Strawberry Rhubarb Mousse Cake with Caramel

I’ve had a stock of frozen rhubarbs lying in my freezer for a while now and finally got inspiration for what I’m going to use them for. In addition to a portion of strawberry-rhubarb marmelade, this cake was the result. With fresh strawberries, caramel and some liqueur eggs for decoration, the mousse cake looks good on any table with its fresh red colours. I have played with silicone mould for the look of the cake, but have included a variation, in case you don’t have a stock of silicone moulds in your kitchen.

If you can’t find rhubarb, you can replace them entirely with more strawberries.

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB MOUSSE CAKE WITH CARAMEL
10-12 SERVINGS

BASE:
75 G OREOS
35 G BUTTER

Blend oreos to crumbs.

Melt butter and mix it with the crumbs.

Place a piece of baking paper on a cutting board and place a 18 cm cake ring on top (if you don’t have a baking ring you can use the ring from a spring mould without a bottom).

Spread the crumbs into it and press them out into the sides, so you get a fine thin bottom.

Put the mould in the freezer until the bottom has set.

GANACHE CORE:
1ST LAYER:
25 G WHITE CHOCOLATE
25 G DOUBLE CREAM
10 G SUGAR

Chop the chocolate and put it in a bowl.

Melt sugar over low heat in a saucepan until you have a golden caramel.

Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the cream.

Pour the caramel over the white chocolate and mix it together.

Spread the ganache in a round silicone mould with a flat bottom, 11 cm in diameter. (If you don’t have a silicone mould, place a 10 cm cake on a cutting board with baking paper, wrap the baking paper around the bottom edge of the ring.)

Put the mould in the freezer until the caramel has set.

2ND LAYER:
50 G WHITE CHOCOLATE
50 G DOUBLE CREAM

Chop the chocolate and put it in a bowl.

Heat the cream to the boiling point and pour it over the chocolate.

Let it sit for a few seconds and then mix it together into a shiny ganache.

Pour the ganache over the st layer 1 in the same silicone form to get two layers of ganache.

Put the mould in the freezer again, this time with cling film covering the ganache, until the cake is to be assembled.

MOUSSE:
100 g STRAWBERRIES
200 G RHUBARB
100 G SUGAR
300 G DOUBLE CREAM
4 SHEETS OF GELATIN LEAVES
JUICE OF  ½ LEMON
SEEDS OF 1 VANILLA POD
30 G ICING SUGAR

Cook a compote of rhubarb, strawberry and sugar for 5-10 minutes until the fruit is soft and tender. (If you only are using frozen berries, pour out about half of the juice, otherwise the mousse becomes too soft)

Blend the compote and set it aside.

Soak the gelatin in cold water for a minimum of 10 minutes.

Heat the lemon juice to the boiling point.

Squeeze the water out of the gelatin and melt it in the lemon juice.

Add the gelatin in a thin stream to the warm compote, while stirring constantly. Allow it to come to room temperature before proceeding.

Cut the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape the seeds out with a knife.

Whip icing sugar, vanilla and cream to whipped cream.

Gently fold the whipped cream into with the cooled compote without knocking too much air out.

ASSEMBLY:

IF YOU DON’T HAVE A LARGE SILICONE MOULD WITH A PATTERN, USE THE SAME SPRING MOULD, WHICH WAS USED TO MAKE THE BASE:

Take the base of the freezer.

Remove the ganache disc from the silicone mold and place it at the center of the bottom.

Cover the sides of the spring mould with a plastic cake collar.

Spread the mousse over the base and ganache, so the ganache is completely enveloped.

Smooth the top of the mousse and place the cake in the fridge until it has completely set. Preferably overnight.

IF YOU DO HAVE A SILICONE FORM, 18 CM IN DIAMETER, USE IT AND GET THE FINEST PATTERN ON TOP OF THE MOUSSE:

In reverse order: first you pour the mousse into the mould and tap it lightly against the table, so any air holes are removed.

Gently push the ganache disc into the mousse so that the two are aligned and level. Cover with cling film to protect the mousse.

Place the mousse in the freezer until it is completely frozen.

Remove the mousse from the freezer, push it gently out of the mold and place it on the oreo base.

Let the cake thaw in the fridge on the dish you want to serve it on.

DECORATION:
FRESH STRAWBERRIES
LIQUEUR EGGS
2 TSP MARMELADE MIXED WITH A BIT OF WATER AND WARMED
3 TBSP. SALTET CARAMEL

Wash strawberries  and cut then in half and quarters.

Brush the strawberry pieces with the marmalade mixture, it seals the berries and they do not dry out so easily.

Decorate the cake with strawberries, salted caramel and liqueur eggs, just before serving.

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