Strawberry Mousse Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Lightly coat the insides of 3 (9 by 1 1/2-inch) cake pans with melted butter. Line each pan with parchment paper, then lightly coat the parchment with more melted butter. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Heat 1-inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place remaining butter and 8 ounces semisweet chocolate in the top half of the double boiler. Tightly cover the top with film wrap. Allow to heat for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat, stir until smooth, and hold at room temperature.
• Place the egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat on high until slightly thickened and lemon-colored, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on high for an additional 2 minutes.
• While the egg yolks are beating, whisk 4 egg whites in a large stainless steel bowl until stiff but not dry, about 3 to 4 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold the melted chocolate mixture into the beaten egg yolk mixture. Add a quarter of the beaten egg whites and stir to incorporate, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, spreading evenly, and bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool in the pans for 15 minutes. (During baking, the surface of the cakes will form a crust; this crust will normally collapse when the cakes are removed from the oven.) Invert 1 of the cakes onto the bottom of a springform pan. Invert the other 2 cakes onto cake circles. Remove the parchment paper and refrigerate cakes for 30 minutes.
• To prepare the chocolate and strawberry mousse, reserve the 12 best-looking strawberries to decorate the top of the cake. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, puree 4 ounces of strawberries (12 medium-sized berries should yield 1/2 cup of puree). Set aside until needed. Refrigerate the remaining berries until needed (that includes the 12 berries for decoration) Heat 1-inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place 16 ounces semisweet chocolate, the white chocolate and the strawberry puree in the top half of the double boiler. Tightly cover the top with film wrap. Allow to heat for 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Transfer to a stainless steel bowl, using a rubber spatula to remove all of the melted chocolate mixture. Keep at room temperature until needed. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a balloon whip, whisk the 6 egg whites on high until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Continue to whisk on high while gradually adding 2 tablespoons sugar. Whisk until stiff but not dry, about 30 seconds. Set aside at room temperature until needed.
• Using a hand-held whisk, whip the heavy cream in a well-chilled stainless steel bowl until stiff. Fold a quarter of the egg whites into the melted chocolate mixture, then fold in the whipped cream. Now fold in the remaining egg whites. Set aside at room temperature until needed.
• Assemble the springform pan. Spread 1/2 cup of chocolate strawberry mousse onto the cake layer in the assembled springform pan. Arrange 1/2 the amount of reserved strawberries (not including the 12 for decoration), stem side down, into the mousse. The berries should be arranged in 2 rings: the first ring being 3/4-inch from the outside edge of the cake, and the second, inside ring, 3/4-inch away from the first. Distribute 3 cups of mousse over the berries, being careful to keep the berries in position. Holding the pan by the top rim, gently but firmly tap the bottom of the pan 2 to 3 times on your work surface (this will eliminate air pockets). Position a cake layer on top of the mousse, then repeat the process used on the first cake layer (1/2 cup mousse, remaining strawberries, and 3 more cups mousse). Top the mousse with the remaining cake layer and gently press into position. Refrigerate the cake for 2 hours (do not freeze).
• Refrigerate 1 cup of Semisweet Chocolate Ganache for at least 1 hour. Keep the remaining ganache at room temperature until needed.
• Remove the sides from the springform pan (do not remove the bottom of the pan from the cake; this will make it easier to handle later). Use a cake spatula to smooth and fill in the sides of the cake with 2 to 3 tablespoons of room-temperature ganache. Evenly spread the remaining amount of this ganache over the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour.
• Transfer the chilled cup of ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a large-sized star tip. Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Pipe a circle of 12 evenly spaced stars along the outside edge of the top of the cake. Place a strawberry, stem side down, into each ganache star. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes.
• Cut the cake with a serrated slicer, heating the blade of the slicer under hot running water before making each slice. Allow the slices to come to room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
• Heat the heavy cream, butter, and sugar in a 2 1/2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil. Place the chocolate in a stainless steel bowl. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Yield: 2 cups

Steps:

• Make the mousse: Puree halved strawberries in a food processor. Pass through a very fine sieve into a bowl (you should have about 1 cup puree). Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice; set aside.
• Melt chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring until smooth; set aside.
• Put 1/4 cup cool water into a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over top; let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir 1/4 cup cream and the confectioners' sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add gelatin mixture, and stir until gelatin has dissolved. Pour into bowl with the melted chocolate, and stir until smooth. Whisk in 3/4 cup strawberry puree; reserve remaining 1/4 cup puree.
• Put remaining 1 3/4 cups cream into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until medium peaks form. Whisk one-third of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining whipped cream using a large rubber spatula. Refrigerate 1 hour. Stir 1 tablespoon lemon juice into the sliced berries. Fold berries into mousse; refrigerate 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Make the cake: Coat a 12-by-18-by-1-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment paper, and spray parchment. Dust with flour, and tap out excess.
• Put eggs, egg yolks, and sugar into the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until the mixture is warm and the sugar has melted, about 2 minutes. Attach bowl to mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until egg mixture is pale, thickened, and has cooled, about 6 minutes.
• Remove bowl from mixer; sift together flour and salt over the top of egg mixture, and sprinkle with lemon zest. Using a large rubber spatula, carefully fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture, cutting through center and lifting gently over sides. When the flour is almost incorporated, pour butter down side of bowl, and gently fold in to incorporate.
• Pour batter into prepared baking sheet; smooth top. Bake until center springs back when lightly touched, 7 to 12 minutes. Invert, and unmold cake onto a parchment-lined wire rack; peel parchment from cake, and let cool completely.
• Assemble the cake: Cut cake crosswise into 3 rectangles. Set one layer, top side down, on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Brush with half of the remaining strawberry puree. Spread a 3/4-inch-thick layer of mousse over the top (about 2 cups mousse). Top with second cake layer, top side up. Brush with remaining strawberry puree, and spread with a 3/4-inch-thick layer of mousse. Place third cake layer on top, top side up. Refrigerate at least 2 hours (preferably overnight). Trim sides of cake to be straight.
• Make the ganache: Bring cream just to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour hot cream over the chocolate in a medium bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Stir in salt and lemon juice. Let stand until ganache is pourable and has cooled slightly. Pour ganache over top of cake, allowing it to drip down sides. Refrigerate assembled cake 1 hour before serving. Using 2 large spatulas, transfer cake to a serving platter. Garnish with strawberries.

Steps:

• Choose four of the best-looking strawberries and set these aside to finish the mousse, then hull and roughly chop the rest. Tip these into a blender or food processor along with the sugar and blitz until smooth.
• Whisk the cream to stiff peaks. Reserve roughly 4 tbsp of the strawberry purée in a small dish, then fold the rest through the whipped cream until it turns an even shade of pink. Divide the reserved purée between four small serving glasses or ramekins. Spoon the mousse over the top, then chill for at least 1 hr. Will keep chilled for up to a day. Just before serving, halve the reserved strawberries and use these to decorate the mousse.

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix crumbs and butter to blend thoroughly. Press evenly onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Arrange strawberry halves around the pan side-by-side, pointed ends up, with cut sides against the side of pan; set aside.
• Place chocolate chips in blender container. Pour water and corn syrup into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 minute. Immediately pour over chocolate chips and blend until smooth. Pour into a mixing bowl and cool to room temperature.
• While chocolate cools, whip 1 1/2 cups of the cream to form stiff peaks. Use a rubber spatula or large whisk to fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until mixture is thoroughly blended. Transfer the mousse into the prepared pan and smooth the top. The points of the strawberries might extend about the chocolate mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours.
• Up to 2 hours before serving, in a medium mixing bowl, beat remaining 1/2 cup of cream to form soft peaks. Add sugar. Beat to form stiff peaks. Remove the side of the springform pan and place the cake on a serving plate. Pipe or dollop whipped cream onto top of cake. Arrange remaining halved strawberries on whipped cream. To serve, cut into wedges with thin knife, wiping blade between cuts.

Steps:

• CAKE: Butter and flour the bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan; set aside.
• In a large bowl beat whites and cream of tartar to soft peaks.
• Gradually beat in 1/4 cup of the sugar, continuing to beat to stiff peaks.
• In a separate bowl beat the yolks with remaining sugar until light yellow and thickened.
• Scrape yolks over whites, add lemon rind and vanilla and fold together.
• Sift flour and salt over batter, folding in gently but thoroughly.
• Transfer to prepared pan.
• Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched.
• Let cool in pan on wire rack.
• If making ahead, remove from pan and wrap well for storage at cool room temperature for one to two days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
• MOUSSE: In a very small saucepan sprinkle gelatin over water; set aside.
• Rinse, hull and puree berries.
• In a small saucepan combine puree, sugar and lemon juice and heat gently just long enough to dissolve sugar.
• Remove from heat.
• Warm softened gelatin over low heat until clear and syrupy.
• Stir into strawberry mixture.
• Transfer to a large bowl and chill to consistency of raw egg white.
• Whisk in the yogurt.
• Whip cream until form; fold into mousse and return to fridge.
• SYRUP: In a small saucepan bring water and sugar to a boil.
• Remove from heat, cool and stir in liqueur.
• ASSEMBLY: Using a long serrated knife, cut cake into 2 thin layers.
• Place top half, but side up, in the bottom of a clean 9 inch spring for pan.
• Drizzle half the syrup evenly over the cut side of each of the 2 halves.
• Spoon strawberry mousse over cake in pan; don't worry if mousse extends over the sides.
• Set remaining layer, cut side over mousse, pressing gently.
• Cover and chill thoroughly, overnight if possible.
• Release sides of pan, and using a wide lifter, transfer cake to service plate, doily-lined if you've thought that far ahead.
• CREAM FROSTING AND GARNISH: Rinse and hull berries.
• Slice thinly.
• Whip cream until it's stiff and firm.
• Sweeten with sugar and spread evenly over top and sides of cake.
• Arrange berry slices in circle around the top and bottom edges of the cake.
• Refrigerate until serving time, which should be within the following hour or two.