Photo: Natalie Levin
A birthday party cannot be perfect without a beautiful cake. A great cake is a MUST in any party, and I always make birthday cakes for my friends and family.
This Nepolitan mousse cake was created for a special celebration, and combines the 3 most delicious flavors in the world to my taste: chocolate, strawberry and vanilla.
It’s made of a chocolate brownie bottom topped with strawberry mousse layer and vanilla white chocolate mousse layer. To top it all there’s a shiny strawberry glaze that drips a little to the sides and fresh strawberries for decoration.
It’s a festive and delicious cake that is simply a beautiful treat in any birthday party.
Photo: Natalie Levin
Nepolitan Mousse Cake: Chocolate Cake with Strawberry and White Chocolate Mousse
For the brownie bottom:
- 100 grams dark chocolate
- 75 grams (2/3 stick) butter
- 75 grams (1/3 cup) sugar
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 2 large eggs
- 35 grams (1/4 cup) all-purpose flour or cornstarch
For the strawberry mousse:
- 2 grams (1/2 tsp.) gelatin powder
- 10 ml. (2 tsp.) cold water
- 150 grams white chocolate (chopped)
- 30 grams (2 tbsp.) strawberry puree
- A little red food color (optional)
- 250 ml. (1 cup) cold whipping cream
For vanilla white chocolate mousse:
- 1 gram (1/4 tsp.) gelatin powder
- 5 ml. (1 tsp.) cold water
- 75 grams white chocolate
- 250 ml. (1 cup) cold whipping cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
For the glaze:
- 200 grams (3-4 heaping tablespoons) smooth strawberry jam
For decoration:
- 3-4 strawberries (halved)
- Brownie bottom: preheat oven to 170c degrees and grease the pan.
- Chop the chocolate and put in a bowl. Add butter and melt together in the microwave or over double boiler until everything is melted and the mixture is uniform.
- Add sugar and salt and whisk until combined.
- Add the eggs one by one, while mixing between additions.
- Add flour and mix only until uniform.
- Pour the batter into the baking pan and straighten the top.
- Bake the brownie bottom for 15-20 minutes or until it is set at the edges but still slightly soft in the center.
- Cool completely.
- Strawberry mousse: in a small bowl, mix gelatin and water. Leave for about 10 minutes at room temperature until the gelatin absorbs the liquid.
- In a bowl, put white chocolate and strawberry puree and melt in the microwave or over double-boiler until everything is melted and the mixture is uniform. If desired, add a little red food color to get a brighter color.
- Dissolve the gelatin for a few seconds in the microwave and add the melted gelatin into the melted chocolate mixture. Mix well until uniform.
- In a mixer bowl whip cream until you get a firm whipped cream.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of whipped cream into the chocolate mixture and mix well.
- Add the chocolate mixture to the rest of the whipped cream and fold gently until you get a uniform strawberry mousse.
- Pour the mousse over the brownie bottom and straighten the top. Cool in the freezer for about an hour for stabilization.
- White chocolate mousse: in a small bowl, mix gelatin and water. Leave for about 10 minutes at room temperature until the gelatin absorbs the liquid.
- In a bowl, put white chocolate and melt it in a microwave or over double-boiler until fully melted.
- Dissolve the gelatin for a few seconds in the microwave and add to the melted chocolate. Mix well until combined.
- In a mixer bowl whip cream and vanilla until you get a firm whipped cream.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of whipped cream into the melted chocolate and mix well.
- Add the chocolate mixture to the rest of the whipped cream and fold gently until you get a uniform white chocolate mousse.
- Pour the mousse over the strawberry mousse layer and straighten the top.
- Strawberry glaze: place the jam in a small bowl and heat a little in the microwave until it softens.
- Drain the jam to get it perfectly smooth.
- Pour the jam over the frozen cake and tilt the cake pan a little so that the jam covers the top of the cake.
- Freeze for 2-3 hours until set.
- Remove the cake carefully from the pan.
- Decorate with strawberry halves and serve.
- You can keep the cake in the freezer (without the strawberry decoration) for up to a month.
- Transfer the cake to the refrigerator overnight before serving to get a good creamy texture for serving.
- Instead of strawberries you can use raspberries, cherries or any other berries you like. The jam and the puree should change accordingly.
- Keep the cake in a closed container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Photo: Natalie Levin
Photo: Natalie Levin