Strawberry Mousse Cake

A light and airy summer strawberry mousse on a buttery biscuit base

BY Sascha Toopitsin, SWEET GASTRONOMY www.sweetgastronomy.com

Serves: 6-8
Biscuit base: 20 mins
Mousse filling: 30 mins
Decorate: 10 mins
Chill time: 4+ hrs

EQUIPMENT

20 inch loose base cake pan
Baking paper
Saucepan (2) 
Stainless steel bowls (3)
Whisk, spatula
Sieve
Stick mixer
Electric hand beater/mixer
Food processor
Cooking thermometer

 

INGREDIENTS

Biscuit base
250g Butternut biscuits
100g Unsalted butter
20g Plain flour
Rice oil spray can

Strawberry mousse
20mls Water
250g Frozen strawberries
70g Caster sugar
3 (titanium grade) Gelatine leaves (+ small bowl of cold water to soak leaves in)
250mls Thickened cream    
1/2 Tsp Vanilla bean paste

Fruit garnish

2 punnets fresh raspberries
2 punnets fresh strawberries
1 packet freeze dried strawberries
1 punnet fresh micro herb - Sorrel

METHOD

Biscuit base

1. Grease cake tin with rice oil spray. Line base and sides with baking paper. Set aside.
2. Place biscuits in food processor and process until a crumb forms. Add butter and process until combined. 
3. Using the back of a spoon, gently press the mixture down on the base of the cake tin. Place in the fridge for 1 hour to set. Do not remove from the cake tin. 

Strawberry mousse

1. Place gelatine sheets in a bowl of cold water. Set aside to soften.
    
2. In a saucepan, place water, frozen strawberries and sugar on medium-high heat. Bring mixture to a slow simmer, stirring continuously. Cook until the sugar has dissolved and the strawberries start to break apart. Add in vanilla bean paste. Remove from heat and use a stick mixer to blend into a purée. Strain purée through a fine sieve over a clean bowl to remove seeds. Allow purée to cool slightly. Squeeze excess water from the gelatine sheet and whisk into the purée until dissolved. (Do not place gelatine into boiling hot purée. The gelatine will lose its ability to set the mixture). Set purée aside to cool completely. 
    
3. Using an electric hand mixer, beat cream until soft peaks form. (Take care not to over mix the cream so it become too stiff.)
    
4. Whisk purée into the cream. Add purée in batches, not all at once. Once incorporated, place mousse mixture into the cake tin, over the biscuit base. Chill for 3 hours or until firm.

Decoration

Arrange strawberries and raspberries on top. Crush freezer dried strawberries over to add texture. Add any other colourful garnish like gold leaf, edible flower varieties or micro herbs for an extra splash of colour. 

Bon Appétit! sweetgastronomy.com