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Strawberry Mousse Icebox Cake

ByHani Updated on
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Treat yourself to this fabulous Strawberry Mousse Icebox Cake.

Strawberry mousse cake decorated with chocolate leave and whipped cream swirls.

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We are in the midst of flavorful Strawberry Season. It’s a perfect time to go strawberry picking and make some delicious strawberry desserts.

I teamed up with my friend Amber of SweetAmbs in a Strawberry Collaboration. I made luscious Strawberry Mousse Icebox Cake and Amber made lovely Strawberry Lace Cookies. Check out Amber’s beautifully decorated Strawberry Lace Cookies adorned with SweetAmbs’ signature style.

Slice of a strawberry mousse cake.

This delectable layered strawberry mousse icebox cake is amazing. Fruit dessert are one of my favorites. Strawberry mousse is layered with ladyfinger cookies and garnished with fresh strawberries and chocolate leaves. It’s a dessert worthy of any celebration!

STRAWBERRY MOUSSE ICEBOX CAKE

Ingredients for strawberry mousse.

To make fruit mousse I use fruit puree mixed with dissolved gelatin carefully blended with soft peak whipped cream and meringue into a velvety smooth strawberry scrumptiousness.

STRAWBERRY PUREE

Straining cooked strawberries through a mesh sieve.
  • Let’s start with the strawberry puree. Fruit purees are really easy to prepare and can be made ahead of time. I often freeze them, too.
  • Cook strawberries with a little bit of water, until mushy.
  • Then using a food chopper or an immersion blender break up soft strawberries into a puree.
  • Strain it through a fine mesh sieve. Discard seeds.
  • Refrigerate or freeze for up to 4 months.

GELATIN

Bloomed gelatin in a small glass dish.
  • To make mousse hold its shape I use gelatin to stabilize it.
  • Whisk gelatin with cold water and let it bloom for 5 minutes. Mixture will be spongy, it will spring back when you touch it.
  • Then microwave it on high for 8 seconds, stir well, until completely dissolved.

SWISS MERINGUE

Soft peak meringue in a bowl.

What is Swiss Meringue?

Swiss meringue is made from egg whites and sugar. I also added 1tsp of lemon juice as I didn’t have any cream of tartar. It works just as well for the meringue.

  • Heat egg whites (3/90grams), granulated sugar (1cup) and lemon juice (1tsp) over a pot of simmering water.
  • Whisking constantly.
  • Heat will gradually dissolve all of the sugar.
  • Mixture will turn into white soapy consistency.
  • Once the sugar is dissolved, attach a candy thermometer onto the heat proof bowl.
  • Bring the mixture 170F, whisking constantly.
  • Remove from the heat and beat with a wire beater. Start on a medium speed and gradually increase it to high. Beat until soft peaks are formed.
  • Set the meringue aside.

How can I tell if it’s a soft peak?

When you pull the meringue up it will form a peak that bends immediately.

WHIPPED CREAM

Soft peak whipped cream in a bowl.
  • Beat whipping cream with wire beaters, add powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
  • Beat till soft peaks are formed.

STRAWBERRY MOUSSE

Folding strawberry puree, meringue and whipped cream.
  • Whisk dissolved and lukewarm gelatin with lukewarm temperature fruit puree.
  • If you are working with a previously frozen fruit puree be sure to let it thaw ahead of time. If it still appears too cold microwave it on high for 30 seconds until at room temperature or slightly lukewarm is fine, too.
  • Then gradually into the fruit puree fold in meringue and whipped cream until well blended together.
  • Spoon strawberry mousse into a large piping bag.

ICEBOX CAKE LAYERS

Layering mousse and ladyfingers into a loaf pan.
  • Line a loaf pan with food plastic wrap, leaving the sides overhang.
  • Layer strawberry mousse and ladyfinger cookies into the pan.
  • Start and with finish with a mousse layer.
  • Cover with a food wrap and refrigerate overnight.

UNMOLD THE MOUSSE CAKE

Unmolding mousse cake from a loaf pan.
  • Carefully remove the top food wrap.
  • With a decorating spatula smooth out any creases.
  • Spread a thin layer of melted dark chocolate onto the mousse.
  • Let the chocolate set for 5 minutes.
  • Then flip the whole loaf pan with the layered dessert onto a serving dish.
  • Slowly remove the loaf pan.
  • Peel off the food wrap.
  • Smooth out the creases on the sides and the top as needed.
  • Refrigerate until ready to decorate.

CHOCOLATE LEAVES

Ghirardelli Chocolate Disks.
  • These DIY chocolate leaves are easier to make than you’d think.
  • I used Ghirardelli Dark Melting disks. They stay melted for a long time and work great. Or you can also use tempered chocolate.
  • You’ll also need parchment squares and a small decorating comb. Or use a fork if you don’t have a decorating comb.
Making chocolate leaves.
  • Pour melted chocolate into a piping bag.
  • Pipe a thick line of chocolate on a diagonal onto a parchment square.
  • Starting in the middle of the piped chocolate line comb the chocolate outwards with the decorating comb. Think of it as if you were making the wings.
  • Then repeat the combing on the other side.
  • Using a plastic cake smoother scrape the chocolate on the sides “drawing” the leaf shape.
  • Let the chocolate harden.

LUSTER DUST

Chocolate leaves dusted with pearl luster dust.
  • Further I decided to brush set chocolate leaves with dry pearl luster dust.
  • At this point you can carefully peel off the parchment.

CHOCOLATE LEAVES STORAGE

Chocolate leaves.

If you plan on making chocolate leaves ahead of time I’d recommend to store them attached to parchment squares. There is a lesser chance of chocolate leaves breaking when stored like this. Store them in an airtight container in a cool place.

DECORATE

Piping whipped cream swirls on a strawberry mousse cake.
  • Decorate the top with pretty whipped cream swirls.
  • If making Strawberry Mousse Icebox Cake ahead of time I’d suggest that you stabilize whipped cream topping with gelatin. Otherwise whipped cream may start weeping.
  • Stabilized whipped cream will be fine for up to 3 days.

GARNISH STRAWBERRY MOUSSE ICE BOX CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE LEAVES AND FRESH STRAWBERRIES

Strawberry Mousse Icebox cake loaf decorated with piped whipped cream swirls

Refrigerate decorated cake with stabilized whipped cream, garnished with fresh strawberries and chocolate leaves up to 3 days.

TO MAKE STRAWBERRY MOUSSE ICEBOX CAKE YOU NEED

MORE NO-BAKE DESSERTS :

Strawberry mousse cake decorated with chocolate leave and whipped cream swirls.
Print Pin

Strawberry Mousse Icebox Cake

Delicious, no-bake dessert.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, French
Keyword icebox cake, mousse, no bake desserts, strawberry
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Chill 8 hours
Servings 8
Author Hani Bacova

Ingredients

Fruit Puree

  • 18 oz strawberries (500grams)
  • 1/4 cup water (or use juice of one lemon)

Swiss Meringue

  • 3 egg whites (90grams)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp lemon juice

Whipped Cream

  • 1 1/3 cup whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Strawberry Mousse

  • 1 cup fruit puree
  • Whipped cream with soft peaks
  • Swiss meringue with soft peaks
  • 2 tsps granulated gelatin
  • 3 tbsp cold water

Icebox Cake

  • 24 ladyfinger cookies

Garnish

  • 10 fresh strawberries
  • 1 1/2 cup chocolate melts or tempered dark chocolate
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream
  • 2 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 tsp gelatin (optional – use to make stabilized whipped cream)
  • 2 tbsp cold water (optional – use to make stabilized whipped cream)

Instructions

  • Wash fresh strawberries (18oz/500grams), add water (1/4cup) or lemon juice from one lemon and cook on medium high heat until very soft and mushy. About 15 minutes.

Strawberry Puree

  • Puree soft cooked strawberries and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Let cool to room temperature.
  • Fruit puree cane be prepare ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to a week or frozen for up to 3 months.

Swiss Meringue

  • Whisk together egg whites (3 /90grams), granulated sugar (3/4 cup) and lemon juice (1tsp).
  • Place the pot over a pot of simmering water and stir constantly until mixture reaches 170F.
  • Mixture will turn white and will look soapy.
  • Remove from the heat and beat until soft peak is formed. When meringue is pulled up it forms a peak that falls down. Set aside.

Whipped Cream

  • Beat whipping cream ( 1 1/3cup), when slightly thickened add powdered sugar (1/2cup) add Vanilla Extract (1tsp) and beat until soft peaks are formed.

Strawberry Mousse

  • Sprinkle granulated gelatin (2tsp) over cold water (3tbsp). Let bloom 5 minutes. Bloomed gelatin will be firm and spongy. Microwave bloomed gelatin on high for 8 seconds, stir well. Let cool slightly.
  • Whisk together lukewarm strawberry fruit puree and dissolved gelatin.
  • Into the fruit puree(with gelatin) gradually fold meringue and whipping cream.
  • Spoon mousse into a piping bag.

Icebox Cake

  • Line a loaf pan with a plastic wrap.
  • Layer mousse and ladyfingers into the loaf pan. Starting and finishing with the mousse.
  • Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
  • Peel off top food wrap.
  • Spread a thin layer of melted chocolate on the top (once you turn it upside down it be a bottom). Let set for 5 minutes.
  • Unmold cake onto a serving dish. If needed smooth out creases with a spatula.

Garnish

  • Beat whipping cream (1/2 cup) until soft peaks are formed, add powdered sugar (2tbsp) and Vanilla Extract (1/4tsp).
    Fill the piping bag fitted with Star Piping Tip 1M and any other closed Star Tip.
  • Pipe whipped cream swirls and on the top of the mousse cake.
    Then insert chocolate leaves into the whipped cream swirls and garnish with fresh strawberries.

Chocolate Leaves

  • Melt chocolate melts. Spoon chocolate into a piping bag. Pipe a thick line of chocolate onto a parchment square. Using a small decorating comb or a fork shape the chocolate into wings.
  • Then with a small plastic sheet or use finger trim the chocolate "wings" into a leaf shape. Let chocolate harden.
  • With pearl luster dust and dry food only paint brush brush luster dust onto hardened chocolate leaves.
    Peel off the parchment and use leaves as desired.

Notes

What can be prepared ahead of time?

Chocolate Leaves and fruit puree, both can be made days ahead. Store them in the fridge, in an airtight container.

Can I use different fruit?

Certainly. If using rhubarb or other fruit on a tarter side, be sure add some sugar to the puree as it may be too tart on it’s own.

I don’t have ladyfingers, can I use something else?

Definitely. Use tea biscuits, graham crackers, Nilla wafers, or cut up cake is fine too.

Do I have to let it rest overnight?

Yes. As a matter of fact, letting it rest 24 hours makes it even better. 
 
 

PIN IT for later

Pink strawberry mousse icebox cake decorated with chocolate leaves, fresh strawberries and whipped cream swirls.

COLLABORATION WITH SWEETAMBS

These beautiful Strawberry Lace Cookies are so vibrant and delicate. They feature Amber’s signature style. Learn how to make them over at Amber’s blog SweetAmbs.

Blue royal icing decorated cookie with white lace decorations.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links that earn me a small commission, at no cost to you. I only recommend products that I use and love. Learn more about my affiliate policy here.

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