- We’re making 3 recipes here. We’re making two mousses: a cherry chocolate mousse for filling and a strawberry chocolate almond mousse for frosting and a cake. I’ve organized them to make it as simple as possible. Make sure you have all the ingredients before you start and anything that needs thawing, is thawed thoroughly without warming it.
LEMON PEAR FOUR LAYER CAKE
Filled with Chocolate Cherry Mousse, then frosted with Strawberry Chocolate Almond Mousse and topped with shaved chocolate! Textures like a pound cake! This is one of those once a year cakes or for special occasions!
Wouldn’t it be nice if animal-based bakeries made animal-free cakes like this?!!
- They’re so far behind the times. By the time they wake up to catch up, animal-free bakeries will already have replaced them.
Serves 12 or more
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
MAKE FIRST:
CHERRY CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
Made from Knudsen JUST DARK CHERRY JUICE, dark chocolate and dairy-free whipped topping. Added sweet and vanilla and that’s all it takes. Oh, a little shaved chocolate on top! Use as a dessert mousse or as a mousse filling for a layer cake!
Makes approx. 3-3/4 cups
2 c. Knudsen 100% JUST DARK CHERRY JUICE
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 T. vanilla extract
2 oz. unsweetened dark chocolate, shredded on mandolin or grated on large holes of hand grater
1/8 t. salt
additional 1/2 c. cherry juice placed in tight-lidded jar with 1/4 c. cornstarch and shaken till completely dissolved
1 c. Rich’s Whip Topping, completely thawed (if it’s freezer cold, wait a bit so it whips up easier)
1/4 t. cream of tartar
1 t. vanilla extract
1- In medium saucepan combine 2 cups juice, sugar, vanilla, chocolate and salt.
2- Bring to soft boil, over medium-low heat, to melt chocolate as the heat rises, stirring as needed. Don’t venture far from the stove.
3- When chocolate melts, add liquid cornstarch, stirring as you pour, till thickened.
4- Continue to cook on low heat 15 minutes, stirring as needed to prevent sticking.
5- Remove from heat. When warm instead of hot, whisk to incorporate till smooth, the thin skin on top of the pudding.
6- Place a piece of wax paper directly on the entire top of the pudding, pressing down with hand to assure contact with the top of the pudding. Refrigerate till cold.
7- When chocolate pudding is cold, remove wax paper and scrape pudding from paper into pudding.
8- Place whip topping and cream of tarter in deep bowl. Using hand electric beaters or whisk (which is slower) beat till cream forms soft peaks.
9- Add vanilla and continue to beat till very stiff peaks form (we want very thick).
10- Place whipped cream into cold pudding. Using large mixing spoon, fold under and over till all cream is distributed equally through the pudding.
11- Spoon into dessert cups, top with shaved/grated dark chocolate, refrigerate till set and cold. Serve.
12- Or use as a mousse filling for layer cakes, which we’re doing here. We’ll be adding a blended marinated strawberry
MAKE SECOND:
STRAWBERRY CHOCOLATE ALMOND MOUSSE FROSTING
Marinated fresh strawberries with zest and juice of orange, brown sugar and unsweetened dark chocolate plus smoked almond crumbles. Folded into dairy-free whipped topping! A perfect mousse with which to frost a layer cake!
Makes about 3-1/2 cups
1 lb. fresh. ripe strawberries, washed, hulled, thinly sliced from end to tip
1/3 c. light brown sugar
1/4 t. salt
2 t. vanilla extract
zest of 1/2 lg. orange plus 1/4 c. orange squeeze, drained
1 oz. dark unsweetened chocolate, shaved, shredded or grated
1/2 c. processed till crumbly and crumbs begin to clump up BLUE DIAMOND SMOKEHOUSE ALMONDS – process 6 oz. to achieve an even crumble, then store the rest in a covered container
1 t. guar gum powder
1/2 t. xanthan gum powder
1/4 t. malic acid
1/4 t. cream of tartar
2 c. RICH’S WHIP TOPPING – thawed completely, then whipped into small peaks adding 1 t. vanilla half way to peaks
1 t. additional vanilla
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1- Combine strawberries, sugar, salt, vanilla, orange zest and juice, chocolate and almond crumbles in a mixing bow. Stir well, then refrigerate and marinate till strawberries soften and liquid releases from strawberries – several hours or overnight is best.
2- When ready, remove from refrigerator and place in blender container.
3- Add guar gum, and xanthan gum powder.
4- Immediately blend till thickened. Let set about 15 minutes.
5- Then add malic acid and cream of tartar. Blend again and watch how thick it gets from the original blend.
6- Transfer to large mixing bowl.
7- Add 1-1/2 cups whipped topping, additional vanilla and granulated sugar to strawberry mix. Fold into strawberry mix till thoroughly and evenly dispersed.
8- Refrigerate in covered container several hours till cold and set.
MAKE THIRD:
LEMON PEAR FOUR LAYER CAKE
15.25 oz. can pears in heavy syrup including liquid from can
1 c. granulated sugar
2 T. walnut oil or other nut oil
1 T. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 T. vanilla extract (imitation)
1 t. malic acid
1/4 t. cream of tartar
1/2 t. xanthan gum powder
2-1/2 c. all purpose unbleached flour
1/4 c. fresh lemon squeeze, strained to remove seeds
1- Place pears including liquid from can in blender container and blend on high speed till all pears are pulverized and smooth.
2- Transfer to large mixing bowl.
3- Add sugar, oil, baking soda, salt, vanilla and malic acid. Stir well to completely dissolve.
4- Add cream of tartar and xanthan gum, stirring well to completely incorporate.
5- Add flour all at once, stirring well, at least 100 beats of the spoon, till mixed well.
6- Add lemon juice, working it into the batter till it disappears. the batter will be thick.
7- Grease with margarine the complete insides, up to the rims, of 2, 8 inch round cake tins.
8- Place 2 Tablespoons flour in each tin. Roll the flour around each tin by turning the tin on its side, patting the sides as you roll, till all inside surfaces are coated with flour. Over the sink turn each upside down and pat bottom and sides to shake off excess flour.
9- Spoon 1/2 batter in each tin. Using spatula spread out evenly. It’s a little springy, so after it’s evenly flat, let the tins set for about 15 minutes while the dough spreads itself through gravity.
10- Bake on middle rack in 350 degree preheated oven.
11- Insert toothpick in middle of each cake; when it comes out clean it’s done.
12- Remove to wire racks.
13- When cool enough to handle run a metal spatula between cakes and tins to loosen the cakes, being careful not to break them.
14- Place cooling rack over each tin, invert, tap bottom all the way around and gently lift off tin. If it sticks, tap some more, or go back and re-loosen the edges with the spatula.
15- Invert onto rack, then placing your palm on top of each cake, invert, remove rack, turn it over and replace the cake to cool at room temperature.
CAKE ASSEMBLY:
- Warning: Do not assemble cakes till they are no longer warm to touch, since we’re using whip topping, which would otherwise melt.
1- When cool, place each cake on board or counter. Using a finely serrated knife, gently and slowly cut the cake into equal halves, like you would an English muffin or bagel, to produce two equal rounds for each cake – a top and a bottom.
- Pick a serving plate that’s flat where the cake will be placed.
2- Place the bottom of one cake cut side up onto the plate. Take 1 cup of the CHERRY CHOCOLATE MOUSE and spread evenly about 1/2 inch from the rim all the way around (to keep the mousse from squishing out beyond the cake round when stacked.
3- Place the top rounded cake on top, cut side down. Spread evenly with 1/2 cup of the mousse, 1/2 inch from the rim.
4- Place the bottom of second cake, cut side up. Spread evenly with 1 cup of the mousse, 1/2 inch from the rim.
- You’ll have about 1 cup left to serve somebody a special mousse in a dessert cup – maybe that someone special is YOU.
5- Top with last cake round, cut side down. There will be no mousse on the top at this point.
APPLYING THE FINAL FROST:
1- Now, take the STRAWBERRY CHOCOLATE ALMOND MOUSSE and spoon mounds of it on top near the rim all the way around, leaving a good portion leftover for the top of the cake.
2- Using a flat metal spatula, smooth each mound over the rim and down to the bottom of the cake, then smoothing it sideways to paint the sides of the cake, so no cake is visible where you paint. Do this around the cake till all sides are thickly covered and smooth.
3- Now, take the remainder of the strawberry mousse and place it on top. Using spatula, smooth it over the top, meeting the edges and smoothing it with the sides, so it looks something like a snow ball with a flat bottom.
4- Sprinkle with chocolate gratings and place in refrigerator several hours to set the mousse.
5- When ready to serve, cut, place on dessert plates and enjoy rustic perfection!!
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