This strawberry mousse cake filling is fluffy, light as air, and stabilized with the help of some white chocolate ganache.
At its core, it’s really just strawberry whipped cream that’s stabilized with melted white chocolate.
I love this recipe because it doesn’t use gelatin or strawberry Jello to stabilize the mousse!
How to Make This Strawberry Mousse Cake Filling
To make sure your strawberry mousse cake filling turns out as amazing as possible, let’s walk through each step together! I’ve also included a video tutorial of the process below.
Step 1: Melt the White Chocolate & Heavy Cream
Add 1 cup of white chocolate chips and 1/3 cup heavy cream in a medium-sized, heat-proof bowl.
Heat for 45-60 second in the microwave, then let the mixture sit for a minute.
If you don’t have a microwave, you can also use a double boiler.
Stir until combined with a rubber spatula.
The white chocolate should be completely melted, and the mixture should be smooth. Set aside.
Step 2: Make the Strawberry Whipped Cream
Add the heavy cream, freeze dried strawberry powder, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of fine salt in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a whisk attachment.
If you want your mousse to have a stronger color, add a drop of red gel food coloring into the mixture.
Mix on a medium-high speed until the whipped cream starts to gather in the whisk attachment and you can see texture around the edges of the bowl (see photo below).
At this stage the whipped cream should be thick and able to keep its shape.
This usually takes about one to two minutes in my stand mixer.
Step 3: Fold the Strawberry Whipped Cream into the White Chocolate Mixture
Gently fold half of the strawberry whipped cream into the white chocolate cream mixture using a rubber spatula.
Use the spatula to swoop around the sides of the bowl and pull through the center like I show in the video of this recipe.
Then fold in the remaining half of the strawberry whipped cream.
Be careful not to over-mix the mousse, because it will become deflated and lose its structure.
Cover the mousse with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, then use to fill cakes, cupcakes, or even cookies.
Substitutions & Swaps in This Strawberry Mousse Cake Filling
You can make the following swaps and substitutions in this recipe:
- White Chocolate – You can use white chocolate chips, baking chocolate, or good-quality white chocolate bars.
- Heavy Whipping Cream– Use heaving cream or heavy whipping cream. To make dairy free and vegan strawberry mousse cake filling use coconut cream.
- Freeze Dried Strawberry Powder – This is an absolute must in this recipe! I order mine online, but you can also buy freeze dried strawberries and grind them in a spice grinder or food processor.
- Powdered Sugar – You need a fine sugar like powdered sugar to help sweeten the whipped cream and give it a smooth consistency. I don’t recommend using granulated sugar or other types of sugar.
What Can I Make with This Strawberry Mousse?
This delicious strawberry mousse can be enjoyed with all kinds of desserts!
I love to use it to fill layer cakes, but it would also be a delicious filling with cupcakes, macarons, or even ice cream cakes.
Or enjoy this mousse on its own! Top it with a dollop of whipped cream and some fresh strawberries and you have a dessert in and of itself.
Tips for Making the Best Strawberry Mousse Cake Filling
- Chill your mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer. It makes it easier and quicker to whip up the whipped cream for the mousse.
- Keep an eye on your mixer as you whip up the whipped cream! If you over-mix it, it will turn into butter.
- Use good quality white chocolate! It has a huge impact on the flavor of this filling.
- Keep this mousse cake filling cold. It can lose its shape and structure if it gets too warm.
- If you add this to a cake, make sure you pipe a ring of buttercream frosting around the edge of the cake layer. This will help keep this softer cake filling in place.
Making This Strawberry Mousse Cake Filling in Advance & Storage Tips
Make this mousse in advance! Store it in the fridge in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap for up to 2 days.
Keep any cakes or cupcakes with this filling in the fridge until they’re ready to be enjoyed.
Let Me Know What You Think
If you try this strawberry mousse cake filling recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment and rating below.
And don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and #chelsweets so that I can see your delicious creations on social media!
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Yield: 3 cups
This strawberry mousse cake filling is so fluffy and full of strawberry flavor! It's perfect for filling cakes, cupcakes, and even macarons.
Prep Time10 minutes
Additional Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 10 minutes
Ingredients
Strawberry Mousse
- 1 cup good quality white chocolate chips (180g)
- 1 1/3 cups heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, cold - divided (320g)
- 1/2 cup freeze dried strawberry powder (56g)
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar (30g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (4g)
- pinch of fine salt (less than 1/8 tsp)
- red gel food coloring - optional
Tools and Equipment Needed
Instructions
Strawberry Mousse Cake Filling
- Make the strawberry moussefirst so it has time to chill. Or better yet, make this mousse in advance! It can be made 1-2 days ahead of time.
- Add 1 cup white chocolate chips and 1/3 cup heavy cream in a medium-sized, heat-proof bowl. Heat for 45-60 second in the microwave, then let the mixture sit for a minute. Stir until combined with a rubber spatula. The white chocolate should be completely melted, and the mixture should be smooth. If you don't have a microwave, you can also use a double boiler. Set aside.
- Add 1 cup of heavy cream, 1/2 cup freeze dried strawberry powder, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and a pinch of fine salt into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a whisk attachment. If desired, add a small drop of red gel food coloring to give this mousse a more vibrant color.
- Mix on a medium-high speed until the whipped cream starts to gather in the whisk attachment and you can see texture around the edge of the bowl. The whipped cream should be thick and able to keep its shape. This usually takes about a minute or two in my stand mixer.
- Gently fold half of the strawberry whipped cream into the white chocolate mixture using a rubber spatula. Use the spatula to swoop around the sides of the bowl and pull through the center like I show in the video of this recipe. Fold in the remaining strawberry whipped cream. Be careful not to over-mix the mousse, or it will become deflated and lose its structure.
- Cover the mousse with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Make sure you keep the mousse chilled until right before you fill the cake because it can also lose its shape if it gets warm.
Notes
Yield
This recipe makes about 3 cups of strawberry mousse. This recipe can be doubled if needed!
Tips for Making the Best Strawberry Mousse Cake Filling
- Chill your mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer. It makes it easier and quicker to whip up the whipped cream for the mousse.
- Use good quality white chocolate! It melts down more easily and gives the mousse a stronger flavor.
- You can use white chocolate bars, chips, or wafers to make this mousse. However, you can't use white candy melts!
- Be sure you're using heavy whipping cream. You need a high fat percentage to have it whip up properly.
- Keep an eye on your mixer as you whip up the strawberry whipped cream! If you over-mix it, it will turn into butter.
- Keep this strawberry mousse cake filling cold. It can lose its shape and structure if it gets too warm.
- If you add this to a cake, make sure you pipe a ring of buttercream frosting around the edge of the cake layer. This will help keep this softer cake filling in place.
Making This Strawberry Mousse Cake Filling in Advance & Storage Tips
The strawberry mousse can be made in advance! It can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and stored in the fridge in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap.
Once a cake or cupcakes have been filled with this filling, keep them refrigerated.
Nutrition Information
Yield
3Serving Size
1
Amount Per ServingCalories 771Total Fat 60gSaturated Fat 37gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 18gCholesterol 142mgSodium 127mgCarbohydrates 55gFiber 2gSugar 51gProtein 7g
