Strawberry and lemon mousse cake

My proposal for Mother’s Day is this strawberry and lemon mousse cake. Delicate, refreshing, and delicious — a perfect spring dessert made with two kinds of mousse: strawberry and lemon. Set on a single sponge cake layer and decorated with fresh strawberries and mini meringues. It tastes even better than it looks ;). This flavor combination had been on my mind for quite some time, and tomorrow’s special occasion seemed like the perfect excuse to bake something a little more elegant. Highly recommended!

Ingredients for the sponge cake:

• 2 large eggs
• 70 g caster sugar
• 50 g all-purpose flour
• 20 g potato starch

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form (being careful not to overwhip them). Gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the yolks one at a time, continuing to beat. Sift the flour and potato starch into the egg mixture. Fold in gently using a spatula or whisk until just combined. Folding by hand is the safest method — do not use a mixer at this stage.

Line the bottom of a 25 cm springform pan with baking paper. Do not grease the sides. Pour the batter into the pan and level the surface.

Bake at 160 – 170°C for about 20–25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Immediately after baking, drop the hot sponge cake (still in the pan) from a height of about 30 cm onto the countertop or floor. Leave to cool completely at room temperature.

Remove the cake from the pan. Using a long serrated knife, trim away the browned outer crust of the sponge, then place it back into the springform pan.

If your pan is not very tall, make an inner collar from baking paper, as the finished cake may be slightly above the edge of the tin.

Note: loosen the sponge from the sides of the pan with a knife only after it has completely cooled.

Ingredients for sponge soaking syrup:

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons water

Mix together and soak the sponge layer.

Ingredients for strawberry mousse:

• 450 g strawberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 70 g sugar
• 300 ml heavy cream, chilled
• 10 g powdered gelatin + 40 ml cold water

Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water, mix, and leave for 10 minutes to bloom.

Place the strawberries (cut into smaller pieces; frozen strawberries should not be thawed), lemon juice, and sugar into a saucepan. Heat and bring to a boil until the sugar dissolves, then remove from the heat. Blend until smooth. Add the bloomed gelatin to the hot strawberry purée and stir thoroughly until dissolved. Cool completely — the purée must not be warm, but it also must not begin to set.

Whip the chilled cream until stiff. Add the strawberry purée and gently but thoroughly fold together. Pour the mousse over the prepared sponge layer and smooth the top.

Ingredients for lemon mousse:

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 115 g butter, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 cup heavy cream, chilled

In a saucepan, bring the lemon juice and half a cup of sugar to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat.

In the bowl of a mixer, beat the egg yolks with the remaining half cup of sugar until pale, thick, and fluffy. Gradually pour the hot lemon syrup into the yolks while mixing continuously. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a custard (be careful — it burns easily). Once it begins bubbling, remove from the heat.

Transfer the hot custard back into the mixer bowl and beat using the whisk attachment until completely cooled and doubled in volume, for several minutes. Soften the butter slightly — either in the microwave on the lowest setting for a few seconds or by placing it near a warm radiator. Add the butter gradually, one spoonful at a time, while mixing continuously. Add the lemon zest and mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, whip the cream until stiff. Fold it gently into the lemon mixture using a spatula. Spread the lemon mousse over the chilled and set strawberry mousse and smooth the surface.

Refrigerate for several hours, preferably overnight.

Before serving, decorate with fresh strawberries and mini meringues.

Enjoy!