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Strawberry Mousse Cake Filling

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!

image of strawberry mousse cake filling that's been mixed together in a glass bowl

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.

image of white chocolate and heavy cream being melted down together to make a thin ganache as a base for a white chocolate mousse

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).

image of strawberry whipped cream that's been whipped until it reached stiff peaks

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.

image of strawberry whipped cream being folded into white chocolate ganache

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.

image of strawberry mousse cake filling that's been mixed together in a glass bowl

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.

image of a bowl of strawberry mousse being covered with plastic wrap before being stored in the fridge

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.
image of ingredients laid out to make strawberry mousse cake filling

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.

image of a fluffy white cake that's been filled with strawberry mousse, strawberry jam, and frosted with strawberry buttercream

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.
image of a cake being filled with strawberry mousse cake filling

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.

image of a bite of cake that's been filled with strawberry mousse cake filling

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

Strawberry Mousse Cake Filling

image of strawberry mousse cake filling that's been mixed together in a glass bowl

This strawberry mousse cake filling is so fluffy and full of strawberry flavor! It's perfect for filling cakes, cupcakes, and even macarons.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 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

  1. Make the strawberry mousse first so it has time to chill. Or better yet, make this mousse in advance! It can be made 1-2 days ahead of time.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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

3

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 771Total Fat 60gSaturated Fat 37gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 18gCholesterol 142mgSodium 127mgCarbohydrates 55gFiber 2gSugar 51gProtein 7g

Lauren

Thursday 12th of September 2024

I read other the other comments about this not being a great option for tiered cakes as it doesn’t hold up but do you think for a smaller one it might be ok? I’m using your vanilla cake recipe and doing 3 7” layers topped with 2 5” layers and I bought all the ingredients and didn’t see the comments until afterwards. Or is there another filling you live with your vanilla cake? It’s for my sons 4th birthday.

Sandy S

Friday 30th of August 2024

I make wedding cakes and this filling has been SUCH a hit - thank you!! It's not only more stable than other mousse recipes I've tried but also tastes amazing. Do you think I can use this same recipe to make a raspberry mousse cake filling - just substituting freeze dried raspberries?

Chelsea

Thursday 29th of August 2024

Could I use freeze dried raspberries instead of strawberries?

Ennj

Sunday 25th of August 2024

This recipe sounds great. I didn’t know of strawberry powder before. Excited to get some (and blueberry too!) & give it a try. Thanks for sharing!

Lauren

Tuesday 2nd of July 2024

I just made this and it super thick set in the fridge. Suggestions on how to salvage it without starting over?

I’m thinking either folding more whipped cream in or heating it slightly and giving it a tiny whip

Chelsweets

Sunday 7th of July 2024

Hi Lauren,

When you say it set super thick, is it like hard to the touch or not spreadable? This mousse should keep its shape, but it definitely should still be spreadable when it's cold. I suppose you could try folding in more whipped cream and see if that helps! Let me know if you were able to figure out what happen (is there a chance an ingredient was missed or an amount was different than the recipe), and if you were able to fix it!

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