Vanilla cake with a hint of almond wrapped around a decadent strawberry-cranberry mousse filling! Made from a reliable box mix, we've worked our magic to elevate it to homemade perfection. Imagine sinking your teeth into a cloud-like cake with just the right touch of almond essence, so tender it practically melts in your mouth.
That mousse filling – it's like diving into a fruity fantasy. Creamy, dreamy, and oh-so-luxurious, with the awesome sweetness of strawberries perfectly complemented by the zing of cranberries. It's a flavor explosion that'll have you coming back for more. So why wait? Treat yourself to a slice of happiness today!
The vanilla almond cake is truly a dream come true. It's super simple to prepare, requiring just fruit, whipped cream, a touch of cream cheese for added flavor and tanginess, and gelatin to ensure it sets perfectly for effortless cake frosting.
With this mousse, there's no need for additional frosting; it serves both as the sumptuous filling and the outer layer of the cake. And let's talk about the cranberry-strawberry combination – it's an absolute flavor sensation that will leave your taste buds begging for more!
This was inspired by my fruity, tangy, and creamy dreamy strawberry cranberry tart and my raspberry cranberry white chocolate cheesecake! My chocolate mousse filling for cake is another awesome recipe you'll love!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Irresistible Texture: This recipe promises a fantastic texture experience both in the cake and the mousse. The cake, infused with almond essence, boasts a tender and moist crumb that melts in your mouth with every bite. Meanwhile, the strawberry-cranberry mousse filling offers a creamy, velvety texture that perfectly complements the softness of the cake. Together, they create a harmonious balance of textures that is simply irresistible.
- Convenience of Using a Box Mix: One of the standout features of this recipe is its convenience. By starting with a box mix as the base, you save time and effort in measuring out individual ingredients while still achieving that homemade taste. The box mix serves as a reliable foundation that makes super moist almond cake!!
- Unforgettable Flavor Combination: The flavor profile of this recipe is truly what sets it apart and makes it a must-try. The vanilla almond cake and the subtle hint of almond in the cake adds a unique depth of flavor, providing a contrast to the bright and tangy notes of the cranberry-strawberry mousse filling. This flavor combination strikes the perfect balance between sweetness and tartness, resulting in a taste sensation that is both refreshing and indulgent.
Equipment
Handheld or stand mixer will make your life much easier when baking. If mixing by hand, the ingredients might not be incorporated enough. Whipping heavy cream by hand takes a very long time, I don't recommend trying as it can be frustrating!
Ingredients
- Frozen Cape Cod Select Cranberries. Cranberries are known for their tartness and vibrant flavor. Using frozen cranberries from Cape Cod Select ensures that they are picked at their peak freshness and immediately frozen, preserving their taste, texture, and flavor. When incorporated into the mousse, the cranberries provide a fantastic contrast to the sweetness of the cake and mousse. They add a burst of tangy flavor and a pleasant texture, enhancing the overall taste experience.
- Fresh strawberries bring a burst of sweetness and a bright, fruity flavor to the strawberry mousse filling for cake. Using fresh strawberries allows you to capture the natural sweetness of the fruit without relying heavily on added sugars or artificial flavors.
- Gelatin is essential for setting the mousse recipe and giving it a smooth, creamy texture. When dissolved in liquid and chilled, gelatin forms a gel-like substance that helps the mousse hold its shape. It provides stability to the mousse, ensuring that it maintains its form when sliced and served. This allows for clean, neat portions and a visually appealing presentation.
- Heavy cream adds richness and creaminess to the mousse, giving it a luxurious texture. When whipped, heavy cream forms soft peaks that incorporate air into the mousse, resulting in a light and airy consistency.
- Cream cheese contributes a rich, tangy flavor to the strawberry mousse for cake, complementing the sweetness of the strawberries and cranberries. Its slightly acidic profile helps balance the sweetness of the dessert. Cream cheese also adds stability to the mousse, helping it set properly.
- A good quality white cake mix provides a consistent base for the almond cake layer. It saves time and effort compared to making the cake from scratch while still delivering a delicious and moist cake.
See recipe card below for quantities.
Substitutions
- If you are not a fan of almond, lemon cake with the strawberry mousse for cake would also be amazing! I would add lemon zest to the dry ingredients before adding the wet ingredients.
- Fresh fruit on top of the mousse would create amazing texture and more fruity goodness to the cake.
- A 9X13 pan would also work for this recipe, just top the sheet cake with the strawberry mousse for cake and let it set up in the refrigerator.
This almond and vanilla cake recipe has not been tested with other substitutions. These are just suggestions.
Instructions
Let's make this moist almond cake recipe!
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper. Cut the parchment paper into 8 inch circles.
Step 2: Prepare the cake, distribute it evenly over 3 pans.
Step 3: Bloom the gelatin with 2 tablespoons of water for the mousse cake filling.
Step 4: In a blender or food processor, puree the whole strawberries and the defrosted cranberries until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and bring to a boil and then simmer, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture has slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
Step 5: Add the bloomed gelatin to the hot fruit mixture, stir until completely melted. Set aside to cool, it can go in the refrigerator to speed up the process.
Step 6: In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the cold fruit puree to the cream cheese, mixing until fully incorporated.
Step 7: In a separate mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
Step 8: Gently fold the whipped cream into the fruit mixture in two or three additions, using a spatula. Be careful not to deflate the whipped cream too much; the goal is to maintain a light and airy texture.
Hint: Use an offset spatula to cover the vanilla almond cake, the angle is designed to effortlessly frost a cake.
Pro tips
- Adding extra sugar and flour to the cake mix creates more volume, making it stretch to make 3 cakes, I don't recommend skipping those ingredients.
- Chill Your Equipment: Before whipping the cream for the strawberry mousse for cake filling, take a moment to chill your mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer. This simple step helps to keep the cream colder for longer, making it easier to achieve stiff peaks and ensuring a fluffy, stable mousse texture.
- Keep the Filling Cold: Once prepared, it's essential to keep the strawberry mousse filling for cake cold until ready to use. Refrigerate it while you prepare the cake layers to maintain its firmness and prevent any risk of it becoming runny. A chilled filling will also make it easier to spread evenly between the cake layers without losing its shape.
- Use Gelatin: When preparing the strawberry mousse filling for cake, be sure to incorporate gelatin as directed in the recipe. Gelatin acts as a setting agent, helping the mousse to firm up and hold its shape once assembled in the cake. Without gelatin, the filling may remain too soft and fail to set properly, resulting in a messy or unstable cake. Follow the instructions carefully to ensure the perfect consistency and texture of your strawberry mousse filling.
FAQ
Why is my strawberry mousse cake filling runny?
Insufficient Gelatin: Gelatin is essential for setting the mousse. If you didn't use enough gelatin or if the gelatin wasn't properly dissolved, the mousse may not have set properly, resulting in a runny consistency. Over mixing the whipped cream into the fruit mixture can cause the mousse to lose its airy texture and become runny. It's important to gently fold the whipped cream into the fruit mixture to maintain the mousse's light and fluffy consistency. If the fruit puree was too warm when combined with the gelatin or if the whipped cream was too warm when folded into the fruit mixture, it can prevent the gelatin from properly setting, resulting in a runny mousse.
Can the vanilla almond cake be made ahead of time?
Yes! You can wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze the cake for up to 2 months before using. Or you can wrap the layers and keep it out at room temperature for a day before assembling the cake.
Storage
Refrigerator
Store the vanilla almond cake in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. I like using a cake container.
Freezer
You can freeze the cake slices, make sure they're individually wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in an airtight container. Freeze for up to one month.
Related
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📖 Recipe
Vanilla Almond Cake
Equipment
- Handheld or stand mixer
- Saucepan
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons and cups
- 8 inch cake pans
- Spatulas
Ingredients
Almond Cake
- 1 box of white or vanilla cake mix around 14.25 oz (400 grams)
- ½ cup (73 grams) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (109 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (216 grams) sour cream full fat
- 1 cup (250 grams) milk whole or 2%
- 4 eggs room temperature is best
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Cranberry Strawberry Mousse
- 1 cup (270 grams) whole strawberries
- 1.5 cups (151 grams) Cape Cod Select frozen cranberries thawed
- ½ cup (105 grams) granulated sugar
- 2.5 teaspoons (8 grams) powdered gelatin 1 pack
- ⅓ cup (81 grams) cream cheese full fat
- 2 cups (460 grams) heavy cream
Instructions
Almond Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper. Cut the parchment paper into 8 inch circles.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the cake mix, flour, and sugar until combined.
- Add the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix until combined and smooth, about 3-4 minutes.
- Distribute the cake evenly over 3 cake pans, about 350 grams of batter in each pan.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Mousse
- Prepare the Gelatin: In a small bowl, sprinkle the powdered gelatin over 2 tablespoons of cold water. Allow it to sit for about 5 minutes to soften.
- Puree the Fruits: In a blender or food processor, puree the whole strawberries and the defrosted cranberries until smooth.
- Heat the Puree: Transfer the fruit puree to a saucepan. Add the granulated sugar and bring to a boil and then simmer, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture has slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Add the bloomed gelatin to the hot fruit mixture, stir until completely melted. Set aside to cool, it can go in the refrigerator to speed up the process.
- Prepare the Cream Cheese: In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the cold fruit puree to the cream cheese, mixing until fully incorporated.
- Whip the Heavy Cream: In a separate mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
- Fold in the Cream: Gently fold the whipped cream into the fruit mixture in two or three additions, using a spatula. Be careful not to deflate the whipped cream too much; the goal is to maintain a light and airy texture.
- Chill the Mousse: Transfer the mousse mixture to the refrigerator until set up slightly, about 2 hours.
Assembling The Cake
- Top the bottom layer of the cake with about 1 cup of mousse, spread it out evenly, place the middle layer on top. Place another cup of mousse on top, spreading it out evenly. Top with the last cake layer, cover the cake with the rest of the mousse. Refrigerate until set and ready to eat.
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