Valentines Day Strawberry Mousse (Printable)

Airy sponge layered with fresh strawberry mousse and a glossy glaze for a romantic treat.

# Components:

→ Sponge Cake

01 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
02 - 1/2 cup minus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
03 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
04 - 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
06 - Pinch of salt

→ Strawberry Mousse

07 - 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled
08 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
09 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
10 - 2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
11 - 2 tablespoons cold water
12 - 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold

→ Strawberry Glaze

13 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled
14 - 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
15 - 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
16 - 1 teaspoon powdered gelatin
17 - 1 tablespoon cold water

→ Decoration

18 - Fresh strawberries, halved
19 - White or dark chocolate shavings
20 - Edible rose petals

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
02 - Beat room temperature eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and tripled in volume, approximately 5 minutes. Add vanilla extract. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt, then gently fold into the egg mixture until just combined.
03 - Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
04 - Puree fresh strawberries with sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Bloom gelatin in 2 tablespoons cold water for 5 minutes. Gently warm one-third of the strawberry puree in a saucepan without boiling, remove from heat, and dissolve bloomed gelatin into it. Stir this mixture back into the remaining puree and cool to room temperature.
05 - In a separate clean bowl, whip cold heavy cream to soft peaks. Gently fold whipped cream into the cooled strawberry mixture until fully combined.
06 - Remove cooled sponge from pan. Clean the springform ring and place the cake base back inside. Pour mousse evenly over the sponge and smooth the top. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until mousse is set.
07 - Puree fresh strawberries with sugar and lemon juice. Bloom gelatin in 1 tablespoon cold water for 5 minutes. Gently heat a few tablespoons of the puree, dissolve bloomed gelatin into it, then stir back into the remaining puree. Cool slightly and carefully pour over the set mousse. Refrigerate for 1 hour until glaze is firm.
08 - Arrange fresh strawberry halves, chocolate shavings, and edible rose petals on the surface. Carefully release the cake from the springform pan and transfer to a serving plate.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks incredibly impressive but doesn't require professional pastry skills, just a steady hand and a little faith in the process.
  • The strawberry mousse is so impossibly light and fruity that even people who claim they don't like dessert ask for seconds.
  • You can make it a full day ahead, which means you're actually relaxed when your guests arrive instead of stressed in the kitchen.
02 -
  • Gelatin is unforgiving about temperature—if your mousse mixture is too warm when you fold in the cream, the gelatin will start setting and you'll get lumps instead of silky smoothness.
  • The glaze must be completely firm before you unmold the cake, or it will slide off the sides as you're trying to transfer it to a plate and ruin your beautiful presentation.
03 -
  • Invest in powdered gelatin instead of sheets—it dissolves faster and is less likely to clump if you're not used to working with gelatin.
  • If your kitchen is warm and you're worried about the glaze setting too quickly on top, work fast or pop the assembled cake back in the fridge for 15 minutes before pouring the glaze.
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