Strawberry‑Chocolate Layer Cake with Old‑Fashioned Chocolate Mousse

Strawberry‑Chocolate Layer Cake with Old‑Fashioned Chocolate Mousse is a medium French recipe that serves 12. 350 calories per serving. Recipe by Il était une fois la pâtisserie on YouTube.

Prep: 1 hr 10 min | Cook: 30 min | Total: 1 hr 55 min

Cost: $9.72 total, $0.81 per serving

Ingredients

  • 4 pcs Eggs (large, at room temperature)
  • 120 g Granulated sugar (fine)
  • 100 g All‑purpose flour (sift before use)
  • 30 g Unsweetened cocoa powder (high quality)
  • 1 cuillère à café Baking powder (about 5 g)
  • 1 pincée Salt (fine salt)
  • 200 ml Very cold whole milk cream (minimum 30 % fat)
  • 1 bombe Cooking spray (or butter + parchment paper) (to grease the pan)
  • 300 g Fresh strawberries (washed, hulled, cut into small pieces)
  • 300 g Marie Maïna Old‑Fashioned Chocolate Mousse (300 g jar, at room temperature before use)
  • 100 ml Water (for the syrup)
  • 50 g Sugar (for the syrup) (simple syrup 1:2)

Instructions

  1. Prepare equipment and ingredients

    Gather all utensils, measure the ingredients and preheat the oven to 180°C.

    Time: PT3M

    Temperature: 180°C

  2. Whisk eggs and sugar

    In the bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar on high speed until the mixture triples in volume and becomes pale.

    Time: PT8M

  3. Incorporate dry ingredients

    Sift the flour, unsweetened cocoa, baking powder and salt directly onto the egg‑sugar mixture. Gently fold with the spatula, lifting the batter from the bottom of the bowl.

    Time: PT5M

  4. Whisk the cold cream

    Pour the very cold whole milk cream into a clean bowl and whisk on low speed until a thick consistency (soft peaks) is reached.

    Time: PT5M

  5. Fold in the whipped cream

    Add the whipped cream to the batter in three additions, folding gently with the spatula so as not to deflate the volume.

    Time: PT4M

  6. Pour batter into the pan

    Grease the 18 cm pan with the spray or butter and line it with parchment paper. Pour the batter and smooth the surface.

    Time: PT2M

  7. Bake the cake

    Place the pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes at 180°C. Check doneness with a knife tip that should come out dry.

    Time: PT30M

    Temperature: 180°C

  8. Unmold and cool upside‑down

    When the cake is out of the oven, turn the pan onto a rack, unmold the cake which releases thanks to the spray, then let it cool upside‑down to flatten the dome.

    Time: PT8M

  9. Remove the dome and cut the layers

    Once the cake is completely cool, cut off the domed top with a knife. Use a cake leveler to obtain three discs of equal thickness.

    Time: PT5M

  10. Prepare the syrup

    Bring 100 ml water to a boil with 50 g sugar for 2 minutes, then let it cool.

    Time: PT4M

    Temperature: 100°C

  11. Cut the strawberries

    Wash, hull and dice the strawberries into small cubes. Reserve some for decoration.

    Time: PT4M

  12. Soak the cake layers

    Brush each disc with the syrup using a pastry brush, ensuring they are well moistened but not soggy.

    Time: PT3M

  13. First assembly – mousse and strawberries

    Spread about 1 cm of chocolate mousse on the first disc, then arrange a layer of diced strawberries.

    Time: PT4M

  14. Second assembly – mousse and strawberries

    Place the second disc, soak it, then spread a new layer of mousse and add strawberries.

    Time: PT4M

  15. Third disc and final coating

    Place the last disc, soak it generously, then completely cover the cake with a thick layer of chocolate mousse.

    Time: PT5M

  16. Chill and decorate

    Put the cake in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Then, using a piping bag fitted with a star tip, pipe mousse around the cake and decorate with the remaining strawberries.

    Time: PT6M

Nutrition Facts

Calories
350
Protein
5 g
Carbohydrates
40 g
Fat
18 g
Fiber
2 g

Dietary info: vegetarian, low-calorie

Allergens: eggs, milk (cream, mousse), gluten (flour), cocoa

Last updated: April 7, 2026

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Strawberry‑Chocolate Layer Cake with Old‑Fashioned Chocolate Mousse

Recipe by Il était une fois la pâtisserie

A light and fluffy birthday cake based on "Molly cake" without butter, topped with Marie Maïna's old‑fashioned chocolate mousse and fresh strawberries. Easy to make, it takes less than two hours and is best served chilled.

MediumFrenchServes 12

Shop all ingredients on Amazon in one click • Printable PDF with shopping checklist

Source Video
1h 6m
Prep
34m
Cook
12m
Cleanup
1h 52m
Total

Cost Breakdown

$9.72
Total cost
$0.81
Per serving

Critical Success Points

  • Whisk the eggs and sugar until the volume triples
  • Sift and fold in the dry ingredients without weighing down the batter
  • Whip the very cold whole milk cream to soft peaks
  • Fold the whipped cream delicately
  • Bake at 180°C for 30 min without opening the oven
  • Unmold upside‑down to flatten the dome
  • Soak the layers evenly with the syrup
  • Spread the mousse in an even layer at each level

Safety Warnings

  • Handle hot oven – wear kitchen gloves.
  • Boil the syrup – avoid splatters.
  • Whipped cream can splatter – whisk on low speed.
  • Use a sharp knife to cut the cake.

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