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Make the most of strawberry season with this amazing strawberry mousse cake! It is jam packed with sweet-tart strawberries with a thick layer of rich strawberry mousse and strawberry compote on top.
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If you need a show-stopping dessert, this strawberry mousse cake is here for you, especially if you don’t like everything chocolate. This is a very vibrant and summery cake with berries added in 3 ways!! Fresh strawberries, strawberry compote, and a velvety strawberry mousse. Make my simple vanilla cake. Make some quick compote on a skillet. Blend up the mousse right in the blender! Layer, refrigerate, and slice!
The base is a thin layer of cake that you top with this really thick strawberry mousse layer and fresh strawberries and then you top the whole thing with this incredible strawberry compote. It just is mind-blowingly delicious.
You can make the cake using whatever pan you have. I used a six-inch cake pan and also used a cake collar. You can just use your tall six-inch pan and pour the mousse in, if you don’t have a cake collar. You can also use a regular-sized eight-inch cake pan, and it will fill up the mousse to the top. It’ll be a thinner layer of the mousse, but it’ll still be plenty of strawberry mousse on top, because the cake layer will be thinner as well.
If you do use a regular pan instead of the cake collar, just make sure to line it with parchment before you pour in the mousse, so that it’s easy to take everything out. This cake is summery, refreshing, kind of like an ice cream mousse cake and decadent. Let me know if you try this and don’t forget to review the recipe!
Why You’ll Love Strawberry Mousse Cake
- gorgeous cake with so much strawberry flavor!
- creamy strawberry mousse made in the blender, no cooking needed
- sticky-sweet strawberry compote topping
- easy to make soy-free, nut-free, and gluten-free
🍓More Strawberry Desserts
Strawberry Mousse Cake
Equipment
- cake collar optional
Ingredients
Cake Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
- 1.5 tablespoons non-dairy yogurt
- 2.5 tablespoons oil
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cake Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, or tapioca starch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Strawberry Compote
- 13 to 14 large strawberries, leaves and stems removed
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the Strawberry Mousse
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for at least 15 minutes, then drained. See notes for nutfree
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 1/4 cup sugar
For Decoration
- 3 to 4 strawberries, leaves and stems removed and thinly sliced
Instructions
Make the cake.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (177° C).
- In a bowl, add all of the wet ingredients and mix really well, until the sugar is mixed in.
- Mix together the dry ingredients in a small bowl, then add to the wet ingredients and mix well to make a batter. The batter should be just slightly stiffer than pancake batter. If it's a little too stiff, then you can add in 1 to 2 teaspoons of nondairy milk and mix in.
- Transfer this batter to a parchment-lined 6” or 8” cake pan, even it out with a spatula, and bake for 20 to 28 minutes, depending on the size of the pan, the type of pan, and your oven.
- Check at the 20-minute mark using a toothpick inserted into the center. When the toothpick comes out clean, remove the pan from the oven, let it cool for 5 minutes then remove the cake from the pan and let it continue cooling under a kitchen towel while you make the rest of the layers.
Make the strawberry compote.
- Chop the strawberries into 1/2” or more equal-sized pieces and add to a saucepan along with rest of the compote ingredients, and cook over medium heat. If the strawberries aren't starting to release moisture, you can add in a tablespoon of water to help get things going.
- Once the strawberries start leaking moisture, press them with a spatula and continue to cook until all of the strawberries have broken down and the mixture is starting to become jammy. This can take 6 to 10 minutes, depending on your saucepan and your stove.
- Once all the strawberries have broken down, remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Make the mousse.
- Drain the cashews and add to a blender with the coconut cream, sugar and half of the warm compote. Do not blend hot compote! Blend this mixture until it is smooth. The mixture might take a minute too blend along, but continue to blend it for a minute. Then, let it sit for five minutes for the cashews to soak up more moisture, and then blend again for 30 seconds . Check if the mixture is moving really well. If it is not, then you can add in a tablespoon or so of coconut milk to help it move along. Blend for 30 seconds, wait for a minute, and repeat another 2 to 3 times until the mixture is smooth.
- Taste and adjust the flavor. If you want it sweeter, add another tablespoon or so of sugar or add some more vanilla. The cooked strawberries will turn slightly purple when you blend them, which is all okay. You can add in some food coloring, if you want it to be very pink.
- Once the everything is nicely smooth, put the mousse in the freezer for at least 15 to 20 minutes to start to thicken a little bit.
Assemble the strawberry mousse cake.
- Meanwhile, slice the top off of the cake, so that it is flat on top.
- Take 2 tablespoons of the compote, mix a tablespoon of water in, and spread that all over the cake to give it a kind of a soak.
- Slice your strawberries, if you haven’t already, and remove the mousse from the freezer.
- Place the cake on the cake stand. Then, if you're using a cake collar, put the cake collar around the cake. If you're using a tall 6” cake pan or a regular 8” cake pan, just line everything with parchment paper and put your cake in that cake pan. (See my Lemon mousse cake for reference)
- Arrange the strawberry slices standing up around the edges of the cake, if you want them standing up on the sides. You can also place them on the top of the mousse later on for the 8” cake pan.
- Pour the mousse over the cake, and even it out with a spatula. If you're using the 8” cake pan, then put the fresh strawberries on the edges all around on top of the mousse at this point. Either way, put the cake back in the freezer for 30 minutes or so, to give the mousse a chance to set up a little bit more, so you can easily spread the compote on top.
- When the mousse is set, remove the cake from the freezer and spread all of the remaining strawberry compote on top. Then, put it back in the freezer for at least 3 hours or so, and then you can remove the cake and slice and store in the fridge. (Serve after letting it sit for 15 mins on the counter) Once the cake has set in the freezer the final time, the mousse will hold. Before that, the mousse might be a little too soft. After the freezer chill, it will stay in the fridge just fine without falling or becoming liquid, for at least 3 days. Serve directly from the fridge!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- non-dairy milk – Adds moisture to the cake. Choose soy-free and/or nut-free and/or coconut-free, as needed.
- non-dairy yogurt – For moisture and tang. Choose soy-free and/or nut-free and/or coconut-free, as needed.
- oil – For texture in the cake. Do not omit.
- sugar – Sweetens the cake, compote, and mousse.
- vanilla extract – For flavor in the cake and in the compote.
- all-purpose flour – For the cake. You can use a mix of 1/2 cup almond flour, 1/4 cup oat flour, and 1/4 cup potato starch instead for gluten-free.
- cornstarch – For binding the cake. You can use tapioca starch instead, if you prefer.
- baking powder, baking soda, and salt – To condition the cake batter. You will also use a little salt to bring out the flavor in the strawberry compote.
- strawberries – You will use fresh strawberries to make the compote and to decorate the cake.
- lemon juice and zest – Brings out the flavor in the strawberry compote.
- raw cashews – For the mousse. You can use extra coconut cream for nut-free.
- coconut cream – For the mousse. You can use extra cashews for coconut-free.
💡 Tips
- Overlapping steps, where possible, will save time. For example, while the cake bakes and cools, make the compote and the mousse.
- Make sure to mash the berries while making the compote to help them release their moisture. You want the compote to be a thick, jammy consistency.
- Blend the mousse thoroughly for the best texture.
- Slicing the top off the cake makes for the best presentation and helps the mousse stay in place.
- If you’re not using a cake collar, make sure to line the sides of the cake pan with parchment before pouring on the mousse, so it will release easily after chilling.
- Chilling times are crucial, so the mousse can set up. If you don’t chill well, it will be too soft to slice.
How to Make Strawberry Mousse Cake
Preheat the oven to 350° F (177° C)
In a bowl, add all of the wet ingredients and mix really well, until the sugar is mixed in.
Mix together the dry ingredients in a small bowl, then add to the wet ingredients and mix well to make a batter. The batter should be just slightly stiffer than pancake batter. If it’s a little too stiff, then you can add in 1 to 2 teaspoons of nondairy milk and mix in.
Transfer this batter to a parchment-lined 6” or 8” cake pan, even it out with a spatula, and bake for 20 to 28 minutes, depending on the size of the pan, the type of pan, and your oven.
Check at the 20-minute mark using a toothpick inserted into the center. When the toothpick comes out clean, remove the pan from the oven, let it cool for 5 minutes then remove the cake from the pan and let it continue cooling under a kitchen towel while you make the rest of the layers.
Make the strawberry compote while the cake bakes and cools.
Chop the strawberries into 1/2” or more equal-sized pieces and add to a saucepan along with the rest of the compote ingredients and cook over medium heat. If the strawberries aren’t starting to release moisture, you can add in a tablespoon of water to help get things going. Strawberries have a lot of moisture, so it doesn’t really need too much added liquid to make this compote.
Once the strawberries start leaking moisture, press them with a spatula and continue to cook until all of the strawberries have broken down and the mixture is starting to become jammy. This can take anywhere from 6 to 10 minutes, depending on your saucepan and your stove.
Once all the strawberries have broken down, remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Make the mousse while the compote cools.
Drain the cashews, if they are still soaking, and add to a blender with the coconut cream, sugar and half of the warm compote. Do not blend hot compote! Blend this mixture until it is smooth. The mixture might take a minute to break down, but continue to blend it for a minute. Then, let it sit for five minutes for the cashews to soak up more moisture, and then blend again for 30 seconds . Check if the mixture is moving really well. If it is not, then you can add in a tablespoon or so of coconut milk to help it move along. Blend for 30 seconds, wait for a minute, and repeat another 2 times or until the mixture is smooth.
Taste and adjust the flavor. If you want it sweeter, add another tablespoon or so of sugar or add some more vanilla. The cooked strawberries will turn slightly purple when you blend them, which is all okay. That’s just how the strawberries are. You can add in some food coloring, if you want it to be very pink.
Once the everything is nicely blended, put the mousse in the freezer for at least 15 to 20 minutes to start to thicken a little bit.
Assemble the strawberry cake.
Meanwhile, take the cake out of the pan, and slice the top off of the cake, so that it is flat on top.
Take 2 tablespoons of the compote, mix another tablespoon of water in, and spread that all over the cake to give it a kind of a soak.
Slice your strawberries, if you haven’t already, and remove the mousse from the freezer.
Place the cake on the cake stand. Then, if you’re using a cake collar, put the cake collar around the cake. If you’re using a tall 6” cake pan or a regular 8” cake pan, just line everything with parchment paper and put your cake in that cake pan.
Arrange the strawberry slices standing up around the edges of the cake, if you want them standing up on the sides. You can also place them on the top of the mousse later on for the 8” cake pan.
Pour the mousse over the cake, and even it out with a spatula. If you’re using the 8” cake pan, then put the fresh strawberries on the edges all around on top of the mousse at this point. Either way, put the cake back in the freezer for another 30 minutes or so, to give the mousse a chance to set up a little bit more, so you can easily spread the compote on top.
When the mousse is set, remove the cake from the freezer and spread all of the remaining strawberry compote on top. Then, put it back in the freezer for at least 3 hours or so. Once the cake has set in the freezer the, the mousse will hold. Before that, the mousse might be a little too soft. Once it sets in the freezer, it will stay in the fridge just fine without falling or becoming liquid for at least three days.
Slice and serve! Store refrigerated for upto 3 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store the finished strawberry mousse cake in the fridge for up to 3 days, or you can slice and freeze the cake for up to two months. If you choose to freeze, thaw in the fridge for a couple of hours or on the counter for 15 minutes and serve.
To make this without nuts, use nut-free milk and yogurt and use 1 cup more coconut cream instead of the cashews.
To make this without coconut, use coconut-free non-dairy milk and non-dairy yogurt, and use another cup of cashews instead of the coconut cream and then blend the two cups of soaked cashews with 3/4 cup of non-dairy milk of choice. The coconut-free mousse is going to tend to be a bit more soft than the coconut mousse, so you want to keep it in the freezer longer for it to set.
To make this gluten-free, use a gluten-free blend of choice instead of the flour, or use 1/2 cup almond flour, 1/4 cup oat flour, and 1/4 cup potato starch. Mix well and use that instead of the all-purpose flour.
Store the cake in the refrigerator for upto 3 days.
Slice and freeze for months. Thaw on the counter for 15 mins or overnight in the fridge and then serve
I made the strawberry mousse and compote. I had some vanilla cupcakes leftover from an event. I layered those up in jars and topped with the compote and mousse and fresh strawberries. It was such a decadent treat! I can imagine various ways of using this mousse and compote combo!
Yay