Strawberry Mousse Cake - homemade and so good!
Homemade fruit cake that's perfect for all kinds of events. We love it because it is:
- fresh and light
- the strawberry mousse is not overly sweet
- filled with strawberries and perfectly creamy
- made with crumbly, sweet and nutty almond sponge cake
- slightly floral (elderflower cordial)
- a perfect sweet treat for birthday celebrations, summer desserts or even Valentine's day
- simple and delish
- No artificial strawberry flavor
- an easy recipe that's worth it
Ingredients
Almond Sponge Cake - Only good ingredients can be found in this soft and nutty almond sponge cake. Butter, sugar, whipping cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and almonds.
Possible substitutes for Almond Sponge Cake:
Use Pistachios instead of Almonds - the color will be slightly different but it works great in this recipe. Use unsalted pistachios.
Strawberry Mousse - In this strawberry mousse recipe we used gelatin, strawberries, sugar, whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice. It's super important to be precise when making the strawberry mousse. Follow the step by step instructions, just like it's written in the method below.
Possible substitutes for Strawberry Mousse:
Gelatin - Use gelatin sheets or powdered gelatin (the amount stays the same)
Strawberries - It's best to use fresh strawberries for the mousse, but if they aren't in season and you still want to make this cake you can also use frozen strawberries. It's important though to let them defrost and come to room temperature before using them.
Filling - For the filling we are only using fresh, hulled and halved strawberries. You can't use frozen ones for the filling. It's also important to brush the baked cake layers with elderflower cordial (or other sugar syrup) to add a bit of moisture.
Decoration - Dust with powdered sugar and decorate with almond flakes and fresh strawberries. Optionally decorate with meringue cookies.
Size and Slices
This homemade strawberry mousse cake is prepared in a round cake pan (23 cm / 9-inch). That means, that there will be 12 normal cake sizes. You can, of course, make larger or smaller cakes, but make sure to adjust the ingredients and baking time accordingly.
Storing
It's best to serve this cake as soon as it's ready, it's best served fresh. Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 2 days.
Other tasty Strawberry desserts to try
- Macerated Strawberries (quick and easy)
- Strawberry Shortcakes with Whipped Cream
- Pavlova with Strawberries and Cream (video)
- Yogurt Mousse with Strawberries
METHOD
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Almond sponge cake - butter and sugar
Grease two round cake pans (23 cm / 9-inch) with butter and lightly dust with flour. Tap out any excess flour. If you don’t have two cake pans, don’t worry, you can use one cake pan. You will, however, need to cut the cake in half lengthwise after it’s baked and at room temperature. Preheat your oven to 170 °C / 340 °F (or 160 °C / 320 °F if you are using a convection oven). Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment cream softened butter for about 2 - 3 minutes or until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and continue to beat for about 5 minutes at medium speed. The mixture should be smooth and creamed.
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Almond sponge cake - batter
In a bowl, whisk together an egg, egg yolk, whipping cream, vanilla essence or vanilla seeds, and lemon zest in a clean, separate bowl stir to combine all-purpose flour and ground almonds. Add a pinch of salt and baking powder. With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding wet ingredients (egg mixture) and dry ingredients (flour mixture) until completely incorporated and smooth. Don’t overmix; just make sure there are no lumps.
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Almond sponge cake - baking
Divide and pour the batter evenly into cake pans. Using a spatula spread the batter evenly. Lightly tap on the countertop to release air bubbles. Place in a preheated oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes at 170 °C / 340 °F (or 160 °C / 320 °F if you are using a convection oven) or until the cake is baked through. If you are baking the whole batter in just one cake pan, bake for about 10 - 15 minutes longer or until the cake is baked through (cut in half lengthwise once the cake is cool). Allow cakes to cool for about 10 minutes in the pans, then remove the cake pan and set on a wire rack to cool completely. The cakes need to be completely cool before assembling.
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Strawberry Mousse - strawberries
Soak gelatin sheets in cold water for about 10 - 15 minutes. Wash and hull the strawberries. Cut the small ones in half and quarter the large ones. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Stir with a spoon and set aside for 5 - 10 minutes for strawberries to macerate and release its natural juices. Then, blend into a smooth strawberry puree using an immersion blender. Strain the strawberry puree through a fine sieve to get rid of any large bits and pieces, so that the strawberry mousse will be creamy and smooth.
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Assembling
Line the edge of your clean round cake pan (23 cm / 9-inch) and 5 cm (2-inches) high with baking paper or food-safe acetate foil for cakes. This will help prevent those beautiful fresh strawberries from oxidizing. Place one almond cake layer on the bottom of the cake pan. Brush with half of the elderflower cordial (or other sugar syrup). Arrange the halved strawberries around the inside of the mold, cut side out. Gently press the strawberries into the cake layer, so they won’t move when you pour the strawberry mousse over them.
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Strawberry mousse
In a large bowl, whisk together whipping cream and powdered sugar on high speed until stiff peaks form—Transfer 100g (1/2 cup) of strawberry puree to a saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Once the strawberry puree is hot, remove from the heat and add drained gelatin sheets. Whisk vigorously using a whisk until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Gradually pour the strawberry - gelatin mixture back to the rest of the strawberry puree while continually whisking to get a smooth texture. Slowly (in three additions) gently fold the strawberry puree into the whipped cream mixture using a spatula. Only add the next addition once the first one has been completely incorporated. It’s super important that the strawberry puree is at room temperature, or the mousse won’t work. The strawberry mousse will be smooth and slightly runny. Pour the mousse over the prepared cake layer in the cake pan. Spread evenly and make sure that the mousse covers all the strawberries. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes.
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Finish and Serve
Remove the cake from the fridge and carefully place the second almond cake layer on top of the mousse (the mousse needs to be stable). Gently press the cake layer into the mousse. Brush the almond sponge cake with the rest of the elderflower cordial. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for at least 4 - 6 hours or even better overnight. Before serving, remove the pan and all the foils. Transfer to a beautiful serving plate or cake stand. Dust with powdered sugar and decorate with almond flakes and fresh strawberries. Optionally garnish with meringue cookies. Slice the cake and serve as soon as possible. Cover leftover cake tightly and store it in the refrigerator for 2 days.
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