • Sprinkle the brownie pieces on top
  • Pour over the chocolate mouse
  • Place cake in fridge to cool for 1 hour

White Chocolate Mousse

  • Ready 3 bowls for the next steps (preparing the heavy cream, cream cheese and chocolate)
  • In BOWL 1 (small), mix the HEAVY CREAM until it has stiff peaks. My handheld mixer is at full speed for this step.
  • In BOWL 2 (medium), whip the CREAM CHEESE until its fluffy
  • In BOWL 3 (small), melt the chocolate and butter on a double boiler on your stovetop
  • Whisk the chocolate into the cream cheese until combined
  • Add the vanilla extract
  • Fold in the heavy cream until combined
  • Pour the white chocolate mousse over the chocolate mousse layer
  • Layer the second cake on top
  • Return to fridge and cool overnight (or at least 8 hours)

Chocolate Ganache

  • Remove the cake from the mold by pulling upward on the cling wrap carefully
  • Place cake on a cake plate
  • In a small bowl, melt the chocolate and heavy cream on a double boiler on your stovetop to make th ganache
  • Pour the ganache onto the cake beginning in the centre (it will flow slightly outward)
  • Use a cake spatula to smooth out the ganache layer
  • Store in fridge for up 2 weeks

Video

Notes

Definitions:
Whisk: Use a whisk to mix ingredients
Whip: Use a mixer (handheld or counter mix)
Fold: Use a spatular and with circular motions fold inward to mix
Tips:
  1. Buy wholesome ingredients. It is true that "real food" tastes much better with true ingredients. None of the "cheaply processed" and aftermarket created stuff, just real plain and preserved food. This cake tastes much better with high quality vanilla, cocoa and real heavy cream. 
  2. Sift your dry ingredients if you are using items from your pantry that are older than a year
  3. Use a volume scale. I've included the volume measurements, ml (millilitre) is the same as g (grams)