This rhubarb and strawberry mascarpone mousse cake with pistachios, honey and rose water will blow your taste buds. I promise.
I love creating, discovering and tasting new flavors. And this cake I created last year is really something special and I doubt you ever tried anything like it. But it’s crazy good, in my and my testers humble opinion of course :). I also adore how it looks, don’t you agree? The inspiration behind it are pink, blue and white colors of a summer sunset that I also love. I can’t help but stare at the sky and take pictures every time I see such a colorful sunset.
You can tell I’m proud of this cake, right :)?
The reason I’m posting this recipe only now, when I developed it last year, is that when I made it for the first time I wanted to redo it to change some things BUT… rhubarb season was gone, ha-ha. It’s always tricky to bake with fruit in season because it goes by so quickly. So this year as soon as rhubarb hit the local market I made it.
If you like to bake with seasonal fruit check out my other recipes with strawberries:
Vanilla cake with strawberries and pineapple
American fluffy pancakes
Vegan chocolate mousse cake with strawberries
Eton mess
The base for this cake is a pistachio and honey sponge, then we have a creamy, sweet mascarpone mousse with a bit of rose water (which you can leave out if you really don’t want to use it, or it’s too out of the way for you to buy it, or you can use orange blossom water instead), the filling is cooked rhubarb and strawberries (in my opinion one of the most heavenly pairs), for that beautiful shiny finish we have a mirror glaze that you can color and use however you want.
If you like the combo of pistachios and rose water check out my Orange Blossom Cardamom Pistachios Kouign-Amann pastry.
This cake is made in a round silicon mould, but you can make it in a normal round pan. See notes on how to do it.
I suggest reading the whole recipe and the notes before baking.
Ingredients
Rhubarb and strawberry gelee
160 g rhubarb
150 g strawberries
60 g sugar
1 gelatin sheet*
Pistachio and honey sponge
2 egg whites
35 g honey
20 g ground pistachios
20 g ground almonds*
30 g flour
Mascarpone and rose water mousse
120 g sugar
40 g water
3 egg yolks
3 gelatin sheets*
250 g mascarpone
230 g whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract*
1 tsp rose water*
Mirror glaze
200 g glucose
135 g condensed milk
200 g sugar
100 g water
200 g white chocolate, chopped
14 g gelatin powder*
80 g water
Instructions
Rhubarb and strawberry gelee
Put the gelatin sheet in some cold water, or prepare by the instructions on the package. Cut the rhubarb and strawberries into small pieces, put them in a pan with sugar and cook for around 10 minutes, or until they are soft and a bit reduced. Blend them with an immersion blender and then mix in the gelatin so it melts in. Take the bottom part (the full part) of your silicone mould and place a cling wrap over it, now put the gelee on top and cover with the cling film, you should have a round disk shape that will fit into the mould later. Put it in the freezer for a few hours, until frozen.
Pistachio and honey sponge
Preheat the oven to 190°C and line a baking pan (34 x 38 cm, or something similar that fits two 18-19 cm diameter circles) with parchment paper. Beat the egg whites with honey until stiff peaks, about 4 min. Stir together the flour, pistachios and almonds. Add the mixture to whipped egg whites and stir it in gently with a spatula. Spread the batter on the parchment paper in two circles, each 18-19 cm in diameter. They really don’t have to be perfect in shape and they can touch because you will cut them in 17 and 18 cm diameter circles after. Bake them for 8-10 minutes. Let them cool and cut out one 17 and one 18 cm circle.
Mascarpone and rose water mousse
Put the gelatin in cold water for 5 min, or prepare by the instructions on the package. Put the egg yolks in a standing mixer and beat them until fluffy (or mix with a hand mixer), around 3 minutes. Put the sugar and water into a pan and bring to boil. Boil for 3 minutes, put off the heat and pour into the egg yolks in a thin stream while mixing constantly. Melt the gelatin and mix it in the egg yolk mixture. When the yolk mixture is not hot anymore add the mascarpone, vanilla extract and rose water, mix until combined. In a separate bowl mix the whipped cream until soft peaks and gently fold it into the mousse with a spatula.
Assemble
Take the rhubarb disk out of the freezer, set it aside and prepare the mould. Pour half of the mousse in the mould, then place the rhubarb disk on top and the bigger sponge circle on that. Cover with the rest of the mousse making sure it fills all the mould without air bubbles. Place the second sponge circle on top and cover with a cling film. Place in the freezer overnight.
Mirror glaze
Bloom the gelatin in 80 g water, or prepare by the instructions on the package. Bring the sugar, glucose and 100 g water to a boil on a low-medium heat and boil for a minute or so, until the sugar is fully dissolved. Remove from the heat, add the condensed milk and gelatin and mix them in. Now add the chocolate and let it sit for 3 min. Mix everything together with an immersion blender. Be careful not to put air in the glaze, keep the immersion blender under the glaze. Tap on the counter a few times to reduce the bubbles and then strain it to remove the bubbles. Separate the glaze to 3 parts, use food coloring in gel or powder to color one part white, one pink and one blue. Now leave the glaze to cool to 33-35°C.
Assemble
When the mirror glaze is cooled to 33-35°C, take the cake out of the freezer and the mould. Place a baking pan or a bowl upside down (something to put the cake on) on a bigger baking sheet, or something that will catch the leftover glaze. Place the cake, sponge side down, on the bowl or a baking pan. Now pour the white mirror glaze over the cake, then some blue and some pink. Gently scrape the top with a palette knife to blend the colors and make the top straight. The glaze will start setting pretty fast, so when it does, don’t try to correct, or touch anything. Leave the leftover glaze to drip down, then remove the drips at the bottom with a knife, or scissors.
If you need help on how to glaze the cake you can refer to this video.
Leave the cake to thaw in the fridge for a few hours then cut and enjoy! 🙂
Notes
*You can use gelatin sheets and gelatin powder interchangeably, just make sure you substitute the right amount. Check the packaging for info.
*In the sponge you can replace almonds with the same amount of pistachios (to get a stronger pistachio flavor) or pistachios with almonds (if you don’t like pistachio flavor).
*I used clear vanilla extract, so it doesn’t darken my mousse.
*You can use as much rose water as you want or leave it out, but I think 1 tsp adds just the right amount of taste. You can also substitute with orange blossom water.
*If you don’t have the round silicon mould you can make this cake in a normal round cake tin. This cake is pretty small so choose a smaller cake tin with removable sides or an adjustable cake ring. Bake the sponges in the same way, so that the diameter of them is 1 or 2 cm less than your whole cake will be. Start building the cake with a sponge in a tin, pour in half of the mousse, put the other sponge on top and the rhubarb gelee on top of that, cover with the rest of the mousse. Freeze the cake, remove from cake tin and cover with mirror glaze.
Rhubarb and Strawberry Mmascarpone Mousse Cake
Ingredients
Rhubarb and strawberry gelee
- 160 g rhubarb
- 150 g strawberries
- 60 g sugar
- 1 gelatin sheet*
Pistachio and honey sponge
- 2 egg whites
- 35 g honey
- 20 g ground pistachios
- 20 g ground almonds*
- 30 g flour
Mascarpone and rose water mousse
- 120 g sugar
- 40 g water
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 gelatin sheets*
- 250 g mascarpone
- 230 g whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract*
- 1 tsp rose water*
Mirror glaze
- 200 g glucose
- 135 g condensed milk
- 200 g sugar
- 100 g water
- 200 g white chocolate chopped
- 14 g gelatin powder*
- 80 g water
Instructions
Rhubarb and strawberry gelee
- Put the gelatin sheet in some cold water, or prepare by the instructions on the package. Cut the rhubarb and strawberries into small pieces, put them in a pan with sugar and cook for around 10 minutes, or until they are soft and a bit reduced. Blend them with an immersion blender and then mix in the gelatin so it melts in. Take the bottom part (the full part) of your silicone mould and place a cling wrap over it, now put the gelee on top and cover with the cling film, you should have a round disk shape that will fit into the mould later. Put it in the freezer for a few hours, until frozen.
Pistachio and honey sponge
- Preheat the oven to 190°C and line a baking pan (34 x 38 cm, or something similar that fits two 18-19 cm diameter circles) with parchment paper. Beat the egg whites with honey until stiff peaks, about 4 min. Stir together the flour, pistachios and almonds. Add the mixture to whipped egg whites and stir it in gently with a spatula. Spread the batter on the parchment paper in two circles, each 18-19 cm in diameter. They really don't have to be perfect in shape and they can touch because you will cut them in 17 and 18 cm diameter circles after. Bake them for 8-10 minutes. Let them cool and cut out one 17 and one 18 cm circle.
Mascarpone and rose water mousse
- Put the gelatin in cold water for 5 min, or prepare by the instructions on the package. Put the egg yolks in a standing mixer and beat them until fluffy (or mix with a hand mixer), around 3 minutes. Put the sugar and water into a pan and bring to boil. Boil for 3 minutes, put off the heat and pour into the egg yolks in a thin stream while mixing constantly. Melt the gelatin and mix it in the egg yolk mixture. When the yolk mixture is not hot anymore add the mascarpone, vanilla extract and rose water, mix until combined. In a separate bowl mix the whipped cream until soft peaks and gently fold it into the mousse with a spatula.
Assemble
- Take the rhubarb disk out of the freezer, set it aside and prepare the mould. Pour half of the mousse in the mould, then place the rhubarb disk on top and the bigger sponge circle on that. Cover with the rest of the mousse making sure it fills all the mould without air bubbles. Place the second sponge circle on top and cover with a cling film. Place in the freezer overnight.
Mirror glaze
- Bloom the gelatin in 80 g water, or prepare by the instructions on the package. Bring the sugar, glucose and 100 g water to a boil on a low-medium heat and boil for a minute or so, until the sugar is fully dissolved. Remove from the heat, add the condensed milk and gelatin and mix them in. Now add the chocolate and let it sit for 3 min. Mix everything together with an immersion blender. Be careful not to put air in the glaze, keep the immersion blender under the glaze. Tap on the counter a few times to reduce the bubbles and then strain it to remove the bubbles. Separate the glaze to 3 parts, use food coloring in gel or powder to color one part white, one pink and one blue. Now leave the glaze to cool to 33-35°C.
Assemble
- When the mirror glaze is cooled to 33-35°C, take the cake out of the freezer and the mould. Place a baking pan or a bowl upside down (something to put the cake on) on a bigger baking sheet, or something that will catch the leftover glaze. Place the cake, sponge side down, on the bowl or a baking pan. Now pour the white mirror glaze over the cake, then some blue and some pink. Gently scrape the top with a palette knife to blend the colors and make the top straight. The glaze will start setting pretty fast, so when it does, don't try to correct, or touch anything. Leave the leftover glaze to drip down, then remove the drips at the bottom with a knife, or scissors.
- If you need help on how to glaze the cake you can refer to this video.
- Leave the cake to thaw in the fridge for a few hours then cut and enjoy! 🙂
Notes
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