Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Mousse Topping
This strawberry mousse cake skips the heavy frosting and goes straight for something lighter. A soft vanilla cake topped with a fluffy strawberry mousse made from real berries, it’s fresh, creamy, and just sweet enough. Baked in a simple 9×13 pan, it’s easy to make ahead and even easier to serve for spring and summer gatherings.
Servings 24 pieces
Calories 204kcal
Ingredients
CAKE
- 2 ½ cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup butter softened
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 5 egg whites room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 cup whole milk room temperature
MOUSSE
- 2 cups strawberries 16 ounces
- ¾ cup sugar more if desired
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 1/4 teaspoons gelatin 1 packet
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 ounce freeze-dried strawberries ground
Instructions
CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350º. Place two pieces of parchment paper in a 9 x 13 baking pan, one in each direction. Spray with cooking spray.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and add the sugar, beating on high for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add egg whites and beat on high for 2 minutes. Add sour cream and vanilla and beat until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until just incorporated, then while it is still on low, slowly add the milk so that it doesn’t splash out. Mix only until combined trying not to over-mix. Pour it into the cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
MOUSSE
- Use a blender, food processor, or immersion blender and puree the strawberries. Add to a saucepan and add sugar and vanilla. Heat until it starts to boil, then turn down and simmer until it starts to thicken, about 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons of water to the gelatin and stir to combine. Once the jam has thickened, add the gelatin and continue to cook until it has dissolved. Pour it into a bowl and place it in the fridge to cool.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream until stiff peaks form. Add finely ground freeze-dried strawberries and fold them into the whipped cream.
- Add half of the strawberry jam to the whipped cream, folding it in until combined, then add the remaining jam and fold in until it is combined, trying not to flatten the whipped cream.
- Spread the mousse on a completely cooled cake and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to allow it to set before cutting.
Notes
- Taste the strawberry puree and if it's not sweet enough, add a little more sugar.
- Let all of your ingredients warm up to room temperature before making this cake. Room temperature ingredients combine together much easier than cold ingredients and give you the best texture.
- Be careful when folding together your mousse. Mix gently. The air pockets you’ve created will burst if you stir the mousse or are too rough with it, so move slowly and deliberately, and fold just until it’s combined.
