Easy Strawberry Mousse Cake - 2 Hours Active Time

Strawberry mousse cake conveniently made with frozen strawberries and tastes like ice cream - delicious!

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Cake
• How Does This Cake Taste?
• What kind of Strawberries Can I Use?
• Can I Use Different Fruits for this Cake?
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• What Consistency Should The Mousse Have?
• Why is My Mousse So Runny?
• Tips For the Fluffiest Chiffon Cake
• Can I Make This Cake in Advance?
• How to Store Strawberry Mousse Cake?
• Step By Step
• Recipe

This strawberry mousse cake came about from my children's love of fresh strawberries. When asked what kind of cake they wanted mommy to make for their birthdays, they've always answered enthusiastically with "strawberry cake!"

This popular Asian bakery strawberry fruit cake was my go-to birthday cake recipe several years in a row but this year I decided to make adaptions for it to be a mousse cake. I had just taken a course on entremet cakes and love the aesthetics of this type of cake plus the convenience of having a fully assembled frozen cake that can be thawed for serving at any time. My kids also loved it! (I am still processing how they came to be 6, 3 and 3?) Please pin or save this recipe for your next event, it's stunning yet deceptively easy to prepare. Enjoy!

Xoxo, Mimi

Why You'll Love This Cake

• Easy to prepare - no frosting and decorating needed
• Beautiful - naked layered cakes look elegant all on its own
• Year round ingredients - make it with frozen strawberries
• Tastes great - balanced sweetness with real fruit flavors

How Does This Cake Taste?

This strawberry mousse cake is composed with layers of tender chiffon cake and real strawberry mousse. A chiffon cake is a type of foam cake that uses oil instead of butter as the fat. This makes the cake extra tender and soft. The mousse layer is flavored with real strawberries, fresh cream and vanilla, a combination that reminds me of delicious strawberry ice cream! I would have to say that this cake is similar to most desserts you'll find at the Asian bakeries - soft, moderately sweetened, and not too rich.

What kind of Strawberries Can I Use?

I used both frozen and fresh strawberries for this cake because it was more convenient and cost effective. For the mousse, I used frozen ones because it needed to be heated and pureed, therefore, there was little need for pricier fresh strawberries. With frozen strawberries, you can make this cake year round! I only used a few fresh strawberries to decorate the top when it was time to serve the cake.

Can I Use Different Fruits for this Cake?

Yes, you can but it will take some experimentation to get different fruits to set to a preferable consistency for mousse. Different fruits have different pH levels and different amounts of pulp which can affect how it sets. For example, fresh figs, kiwi fruit, papaya and pineapple contain protease enzymes that destroy proteins which in turn, prevents the gelatin from gelling properly.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Dry Mix for Chiffon Cake Base

• Cake Flour - cake flour is a low protein flour which will help make this cake lighter and softer than if using all purpose flour. Cake flour needs to be sifted before use to prevent clumps. You can also use "cake & pastry flour" which many stores sell, This is a blend of both flours with a lower protein than AP. It's ok to use AP flour if that is all you have.
• Baking Powder - it acts as a leavening agent in case there are any weaknesses in the meringue.
• Salt - brings out the flavors in the cake and acts as a contrast to the sweetness.

Wet Mix for Chiffon Cake Base

• Granulated sugar - this first set of sugar is added into the wet ingredients to help add moisture and separate the grains. If you have it on hand, berry sugar or extra fine granulated sugar is a better substitute. It dissolves and mixes more easily for a finer textured cake.
• Neutral oil - adds moisture to the cake base. Canola, grapeseed, avocado are all good choices.
• Milk - adds extra flavor.
• Vanilla extract - rounds out all the flavors in the cake.
• Egg Yolks - tenderizes the cake, adds structure and emulsification of the cake batter.

Meringue for Chiffon Cake Base

• Egg whites - use fresh egg whites from large size eggs. Eggs separate more readily when it's cold and whip better when it has come to room temperature.
• Granulated sugar - use only granulated sugar, powdered sugar does not work for whipping meringue.
• Cream of tartar - is an acid that helps to stabilize the meringue. It can be substituted with double the amount of lemon juice or vinegar.

Strawberry Mousse

• Whipping cream - has a milkfat content of 33% (labelled as M.F. 33). Heavy cream can be used to substitute, it will make the mousse firmer and richer. Do not use half and half or milk.
• Frozen strawberries - are the economical way to make this cake year-round. It can be substituted with fresh strawberries in equal amounts.
• Powdered gelatin, unflavored - I prefer Knox gelatin because it's easily accessible. If using sheet gelatin, per the company, "one pouch of gelatin (2 ½ tsp) has the same gelling strength as 5 sheets (2-⅞" x 8-½") leaf gelatine.
• Vanilla extract - adds extra dimension to the flavors, artificial versions can be used.
• Granulated sugar - adds sweetness, add more or less to taste while cooking.

What Consistency Should The Mousse Have?

During the assembly, the consistency of the mousse should be thick and voluminous (see process photos in post body). It doesn't "pour" like pancake batter. It's more like a thick pudding. You'll need to use a spatula to spread the mousse to the edges to achieve neat edges when the acetate strip is removed. After it has been chilled and fully set in the fridge, the mousse should be firm and have clean lines when cut with a sharp knife.

Why is My Mousse So Runny?

First of all, make sure the mousse has a thick voluminous consistency at assembly time. If it doesn't, there's already something wrong with it. Some tips on achieving the proper mousse consistency:

1. Whipped cream needs to be whipped to stiff peaks. This gives the mixture volume. Stiff peaks is achieved when the points in the cream stands vertically and do not fall over on itself.
2. The puree needs to be cooled to room temperature for incorporation into the whipped cream.
3. When incorporating the two ingredients (whipped cream and puree) temper it by slowly folding in a small amount of cream each time.
4. Properly use gelatin by blooming it in cold water and not overheating it. Only add the bloomed gelatin to the puree when the heat has been turned off.
5. The mousse needs at least 3 hours to set in the fridge before serving.

Tips For the Fluffiest Chiffon Cake

Unlike a sponge cake which uses no or little butter, the pillowy soft chiffon cake base in this roll uses oil instead. The secret to this Asian bakery-style roll cake is its super fluffy cake base. Here are some tips:

• Use cake flour instead of AP flour.
• Always sift cake flour to prevent clumps.
• Gently incorporate the dry-mix and wet-mix together until no lumps of flour can be seen. Do not over mix as it will result in a tough cake.
• For the meringue, use room temperature egg whites for better volume.
• Whip the egg whites in a clean non-plastic bowl free of oil and water.
• Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks stage.
• Gently fold the meringue into the cake batter, retaining the air that you've built into the meringue. Do not stir.
• Use parchment paper to line the bottom of the cake pan for a clean release.

Can I Make This Cake in Advance?

Yes! The assembled cake is an excellent choice for making in advance. It can be frozen for up to one month. It will be completely ready for serving once defrosted. There will be very minimal changes in texture and no changes in flavor. Our pastry class instructors assured us that this is how mousse cakes are prepared and stored for future use in bakeries and hotels. This way, they always had certain baked goods on hand.

Once the cake has set in the fridge, leave it in the cake ring, wrap up the top with some aluminum foil and freeze it for up to one month.

You can also freeze the fresh strawberry decorations. Once defrosted the strawberries will look a bit deflated and the texture will be more mushy. I recommend adding fresh strawberries on top after defrosting but in a pinch, freezing it will work (I've tried).

How to Store Strawberry Mousse Cake?

The assembled cake can stay fresh inside the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Always store this cake in the fridge and leave it out at room temperature for no more than 2 hours. To freeze, read above paragraph.

Step By Step

Line the bottom of the cake pan(s) with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 325 F. In a large mixing bowl, sift in dry mix. Stir to combine. Create a well in the center. Inside it, add the wet mix. With a whisk, stir to combine until fully incorporated with no visible lumps, do not over mix. Set this milk-flour mixture aside. 

Now make the meringue. In a clean and dry, non-plastic mixing bowl, whip egg whites on slow speed until frothy, add cream of tartar. Increase speed to medium, once the whites become opaque and bubble size have decreased, add sugar a little bit at a time. Increase speed to med-high, whip until stiff peaks.* This is the meringue.

Gently fold ⅓ of the meringue into the milk-flour mixture to get it moving. Once incorporated, fold in the rest of the meringue. Do not stir. Use batter immediately. 

Pour batter into lined cake pan from one spot, spread out the batter evenly with an angled spatula. Tap the pan on the counter to release large air pockets. Bake for 25-28 min. until a skewer pulls out clean and the cake springs back in the center. Flip the cake pan upside down on the cooling rack and let cool for 30 min. before removing cake from pan. While the cake is cooling, prepare ingredients and supplies for the strawberry mousse and then work on Step 1-3 of the Assembly BEFORE starting the mousse.

Ensure that Step 1-3 of the Assembly is completed before you start the mousse, this will prevent it from setting prematurely inside the bowl. Chill beaters and mixing bowl in fridge. In a heat-proof cup, sprinkle the gelatin into the water. Let it bloom for 5 minutes.

In a small pot, add the frozen strawberries and sugar, heat on low heat until the sugar is dissolved and the strawberries are broken down (around 20 min). Do NOT let boil, a low warm temperature is sufficient. Turn off heat and add the bloomed gelatin. Stir to fully dissolve. Pour the puree through a sieve, use a spatula to help push the puree through. Discard remaining pulp. Let cool on counter.

In the chilled mixing bowl, whip the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add vanilla extract and whip until it reaches the stiff peaks stage. Fold ¼ of the cream into the now cooled puree. Fold small portions at a time to temper the two ingredients. Use the mousse IMMEDIATELY to assemble the cake.

Use an offset spatula to gently release the sides of the cake from pan. Remove paper. Press the cake ring into the cake to trim off the edges. Line the cake ring with acetate strips and wrap the bottom with aluminum foil. Gently place the first layer of cake into the lined cake ring. Carefully add half of the strawberry mousse into the cake ring. Try to spread the mousse to the outside edge and level the top neatly with a scraper or angled spatula. Repeat with remaining layers. Allow cake to set in fridge before cutting and decorating, minimum of 3 hours. For perfectly clean lines when removing the acetate strip and for cutting, transfer the cake to the freezer to chill for an additional 3 hours. Gently remove the cake ring and acetate strips. Wash and thinly sliced fresh strawberries, pat dry. Assemble desired pattern on top of the cake.