This strawberry mousse cake is a super soft white cake baked in a square pan. It is topped with a strawberry mousse and fresh strawberries. The strawberry mousse is light and fluffy combined with the airy white cake.
This strawberry mousse cake is a delicious light cake for strawberry lovers. The light strawberry mousse is so good you will want to eat it with a spoon. This cake will impress on a special occasion without needing to be as big as a layered cake. Topped with fresh fruit, it is one of my favorite strawberry desserts.
For more strawberry recipes try, Strawberry Ice Cream Cheesecake, Strawberry Sheet Cake, and Strawberry Glazed Donuts.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Soft texture- This cake is very light and fluffy, which goes perfectly with the creamy strawberry mousse.
- Strawberry mousse- This luscious strawberry mousse has a strong strawberry flavor and is a simple mousse recipe.
- Easy recipe- This is an easy strawberry mousse cake because it is broken down into very simple steps so you can get it right the first time.
Ingredient Notes
Here are some notes on the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- Cake flour- All purpose flour has a higher gluten content than cake flour, so cake flour lets this cake have a softer and lighter crumb.
- Oil- Use canola oil, vegetable oil, or olive oil.
- Eggs white- Pull the egg whites out 2 hours before baking to get to room temperature.
- Unsalted butter- Pull this out 2 hours before using to reach room temperature.
- Sour cream- Use full fat sour cream or greek yogurt. Pull this out 2 hours before baking.
- Strawberries- If you use frozen strawberries thaw them before use. I recommend topping the cake with any extra fresh strawberries.
- Powdered gelatin- Make sure to use unflavored powdered gelatin.
Step By Step Instructions - White Cake
Here is how to make and bake this strawberry mousse cake.
STEP 1: Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Then, spray a 9x9 square baking pan (9in round cake pans will also work) with baking nonstick spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper and spray again.
STEP 2: Dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
STEP 3: Beat butter. In a large bowl, use a mixer to beat the butter, sugar, and oil on high speed for 3 minutes. It will become fluffy and light in color.
STEP 4: Combine wet ingredients. Add the egg whites, vanilla extract, and sour cream to the butter mixture and mix on medium speed until it is smooth.
STEP 5: Combine dry ingredients. Add â…“ of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl and repeat until all of the ingredients are mixed in.
STEP 6: Pour batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
STEP 7: Bake. Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes. It is done when a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
STEP 8: Cool. Let the cake cool in the hot pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. Make sure it is completely cooled before the assembling the cake.
Step By Step Instructions - Strawberry Mousse
Here is how to make this strawberry mousse.
STEP 1: Puree. Use a blender or food processor to blend the strawberries into a thin puree. Sift the puree through a mesh sieve to separate out the seeds. toss the seeds.
If using frozen strawberries be sure to thaw them before blending.
STEP 2: Cook strawberry. Add the strawberry puree, sugar, and vanilla to a medium saucepan on medium heat. Once it starts to simmer, turn the heat to medium-low for 3-5 minutes until it starts to thicken and get a darker color.
Start STEP 3 while it is cooking.
STEP 3: Gelatin. Mix the gelatin and cold water in a small bowl and let it sit while the berries cook. Once it is done thickening add the gelatin and continue to heat until the gelatin is mixed in.
STEP 4: Chill. Pour the strawberry mixture in the fridge until completely cooled. Using the freezer can speed this process up.
Also place a metal bowl and whisk attachment for your mixer in the freezer for 10 minutes.
STEP 5: Whip. Use the cold bowl and whisk attachment to beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
STEP 6: Add strawberry. Add the ground freeze-dried strawberries to the cream and gently fold it in using a rubber spatula.
Then add half of the cooled strawberry mixture and fold it in until almost combined. Add the rest and very gently fold it in.
Step By Step Instructions - Assembling the Cake
Here is how to assemble this strawberry mousse cake.
STEP 1: Prep pan. Make sure you have cleaned your cake pan from earlier. Then, spray it with baking spray. Then, place parchment paper in the bottom with enough coming up the sides to use as handles later. Finally, spray it again.
STEP 2: Place the cake. Place the white cake back in the pan.
STEP 3: Strawberry mousse. Pour strawberry mousse and spread in an even layer over top of the cake.
STEP 4: Chill. Chill the cake in the fridge for at least 4 hours to let the mousse set.
STEP 5: Serve. Take the cake out of the pan using the parchment paper. Cut it into slices and top them with sliced strawberries.
FAQ
Yes it can! After cooking the gelatin into the strawberries it can be refrigerated. Be sure to warm it up before use as it cannot be too cold and solidified when folding it into the mousse.
Mousse gets its fluffy texture from the whipped cream. If too much air is knocked out of it or if it was not whipped until it has stiff peaks then it will not provide the fluffy texture you need. Be very gentle when folding the strawberry in.
Yes they can! Once the cake layer is done cooling, wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Then, freeze up to 30 days. Pull it out 1 hour before decorating.
Storing and Freezing
Store this strawberry mousse cake in an airtight container like a cake carrier. Store in the fridge up to 5 days.
Freezing
You can freeze the strawberry mousse cake in individual cake slices. Place in an airtight container and freeze up to 30 days.
Other Fruity Cake Recipes To Try
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📖 Recipe
Strawberry Mousse Cake
Ingredients
White Cake
- 2 cups Cake flour
- ¾ tablespoon Baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- 10 tablespoon Unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup White granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoon Oil canola or vegetable oil
- 4 Egg whites room temperature
- 2 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups Sour cream or greek yogurt room temperature
Strawberry Mousse
- 16 oz Strawberries fresh or frozen
- ½ cup White granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ teaspoon Powdered gelatin 1 packet
- 2 tablespoon Water cold
- 1 ½ cups Heavy cream cold
- 1 oz Ground freeze dried strawberries
- Fresh strawberries for decoration
Instructions
White Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9X9-inch square or circle pan with baking nonstick spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper and spray again.
- In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.2 cups Cake flour, ¾ tablespoon Baking powder, ¾ teaspoon Salt
- Using a mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and oil on high speed for 3 minutes. It will become fluffy and white in color.10 tablespoon Unsalted butter, 1 cup White granulated sugar, 3 tablespoon Oil
- Next, add the egg whites, vanilla, and sour cream. Mix on medium speed until smooth.4 Egg whites, 2 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, 1 ¼ cups Sour cream
- Add â…“rd of the dry ingredients at a time and mix on low. Mix until just combined. Make sure to scrape the bowl to make sure it is all mixed together.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let the cake sit in the hot pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cool the cake completely before assembling.
Strawberry Mousse
- Using a blender, blend the strawberries into a thin puree. (If using frozen strawberries, thaw them first.) Stir the puree through a mesh sieve, separating the seeds out. Toss the seeds.16 oz Strawberries
- In a medium sauce pan, add the strawberry puree, sugar, and vanilla. Heat on medium heat until it starts to simmer. Turn to medium-low heat and heat for 3-5 minutes. It will start to thicken and turn a bit darker in color.½ cup White granulated sugar, 2 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- While it cooks, in a very small bowl, mix the cold water and gelatin together. Let it sit while the berries cook. Add in the gelatin once the strawberries are done thickening. Heat until the gelatin is mixed in.2 ¼ teaspoon Powdered gelatin, 2 tablespoon Water
- Pour the strawberry mixture and place in the fridge until completely cool. You can also place in the freezer to speed up the process.
- Place a metal bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 10 minutes. Then, beat the heavy cream on high speed until stiff peaks form.1 ½ cups Heavy cream
- Take off the mixer, and add the grounded freeze dried strawberries. Gently fold it in using a rubber spatula.1 oz Ground freeze dried strawberries
- Then, add half of the cooled strawberry mixture and fold it until almost combined. Add the rest of the mixture and mix until just combined. Be very very gentle during this process so you don't deflate any air in the whipped cream.
- Spray the 9X9- inch pan (make sure to clean it and re spray), then place parchment paper in the pan and spray again. It should be enough paper sticking out of the top that you can easily grab it to pull the cake out.
- Place the cake in the pan. Top with the strawberry mousse. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours for the mousse to set.
- Take the cake out of the pan. Cut into slices and top with fresh strawberries.Fresh strawberries
Sylvia says
Hi Stephanie
Can this mousse be used as a layered cake filling
Stephanie Rutherford says
Yes it can!