Easy Homemade Creamy Raspberry Mousse
I grew up in New Jersey in the eighties. A good bakery was never farther than a stone’s throw away. Okay, sometimes we had to drive twenty minutes to get the cake that we wanted, but we had so many options. One of my very favorite cakes with a delicate White Almond Cake with Raspberry Mousse Filling and White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. Oh . . . just writing about it makes me hungry.
Recently, I set out to recreate the cake minus the almond, of course. And spoiler alert, the cake recipe isn’t there yet. If you read my recipes often you know I’m not afraid to start with a box mix. But the cake needed to be special. So the recipe testing continues. (Being a recipe creator is tough, ha, ha).
But this raspberry mousse is divine. And, a beautiful dessert in its own right. So today I present to you . . . raspberry mousse.
Why You’ll Love It:
This raspberry mousse is light, fluffy, creamy, and bursting with fresh raspberry flavor. It makes the perfect light dessert after a heavy meal. Or lunch. You do you.
It starts with fresh (or frozen) raspberries, so the taste is fresh and natural. And it’s easy to make. The most tedious part is straining your raspberry puree because the seeds get stuck in the strainer. I wish I had a good shortcut for you, but I don’t. I use a wooden spoon to help push the puree through the strainer. But I also stop and rinse it frequently. Some people skip this step altogether, which is fine if you like seeds in your mousse. (And who likes that?)
For me, straining the puree is not optional. A nice smooth raspberry sauce is what makes the mouse so creamy. But it’s not hard. Just a bit tedious.
Also, this raspberry mousse recipe uses gelatin to set the mousse. You’ll see lots of recipes that make mousse without gelatin. And that works if you plan to eat the mousse right away. But it doesn’t firm up as nicely, and so it doesn’t last as long. If I’m using mousse to fill a cake, I definitely use a gelatin-based mousse. And since it’s so easy to do, it’s usually what I pick.
Don’t be afraid of the gelatin. It’s very easy to use. I prefer the Knox brand. And if you’ve ever made jello, you can do it.
If you need a vegetarian/vegan option you can try pectin or agar-agar, but I have not made this recipe with them. So if you try it, please let me know how it goes.
How to make Raspberry Mousse:
Add 1/4 cup cold water to a small saucepan. Mix in 2 teaspoons of gelatin and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, boil 1/2 cup of water. After f5 minutes, stir the boiling water into the cold water.
Then stir in 1/4-1/3 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 1 1/4 cups of fresh or frozen raspberries. Use less sugar if your raspberries are sweet and in season. Increase the amount slightly if the raspberries are frozen or not quite as sweet.
Bring the mixture to boil over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat and allow to bubble lightly for about 5 minutes until thickened..
Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender food processor and blend until smooth. Remember, the mixture is going to be hot, so be sure to vent the lid and don’t overfill your appliance.
Then use a rubber scraper to push the warm puree through a strainer to remove the seeds.
Allow the puree to cool for about 10 minutes.
Pour 2 cups heavy whipping cream into a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. I prefer to use my stand mixer for this.
Carefully fold in the raspberry puree and allow the raspberry mousse to cool in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Enjoy!
You can use this raspberry mousse to fill a cake. It’s delicious with both white and chocolate flavors. It’s also a beautiful complement to lemon. It’s also a great cupcake filling. Or even frosting.
This mousse is also delicious on it’s own. Spoon it into some fancy dishes, top with raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries. Want to make it even more special? Place it in a piping bag and pipe into dessert bowl.
Try adding a dollop pf whipped cream or a drizzle of dark chocolate. Even a handful of mini chocolate chips would be a delightful addition to this raspberry mousse. These are my favorite allergy-friendly chips.
And this lovely pink color is perfect for a light and easy Valentine’s Day dessert.
Let me know how you enjoy this raspberry mousse.
Off we go!
P.S. These sugar cookie bars would also make a fabulous Valentine’s Day treat. Just add a drop of pink food coloring to the frosting and swap the sprinkles for a Valentine mix.
Creamy Raspberry Mousse
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Stove
- Blender or food processor
- Strainer
- Stand mixer with whisk attachment or hand mixer and large bowl
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 2 tsp gelatin
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4-1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Add cold water to a small saucepan.
- Mix in gelatin and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- Stir in boiling water, sugar, lemon juice, and raspberries.
- Bring to boil on medium heat.
- Turn down the heat to low and boil for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
- Place mixture in a blender food processor and blend until smooth. Then use a rubber scraper to push the warm puree through a strainer.
- Allow to cool 10 minutes.
- Pour the whipping cream into a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Fold in the raspberry puree and allow to cool in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Notes
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
