Raspberry Mousse Cake
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The tangy sweet raspberry mousse over the Russian sponge cake is so good! And raspberries are in season; at their peak of amazing-ness. This was my nieces 1st birthday cake :). Doesn’t it look fit for a princess?
My friend Nella shared this Raspberry Mousse Cake recipe with me awhile back. It’s so tasty and pretty straightforward to make. I baked it twice last week and everyone enjoyed it. Nella, thank you so much for sharing. It’s a keeper!
Ingredients for the Raspberry Mousse Cake:
3 large eggs, cold or room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour *measured correctly
For the Raspberry Mousse:
1 1/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp Knox Unflavored Gelatin
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 Tbsp confectioners (powdered) sugar
To decorate Raspberry Mousse Cake:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 Tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 to 1 cup raspberries
How to Make Raspberry Mousse Cake:
Preheat the Oven to 350˚F.
1. Butter a cake pan or springform pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Using electric mixer, beat 3 large eggs with 1/2 cup sugar using the whisk attachment for 6 min (7 min for cold eggs) on high speed
3. Sprinkle the top with 1/2 cup flour and fold in gently with a spatula just until all of the flour is incorporated. DO NOT OVER-MIX or it won’t rise well. Transfer to your prepared cake pan and bake for 23 min. Cool to room temp (I popped it into the freezer 10 minutes to speed up the cooling process).
How to Make the Raspberry Mousse:
1. In a Small saucepan, combine 1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen raspberries with 1/4 cup sugar. Whisk together until it’s the consistency of a raspberry sauce. Remove from heat and strain the raspberry sauce through a fine mesh sieve and push on the raspberries with a spoon to separate the juice from the seeds. You want to extract as much of the juice as possible.
2. Pour the juice back into the saucepan. Whisk in 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice and 1/2 Tbsp Knox unflavored gelatin and put back over the heat just until the gelatin is dissolved into the raspberry sauce. Refrigerate raspberry sauce until it’s room temp. Be careful not to leave it in the fridge too long since the gelatin starts to set quickly.
3. Whip 1 cup heavy whipping cream to soft peaks. Add 1 1/2 Tbsp confectioners sugar (powdered sugar). Continue beating until firm peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
4. Once the raspberry sauce is cooled to room temp (make sure it’s not warm or it wont be spreadable after it’s mixed with the whipped cream), use a spatula to fold raspberry sauce into the whipped cream (pour about 1/4 of the raspberry sauce at a time). Spread the raspberry mouse over the cooled cake. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight before serving.
5. When the mousse is firm enough to decorate, beat 1 cup heavy cream with 1 1/2 Tbsp powdered sugar until firm peaks form then pipe rounds of whip cream around the perimeter of the cake and decorate with raspberries and tiny basil leaves for effect :). I used Wilton Star tip.
Enjoy! Enjoy!
P.S. Have you tried making a mousse with anything other than raspberries?
Raspberry Mousse Cake
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs, cold or room temp
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- Bake at 350 for 23 min
For the Raspberry Mousse:
- 1 1/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 Tbsp Knox Unflavored Gelatin
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/2 Tbsp confectioners, powdered sugar
To decorate:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/2 Tbsp powdered sugar
- 1/2 to 1 cup raspberries
- 10 tiny basil leaves, optional
Instructions
How to Make Raspberry Mousse Cake:
-
Preheat the Oven to 350˚F.
-
Butter a cake pan or springform pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
-
Beat 3 large eggs with 1/2 cup sugar using the whisk attachment for 6 min (7 min for cold eggs) on high speed.
-
Sprinkle the top with 1/2 cup flour and fold in gently with a spatula just until all of the flour is incorporated. DO NOT OVERMIX or it won't rise well. Transfer to your prepared cake pan and bake for 23 min. Cool to room temp (I popped it into the freezer 10 minutes to speed up the cooling process).
How to Make the Raspberry Mousse:
-
In a Small saucepan, combine 1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen raspberries with 1/4 cup sugar. Whisk together until it's the consistency of a raspberry sauce. Remove from heat and strain the raspberry sauce through a fine mesh sieve and push on the raspberries with a spoon to separate the juice from the seeds. You want to extract as much of the juice as possible.
-
Pour the juice back into the saucepan. Whisk in 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice and 1/2 Tbsp Knox unflavored gelatin and put back over the heat just until the gelatin is dissolved into the raspberry sauce. Refrigerate raspberry sauce until it's room temp. Be careful not to leave it in the fridge too long since the gelatin starts to set quickly.
-
Whip 1 cup heavy whipping cream to soft peaks. Add 1 1/2 Tbsp confectioners sugar (powdered sugar). Continue beating until firm peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
-
Once the raspberry sauce is cooled to room temp (make sure it's not warm or it wont be spreadable after it's mixed with the whipped cream), use a spatula to fold raspberry sauce into the whipped cream (pour about 1/4 of the raspberry sauce at a time). Spread the raspberry mouse over the cooled cake. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight before serving.
-
When the mousse is firm enough to decorate, beat 1 cup heavy cream with 1 1/2 Tbsp powdered sugar until firm peaks form then pipe rounds of whip cream around the perimeter of the cake and decorate with raspberries and tiny basil leaves for effect 🙂
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Hi, would it be possible to substitute the raspberries with cherries to make a cherry mousse?
Hi Eliza, possibly but I haven’t tried that to see if it would thicken into a syrup the same way. It sounds delicious though.
hi natasha, can i make the cake & mousse a day ahead? will it still be good?
Hi Shila, It’s best to make it the day of or day before your event. You can make it a few days ahead but don’t add fresh fruit until you’re closer to serving.
Hi Natasha, I’m making a naked cake and was wanting to use this as a filling. Will I be able to pipe this while it remains it’s shape? Thanks!
Hi Michaela, that may work! I haven’t experimented with that though; if you happen to try that, I would love to know how you like it!
Any suggestions on adapting this (or another of your excellent ideas?) into an orange mousse/cream to fill a chocolate cake?
Thanks!
Hi Svetlana, I haven’t tried that, but I imagine that may work. Some zest may do the trick. If you happen to experiment, I would love to know how you like this recipe.
I made this today for my husband’s birthday and it was amazing! I added a chocolate ganache top and it really took it to the next level! I also made your lasagna. I have a very happy husband
I’m so happy you both enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Sarah!
What size cake pan did you use? Thanks!
Hi, Amy, we used a 9″ cake pan.
Hello Im wondering if it’s alright to use frozen strawberries instead? I have frozen some from my harvest and thinkin what to do with them… Have a great day~
Hi Prissea, Do you have access to frozen raspberries? I like that the raspberries are concentrated in flavor. I haven’t really tested with any other fruit, but the next best thing might be strawberries or blackberries.
Hi,
I would like to know how much frozen strawberries I would use if I chose to use strawberries instead of raspberries. Or would it be the same amount as raspberries?
Thanks
Hi Anne, It would probably work, but without testing that substitution myself, I can’t say for sure. I do have a mousse recipe that uses cool whip and is easier. Have you checked out this one? Our Strawberry Jello Cake.
Awesome Recipes and Awesome Videos! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!!
I’m so happy this is helpful, Lisa! Thank you for sharing that awesome review!
I used this mousse recipe to fill a chocolate layer cake.. Came out great! Doubled the recipe for a 12-in round cake, single layer. Absolutely delicious.
Thank you for the wonderful review! I’m so happy you enjoyed that.
Hi Natasha,
thank you for all your recipes!!
Does thus cake frezze well?
like i wanted to make a mirror glaze cake
thank u!!
Hi Yulia, I’ve never experimented with that so can’t make a recommendation. If anyone tried freezing this cake before, please share your results.
This was such a lovely cake! A bit tangy from the raspberries, and moist from the mousse. Just lovely, and not too hard to make! I was running out of time, so I stuck the final cake in the freezer for 40minutes….instead of waiting 2 hours, and it worked fine! It was for my little girl’s 3rd birthday…she likes pink!
Vicki, I’m so happy you enjoyed the cake 😀. Thank you for sharing that with us and best wishes to your daughter!
This is one of my favourite cakes of all time. I also love the raspberry mousse on a chocolate sponge cake base (I’m a chocolate person). I made that combination with a splash of rosewater in the mousse as mini-cakes for a baking competition. When I have leftover cake bits, I make a trifle with this mousse plus some whipped cream on top. So many ways and all delicious :). Thank you for the recipe!
Everyone loved this cake 😀 it’s so easy to make too! Just can’t go wrong with this one 🙂 a perfect summer dessert!
Angie, thank you for the great review, I’m glad everyone liked it 😀.
I made this cake, and it was amazing! Thanks Natasha for the great recipes!!! <3 I am completely in love with this cake 😀 My mom and dad loved it too!
I’m so happy to hear you and your parents loved it 🙂
First of all thank you for great recipes .inhave tried lots of them and love them . Second I had question ot if you can device me , I am making layer cake and do u think if I use this as a filling will be good or will be dry . 🙂
Nina, I don’t think it would be dry but it might hard to cut with this filling in the center.
Thanks natashka for your respond and I will consider that :))))
Hi there! I tried this recipe with blackberries and it was great! The only thing I’d recommend is using more than just 1 1/4cup of berries, to get more juice out and get a stronger blackberry flavor.
Either case, this cake was a hit!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me! That make sense about the amount of blackberries since raspberries are a little juicier than blackberries. Thank you so much for sharing that with me 🙂
can you use coolwhip instead of the whipping cream and confectioners sugar in the mousse?
It would probably work, but without testing that substitution myself, I can’t say for sure. I do have a mousse recipe that uses cool whip and is easier. Have you checked out this one? https://natashaskitchen.com/2013/02/24/strawberry-jello-cake-recipe/
Can’t wait to try this! I have a lot of raspberries in the garden right now. Can I use cool whip instead of heavy whipping cream?
I haven’t tested cool whip so I can’t say if it will work for sure or not. I do know cool whip works well in this recipe (and this one is also much easier): https://natashaskitchen.com/2014/11/25/raspberry-jello-cake-recipe-video-tutorial/
Hello this cake looks really good! I was wondering can I make it a few days ahead of time or will the cream dry out? Like 2 days.
The cream shouldn’t dry our as long as you have it covered in a cake carrier or something similar. It’s also a great idea to cover it so it doesn’t absorb other food smells.
Was wondering if the mousse is sturdy enough (if that makes sense) to use in between cake layers?
Yes it is sturdy enough :). You have to get the timing right with adding the second cake layer. It would be best to put the top cake layer on before the mousse is fully set so it sticks to the mousse and doesn’t slide around, but at the same time you don’t want to put it on while the mousse is too liquidy, especially if the cake is heavier. I hope that makes sense. Let me know how it goes and I’d love to see your cake when you’re all done! 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I will also make layer cake on saturday and interest this discussion.
is that mean the mousse will be harden once liquid mix with the beaten cream?
Just wondering should i put in rerigerator the cake before put the second layer cak?
Thanks so much Natasha
:*
Hi Desi, you do need to refrigerate before adding cream. Enjoy!
do you have to keep it refrigerated after making cause of the whipping cream
Yes and to keep the mousse portion firm which makes it easier to slice.
this looks amazing! do you think I can make this using blueberries? or any other fruit? maybe peaches? I just don’t have any raspberries at hand right now and I really want to make this for my brothers birthday (which is like in a few days)
I’m not sure blueberries or peaches are potent enough. Do you have access to frozen raspberries? I like that the raspberries are concentrated in flavor. I haven’t really tested with any other fruit, but the next best thing might be strawberries or blackberries.
Okay Natasha, so I decided to be a rebel and use blueberries. I used two cups of them and got plenty of juice. So far, everything looks amazing. The color of the blueberries is sooo pretty! Its like a deep shade of violet. Right now, I’m just waiting for it to cool…so excited to finish up! Thanks for posting this recipe!
How much blueberries/blueberry juice did you end up using? Now I really want to try blueberries! I bet the color was so pretty. Thanks for the tip!
I used 2 cups of fresh blueberries and about 1/3 cup sugar, which gave me around a cup of juice. this is the first cake I made without my moms help, and I think I did pretty good 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing that! If you post a picture of it somewhere, do let me know. I’d love to see it! 🙂
Hello Natasha! i just found out that we ran out of raspberries do you think strawberries would work also?
I think raspberries would give better flavor, but strawberries should work. Keep in mind they are juicier than raspberries. I wish I had measured the raspberry liquid portion now so I could tell you a specific amount.
I made this beautiful cake for the daughters 3rd Birthday, and it was goooood!!!!
Happy birthday to your daughter! I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Thank you for this recipe. Just had it for our Sunday dessert. It was yummy. I made a double recipe for the cake . With raspberry jello and raspberries between the cake layers. And the raspberry mousse in the middle. Was super delicious. Next time I will decrease the sugar.
Oh wow that sounds like a super yummy cake. Now I want to make a double cake too! Thanks so much for the idea! Did you post a picture of it somewhere online? I’d love to see how you decorated it!
Yes, I posted a picture on Instagram and tagged you. And I also added a photo to my Pinterest page. I’ll try to add link here.
http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/35/b1/a5/35b1a569bf263cb62ecf0185fb494714.jpg
Wow that is stunning!! Would you mind if I copied you? I really want that cake! I love how you decorated it. I showed the picture to my husband and he agrees that I have to make your version! Thank you so much for sharing it with me.
Thank you!! I don’t mind if you copy my version. Can’t wait to see you make it.
I was looking specifically for your comment this morning. 🙂 Thanks Estera!
This looks perfect for Mother’s day. Just wondering, what size cake pan you used? Love your photos and your instructions. Can’t wait to make this. Thanks Natasha.
A regular 8″ or 9″ round cake pan would work. Mine was a 9-inch 🙂 Thank you for the compliment 🙂 I’m so happy that you are enjoying the blog.
Hi Natasha!
Yesterday I tried your Raspberry Mousse cake and it is delicious! Thank you for the recipe. But I think I did something wrong and I need your advice 🙂 I used frozen raspberries, but they did not give me enough juice. And the juice was thick. Maybe I boiled the raspberries too much? Or should I use more Raspberries? maybe 2 cups? My cake did not look like yours in the picture since my raspberry sauce was thick in consistency even before I added the gelatin, but I still enjoyed it a lot! I would love to try it again!
If the sauce was too thick, it might have been that the raspberries were boiled too long. How long did you boil them?
I don’t remember but I think it was a long time 🙂 I will try it again Natasha! Thank you for replying. I will try it again with the same amount of raspberries and with less boiling 😉
Its me again, I am sorry 🙂 I just need to ask one more question. Natasha sometimes the sides of cakes (base) in general get kind of dry/crunchy on the sides, since nothing is covering the sides. Is there something we can do to avoid that? Oh and by the way this cake is so delicious, not too sweet which I love. I can eat the whole thing at once!
You could cover it with some frosting I guess but then it wouldn’t look the same. I guess if you wanted it moist, you could brush it with a little sweet syrup (sugar water or sprite). I’m so glad you liked it. 🙂
Hi Natasha!
I was wondering if I could replace the raspberries with strawberries? My one daughter is not too fond of raspberries. I was thinking of making this in a heart-shaped springform pan for Valentine’s and making a strawberry mousse and then decorating the top with hearts cut out from strawberries.
I think it could work with strawberries, but I’m not sure of the difference in amount of juice strawberries would let off versus raspberries since you’re only keeping the juice of the berries.
I made this recipe the other day and it was amazing!! Everyone loved it because it was was the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. I will definitely be making it again 🙂
I’m so glad you all loved it!! Thanks so much for the great review 🙂
I was wondering how long will this cake be good, after being completely finished?
It’s best to make it the day of or day before your event. You can make it a few days ahead but don’t add fresh fruit until you’re closer to serving.
This cake looks delicious! And I love that its so simple to make:) …can you please tell me what tip you used to decorate?
I used wilton 1M.
Thank you! Will make it today:)
I had to LOL at the end there a little bit…anything besides raspberry? Ummm, yes, CHOCOLATE mousse! It’s one of our family favorites and an actual food group in itself. 🙂
The raspberry one looks so dainty, might be good for a baby shower. 🙂
Oh my goodness, chocolate mousse sounds ridiculously good! Do you have a good recipe you could share?
Natasha this cake looks delectable!! I tried it and it was a dud for me…I whipped my whipping cream and it seemed to just be flat…any tips? Also I just cannot master the typical sponge cake! Mine was just flat! I may give up on baking all together!
Don’t give up!! Was your whipping cream a HEAVY whipping cream? You really need it to say “heavy” on the container for it to whip up correctly. Also, make sure you fold in the egg whites into the batter and continue folding just until it’s combined. Don’t overdo it or it will flatten. You are relying on the egg white fluffiness to keep your cake from being flat. I hope that helps. DO NOT GIVE UP! My first cake was a disaster and I’m sure glad I stuck to it 🙂
Thank you for the encouragement:) yes it was heavy whipping cream…I think I just over mixed instead of folding…I love your videos! Its very nice to watch in person, even though the photographs are awesome I do love the videos!
Thank you Nelya 🙂 That’s very encouraging!
Nelya, The heavy whipping cream needs to be right out of the fridge(cold), not room temperature, or else it will be flat.
I made this last week for a get together and it was great! It turned out exactly as the directions specify. The raspberry mousse is so creamy with a sweet tang. This cake was enjoyed by all. Thanks Natasha!
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it. Music to my ears 🙂
Absolutely stunning. What a gorgeous cake and what skillful photography!
The frosting looks like a fluffy, pink cloud. Raspberries happen to be one of my favorite berries. They are so vibrant and have such a great balance of sweet and tart. They are such a perfect combination to many desserts. I’ll have to try this cake sometime soon.
It did make a great baby girls birthday cake for those very reasons! Same here; raspberries are my favorite berries. I don’t think I could have a bowl big enough to satisfy a raspberry craving.
Amazing photos and execution. Bravo Natasha, thank you!
Looks yummy! My baby is turning 1 also but he’s a boy! Do you have any ideas for a cake and decor for him??
I don’t know how you could make a pink cake look boy-ish? 🙂 For my son’s b-day, I made the tres leches cake that I have posted and I made the frosting blue then made the top look like a fishing theme 🙂
The raspberry mousse looks so delicious, my mouth is watering. Will definitely be making it soon. I wonder what this sponge tastes like, though. I’ve never baked a sponge that requires so few ingredientes! Doesn’t it taste a bit like eggs and/or flour? Can I add a few drops of vanila? Also, would it be ok to top the mousse with another layer of sponge? Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
You can definitely add a few drops of vanilla. It is a very simple yet tasty cake and is the base of many Russian and Ukrainian cakes 🙂 You can add another sponge over the top once the mousse is fully set.
This cake is so very pretty! Detailed instructions are so helpful and photography is stunning! I am a big fan of your blog, Natasha:)
Thanks Dina 🙂 You’re so sweet!
Making this one soon!:)
I hope you LOVE it!!
What a beautiful cake! Wow! I am giving you A++ for appearance! I wonder if the mousse is strong enough to be topped on top of jello and then another layer of jello? 🙂
Yes, just let the jello and mousse set in between the layers. Only pour room temperature jello mix, or it will start to melt.
That is just the prettiest cake!! I’m saving this one.
Thanks Veronica, I will be making this one many more times :).
A lovely recipe. Thank you.
Thank you Liz 🙂
Tomorrow my youngest turns 2… This might just be her birthday cake tomorrow 🙂 thank you Natasha!
You are welcome Alla :). Happy birthday to your princess!
Wow! This does look absolutely fit for a princess! I would love a slice of this on my birthday, though I have to admit I’m not exactly a princess myself.
Thank you Sarah :). I end up having more than one slice my self. Pictures on your blog are mouthwatering, especially that apple pie :).