White Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake

This dreamy White Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake combines moist white chocolate sponge cake, with light and creamy raspberry mousse. It’s the best of both worlds and a heavenly combination of textures! The cake is topped off with grated white chocolate and fresh raspberries, for an easy but stunning dessert that’s perfect for any occasion!

This recipe is created in partnership with Whittard of Chelsea. I only ever recommend products that I personally love, use and trust!

What is a Mousse Cake?

Mousse cakes combine layers of light and airy mousse, with layers of soft and moist sponge cake. They vary in size, number of layers and decoration, ranging from simple and easy like this recipe, to all singing and dancing with many alternating layers and a mirror glaze finish.

This mousse cake has a soft, buttery, and sweet white chocolate sponge for the base, topped with a light, airy, and creamy raspberry mousse. The combination of the chocolatey sponge and the refreshing raspberry mousse makes each bite delightful.

Ingredients for this White Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake

• White hot chocolate powder: Using hot chocolate powder, instead of melted chocolate, gives the cake a strong white chocolate flavour without drying out the sponge. I absolutely love the flavour of Whittard Hot Chocolate and would highly recommend using their Luxury White Hot Chocolate.
• Milk: Mixed with the hot chocolate powder to make a smooth liquid, and used to bloom the gelatine for the mousse. You can use whole or semi-skimmed milk.
• Unsalted butter or margarine: Gives the sponge cake a buttery richness and soft texture.
• Caster sugar: Sweetens the sponge and also used to make the raspberry puree.
• Vanilla extract: Added to the sponge mixture to compliment the white chocolate flavour.
• Eggs: This recipe uses three medium eggs to give the sponge a fluffy texture and rich flavour. Just make sure the eggs are room temperature.
• Self-raising flour: Gives the sponge structure and a light texture.
• Powered gelatine: Used to stabilise the mousse and help it set. I prefer using powdered gelatine as it’s less likely to clump up. I haven’t tested this recipe using vegetarian gelatine but it should work just fine.
• Fresh raspberries: Reduced down to make the puree for the mousse. Whole raspberries are used to decorate the top of the cake.
• Double cream: Whipped to soft peaks to form the base ingredient of the raspberry mousse. Double cream is also known as heavy cream in the US.
• White chocolate: Grated on top of the cake for an extra burst of chocolate flavour and a pretty finish.

Recipe Top Tips

Tips for making the white chocolate sponge:

• Choose a good-quality white hot chocolate: For a strong white chocolate flavour in this cake it’s best to use a good-quality hot chocolate powder. The Whittard Luxury White Hot Chocolate is my favourite, as it’s creamy, sweet but not too sweet, and tastes like drinking melted white chocolate. Heat the powder with milk before folding it into the sponge mixture.
• Be careful not to open the oven door too early: This is the main reason cakes sink in the middle! If the sponge isn’t fully baked, a sudden temperature change will cause it to collapse. I recommend a baking time of 45-50 minutes, so try not to open the door before 45 minutes.
• Flatten the sponge: The raspberry mousse layer is spread on top of the cake in the baking tin, so the sponge underneath must be flat and level. If the cake has domed during baking, swirl the base of a glass on top of the sponge to press it down and create a flat top. Remember to do this straight after baking whilst the cake is still warm.

Tips for making the raspberry mousse:

• Avoid boiling the raspberry puree: If you bring gelatin to a boil, it may lose its thickening properties and the mousse will never set. Keep the temperature low, and add the gelatin, stirring only until it’s fully incorporated into the puree. Then, remove the saucepan from the heat.
• Be careful not to over-whisk the cream: As soon as it looks like soft pillowy clouds, stop whisking. This can take between 3-5 minutes using an electric whisk.
• Don’t skimp on the refrigeration time: The raspberry mousse will need at least 5 hours, or you can prep this recipe the day before and leave it in the fridge overnight.

White Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake

This dreamy White Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake combines moist white chocolate sponge cake, with light and creamy raspberry mousse. It's the best of both worlds and a heavenly combination of textures! The cake is topped off with grated white chocolate and fresh raspberries, for an easy but stunning dessert that's perfect for any occasion!

Rate this Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate this Recipe

Prep: 2 hours hours

Refrigeration Time: 5 hours hours

Total: 7 hours hours

Servings: 8 people

Equipment

• 20cm loose based round baking tin
• Offset spatula
• Electric whisk
• Grater

Ingredients

For the white chocolate cake:

• 3 tablespoons White hot chocolate powder I used Whittard Luxury White Hot Chocolate
• 3 tablespoons Milk
• 250 grams Unsalted butter or margarine
• 220 grams Caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 3 mediums Eggs room temperature
• 250 grams Self-raising flour

For the raspberry mousse:

• 40 millilitres Milk
• 2 teaspoons Powered gelatine
• 300 grams Fresh raspberries
• 100 grams Caster sugar
• 350 millilitres Double cream

For the decoration:

• 100 grams Fresh raspberries
• 20 grams White chocolate

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

Start by making the white chocolate cake:

• Preheat the oven to 160°C fan / 180°C conventional and line the base and sides of a 20cm loose based round baking tin (the tin needs to be at least 8cm deep).
• Stir the white hot chocolate powder and milk together in a small mug. Microwave for 20 seconds and stir until smooth. Place in the fridge to cool down.
  3 tablespoons White hot chocolate powder, 3 tablespoons Milk
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time. Then sift in the flour and fold until combined.
  250 grams Unsalted butter or margarine, 220 grams Caster sugar, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract, 3 mediums Eggs, 250 grams Self-raising flour
• Pour in the cooled white hot chocolate and fold until the mixture is smooth and combined.
  
• Pour the mixture into the cake tin and smooth out the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes until risen and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• As soon as the cake is out of the oven, swirl the base of a glass on top of the cake to press it down and make it level. Leave to cool completely in the baking tin.
  

Now make the raspberry mousse:

• Add the milk into a shallow bowl, then sprinkle over the powdered gelatine. Set aside for now.
  40 millilitres Milk, 2 teaspoons Powered gelatine
• Add the raspberries, sugar and 1 tablespoon of water into a large saucepan and place over low heat.
  300 grams Fresh raspberries, 100 grams Caster sugar
• Stir until the sugar dissolves and the raspberries have softened and reduced into a puree. You can speed things up by squashing the raspberries with a fork or potato masher. Just be careful not to let the mixture boil.
• Stir in the gelatine milk mixture until combined and then remove the saucepan from the heat.
• Strain the puree through a sieve into a bowl to remove any seeds. Then place in the fridge to cool.
  
• Use an electric whisk on high speed to whip the cream to soft peaks.
  350 millilitres Double cream
• Add the raspberry puree in three stages, gently folding each time until the mixture is combined. Try not to overmix.
  
• Pour the raspberry mousse on top of the cake and spread it out to the edges.
• Place in the fridge for at least 5 hours, or overnight for best results. The mousse should look completely set.

Decorate and serve:

• Remove the cake from the fridge and carefully push the base of the tin up from underneath to release the cake.
• Remove the base and place the cake on a plate or cake stand. Carefully peel off the baking paper from around the outside.
• To decorate, grate white chocolate on top and arrange fresh raspberries around the outside. Slice and enjoy!
  100 grams Fresh raspberries, 20 grams White chocolate
  

Video

Notes

Store covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.