Blackcurrant Mousse Cake

A smooth and creamy blackcurrant mousse cake with biscuit base that guarantees adoration from whomever you serve it to!

Blackcurrants have a lot of natural pectin in them, which makes them ideal for recipes like mousse as you don't need an enormous amount of gelatin and it stays nice and light and airy.

To make this blackcurrant mousse cake there are four stages. We need to make a sabayon with egg yolks, sugar and water which might seem daunting but it's easy once you know how. The egg yolks, sugar and water are whisked together in a bowl over a saucepan of steaming hot water to slowly cook the eggs over indirect heat without scrambling them. This is then combined with the blackcurrant coulis and gelatine, and chilled briefly to begin setting. We lightly whip some cream and make meringue out of egg whites and sugar, and fold those elements into the bowl before pouring over a biscuit base. This sets overnight, and then finally we top the blackcurrant mousse cake with a thin layer of blackcurrant jelly.

I love blackcurrant desserts as they work for all seasons. Whilst they are ripe and in season in summertime, the rich and tart flavour lends itself well to winter too.

This blackcurrant mousse cake is a wonderful dinner party dessert as it's full of flavour but not too heavy. I prefer a mousse cake to a cheesecake, it's a more refreshing end to a meal and it also allows you to show off your cooking prowess!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Plating suggestions
• Wine pairing
• Substitutions and Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top tip
• Recipe Card
• Food safety

Ingredients

A note for readers from the USA! I am British so a) when I say biscuit it means cookie and b) I use digestive biscuits as the base for this dish along with the shortbread biscuits/cookies. But anyone in the USA will not be able to find digestive biscuits, so use Graham crackers or Belvita soft bakes instead.

• Blackcurrants
• White granulated sugar
• Large eggs
• Double cream / heavy cream
• Leaf gelatine
• Powdered gelatin
• Icing sugar / confectioners sugar
• Water
• Digestive biscuits / Graham crackers / Belvita soft bakes
• Shortbread biscuits
• Lemon zest
• Butter

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Measure out your ingredients and equipment.

Make your blackcurrant coulis by blending the blackcurrants in a food processor and then sieving to remove the seeds. Don't skip this step, they have SO many seeds that will make this mousse unpleasant for your teeth if you leave them in.

Put the leaf gelatin into some water to allow it to soften.

Separate your egg whites and egg yolks into separate mixing bowls. Take care not to get any yolk in your egg whites. Use your largest bowl for the egg yolks as all the components will eventually be added into this one.

Put the bowl of egg whites to one side.

Now make your sabayon from your egg yolks in the large mixing bowl.

Heat a saucepan of water that the bowl can sit on top of without the water touching the bottom of the bowl. Bring it to a boil and then turn the heat down to low so it's steaming and barely simmering.

Add half of the sugar and the water to the egg yolks and whisk together. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan of steaming hot water and continue to whisk vigorously for five minutes.

The sabayon will turn a pale creamy colour and then begin to thicken as it cooks. You will know it is ready when it is thick and gloopy and is also quite hot to touch.

Take the bowl off of the saucepan and whisk in the gelatin. Squeeze it in your hand first to wring out any excess water.

Once it is all incorporated and dissolved, whisk in your blackcurrant coulis. This is now the base of your blackcurrant mousse.

Place this bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes and make your other blackcurrant mousse components.

To make the biscuit base, melt the butter in a saucepan and put the biscuits/cookies in a bowl. Crush them to a crumb with the end of a rolling pin, add the grated lemon zest and then pour over the melted butter. Stir through to coat all the crumbs in butter.

Pour the buttery biscuits into the cake tin and spread evenly across the base. Press them down to compress and form a solid layer. Set to one side in a cool place.

Lightly whip your cream, but don't let it get too stiff or it will be hard to incorporate into your mousse mixture.

Whisk your egg whites until they are white and frothy and form soft peaks, then slowly add the rest of the sugar. Once it has gone opaque and has a glossy sheen, it is ready.

Gently fold your whipped cream into the blackcurrant mousse mixture, we want to take care at this stage to not knock any air out and keep it as light as possible.

Now add the meringue in three stages, again gently folding it in to maintain the light and airy texture. Don't overwork it, but make sure it's all incorporated.

Pour the mousse mixture on top of the biscuit base and leave to set for 4-6 hours or overnight. Do not worry too much about it not being completely smooth, it will settle in the fridge plus we are covering the top with the blackcurrant jelly layer!

Finally using the last of your coulis, make the blackcurrant jelly layer for the top.

Put a half teaspoon of powdered gelatin into two tablespoons of warm water and stir it until it has dissolved.

Add the gelatin mix and a heaped teaspoon of sieved icing/powdered sugar to the coulis and stir to combine.

Pour over the top of the blackcurrant mousse cake and allow it to set for a few hours more.

Turn your blackcurrant mousse cake out of its cake tin carefully, slice up and serve!

Hint: Use a hot knife to cut this blackcurrant mousse cake and create perfect clean lines. Pour some boiling water over the knife blade (be careful!), wipe the water off and use immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Plating suggestions

The rich and vibrant purple colour of the blackcurrant will look best on a white plain coloured plate. To add a bit more colour and interest you could add a sprig of mint.

Wine pairing

I'd serve a light French dessert wine like a Monbazillac. We want the flavour of the blackcurrant to sing so something lightly sweet with some character that won't overpower it is ideal.

Substitutions and Variations

Here are a few ways you can change up this blackcurrant mousse cake to suit you.

• Dairy free - Use a thick oat cream instead to make this dairy free
• Other fruits - Try this blackcurrant mousse cake recipe with other fruits like raspberry

Equipment

You will need

• 3 mixing bowls
• Whisks, spatulas and spoons
• 1 saucepan
• Electric whisk or stand mixer
• Cake tin measuring 23cm or 9 inches, ideally springform with a loose bottom.

Storage

Store the blackcurrant mousse cake in the fridge until ready to eat. It will keep for 3-4 days.

This recipe does not freeze well.

Top tip

I like to measure out all my ingredients and then lay them out in order in separate bowls or Tupperware. Keep the cream and meringue ingredients separate until you need them to save confusion!

Also, use a potato masher to compress the biscuit base into the tin, it works wonders!

Recipe Card

Food safety

If you are using eggs from chickens who have been vaccinated against salmonella then it is safe for pregnant women to eat this mousse cake. If you aren't sure, best to play it safe and avoid it.