Valentines Strawberry Mousse Cake (Printable)

Airy layered cake with sponge, strawberry mousse, and shiny glaze, perfect for festive celebrations.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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 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 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

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
02 - Beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and tripled in volume, approximately 5 minutes. Add vanilla extract. Sift in flour, baking powder, and salt; gently fold 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 - Purée strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice until smooth in a blender or food processor.
05 - Bloom gelatin in cold water for 5 minutes. Warm one-third of the strawberry purée in a saucepan without boiling. Remove from heat and dissolve gelatin in the warm purée. Stir back into the remaining purée and allow to cool to room temperature.
06 - In a clean bowl, whip cream to soft peaks. Gently fold into the cooled strawberry mixture until fully combined.
07 - Remove the cooled sponge from the 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 set.
08 - Purée strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Bloom gelatin in cold water for 5 minutes. Heat a few tablespoons of purée, dissolve gelatin in it, then stir back into the remaining purée. Allow to cool slightly.
09 - Pour glaze gently over the set mousse. Chill for another hour until the glaze is firm.
10 - Decorate with fresh strawberries, chocolate shavings, or edible rose petals. Carefully release the cake from the springform pan and transfer to a serving plate.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent all day in a French patisserie, but the actual hands-on time is surprisingly forgiving.
  • The contrast between the delicate sponge, airy mousse, and glossy glaze is genuinely romantic without tasting overly fussy.
02 -
  • Gelatin is finicky about temperature—it needs to dissolve in warm (not hot) liquid, and if you pour it into something too cold, you'll get weird little bits that never fully disappear.
  • Don't skip the chilling time, even though it's tempting; the mousse needs those 2 hours to set properly, or you'll slice into a soupy mess instead of clean layers.
03 -
  • Use an immersion blender or food processor to get that strawberry purée perfectly smooth—no little chunks that could throw off your glaze texture.
  • If your kitchen is warm, chill your mixing bowls and beaters before whipping the cream; cold equipment whips cream faster and more reliably.
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