The strawberry season is still in full swing, making this strawberry mousse cake an excellent way to enjoy it. Deliciously fresh and the perfect choice for a beautiful summer day. When it’s warm outside, you’re not always in the mood to turn on the oven, and this is a “no-bake” cake that goes straight into the fridge after mixing the ingredients. Perfect!
This cake has a wonderful graham cracker crust and a filling of pureed strawberries, mascarpone, quark and whipped cream. Besides, you can find fresh strawberries in the strawberry mousse filling, giving the cake even more freshness and flavor. To finish, I added fresh strawberries on top.
Tools & Equipment
- 18cm/7-inch springform pan
- 2 small bowls
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Food processor
- Medium bowl
- Parchment paper
- Paring knife
- Silicone spatula
- Small saucepan
- Spoon
- Stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment
Recipe Tips
Graham Cracker Crumbs: if you don’t have a food processor, you can easily use a zipper bag. Put the graham crackers into the bag, seal it and use a rolling pin to smash the crackers.
Color of the Strawberry Mousse: if you prefer the mousse to be a stronger pink, you can substitute the 1 sheet of white gelatine for 1 sheet of red gelatine.
Remove the Springform Pan: in case you notice that your cake won’t come out of the pan easily, place it in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Then run a small knife around the rim of the pan and carefully release the cake from the pan.
Directions – How to Make a Strawberry Mousse Cake
Make the Crust
Line a 18cm / 7-inch springform pan with parchment paper, set aside and weigh all of your ingredients.
Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor for a couple of times and melt the butter in the microwave.
Mix the graham crumbs with the melted butter and press them onto the bottom of the prepared springform pan. Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Make the Filling
Wash, drain and dry the strawberries and gather the rest of the ingredients.
Use a food processor or blender to puree 250g of the strawberries and then strain the puree through a fine-mesh sieve.
Add mascarpone, sugar, quark, lemon juice to the strawberry puree and mix until smooth. Soak the gelatine in cold water for about 2 minutes.
Transfer soaked gelatine to a small saucepan and dissolve. Remove from the heat, add 2-3 tablespoons of the strawberry cream and stir until cold. Add the gelatine cream to the rest of the strawberry cream and stir until combined.
Whip the heavy cream until stiff and gently fold it into the strawberry cream.
Assemble the Cake
Spread 2-3 tablespoons of strawberry mousse on top of the crust, slice some strawberries in half and arrange them with the cut side at the rim of the springform pan. Place the rest of the strawberries on the strawberry mousse.
Pour the remaining strawberry mousse on top and spread carefully. Smooth the surface and gently tap the springform pan on the counter to release any air bubbles. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Carefully remove the cake from the pan and place it on a cake platter.
For decoration, half some strawberries and arrange them on top of the strawberry mousse cake.
Storage: you can keep the cake in the fridge for up to 3 days. I have no experience with freezing, but I think it is possible to freeze the cake as long as the fresh strawberries are not too mushy. To thaw, place it in the fridge overnight.
My Summary for Strawberry Mousse Cake
Difficulty: simple.
Taste: this cake is so fruity and refreshing with an intense strawberry flavor.
Texture: the strawberry mousse provides a light and very creamy texture to this cake. Placing fresh strawberries in the mousse is the perfect finish and adds a nice crunch.
PROS: this cake is amazing because it’s easy to make, you don’t even need your oven, it’s absolutely delicious and on top of that it looks really pretty.
CONS: none, except maybe for the waiting time, because you get the best result if you keep it in the fridge overnight so it can set properly.
