Lemon and Chocolate Mousse Layered Shortcake

Layered cakes take a lot of planning and preparation. But sometimes, not knowing what you are doing can result in a good surprise!

I originally intended to do a boring simple sponge cake with one layer of whipped cream and strawberries, and then maybe do a coat of whipped cream on the outside.

Well, turned out..

First layer of cake.
Lemon mousse.
Second layer of cake.
Chocolate mousse with cocoa puffs.
Last layer of cake.
All coated with a thin layer of lemon mousse.

this happened.



Being the resourceful me and seeing the bagful of fresh lemons my uncle gave me, I decided to change my direction a bit and do a lemon cake instead. Since my mom loves the lighter chiffon cakes, and this is HER birthday cake after all.. I shall do a lemon chiffon!

Then, my thought process was as follow:
lemon curd!! --> yum --> lemon mousse! --> even yummier! --> lemon goes with chocolate --> chocolate mousse --> oh, and we got cocoa puffs --> why not throw a couple in there for the crunch --> lemon mousse and lemon chiffon --> mm, maybe a regular sponge will do!

Haha.. I totally went adventurous on this cake. (My chocolate mousse was actually made from the espresso ganache I had from the macarons. I just whipped up some heavy whipping cream and mixed the two together. I like the mousse a lot actually!! : D)

I was right on the lemon and chocolate pairing but wrong for thinking that the cocoa puff would still be crunchy after mixing it with the mousse. Overall, I think it lives up to my expectation. I just wish the cake layers were thicker. Next time, I shall double the cake base recipe and make a taller cake.




Japanese Shortcake (sponge cake)
recipe from La Fuji Mama
- makes one 7" or 8" layered cake

4 large eggs, white and yolks separated
4.2 ounces (120 grams, 9.5 tablespoons) granulated sugar, sifted once
3 tablespoons milk, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4.2 ounces (120 grams, 14 tablespoons) cake flour, sifted 3 times
1.2 ounces (22 grams, 2.3 tablespoons) butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (170 to 180 degrees Celsius). Line a 7 (18cm) or 8-inch circular cake pan with parchment paper, or grease the cake pan with butter, then lightly coat the pan with flour.
2. Add the sugar to the egg whites, and beat the egg whites until they are stiff and glossy.
3. Add the egg yolks to the egg white mixture, and gently whisk until the yolks are incorporated.
4. Add the milk, vanilla extract, and flour (in that order) to the batter and gently fold them into the batter with a spatula. Fold in the melted butter until it is well combined.
5. Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan, and get rid of any air bubbles in the batter by dropping the pan on a counter once or twice. Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes. The cake is done when it is golden brown and springs back when pressed lightly. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack. Run a blade around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake, and remove.

(Lemon Mousse recipe will be updated later)


Lemon mousse taste: 3 stars out of 5 (refreshing and spring- like, slightly overpowering)
Chocolate mousse taste: 4.5 stars out of 5 (delicious!!)
Mousse texture: 4 stars out of 5 (as good as I can make it)
Cake taste: 4 stars out of 5 (firm enough to use for layered cakes)
Cake texture: 4 stars out of 5 (my layers were pretty thin.. I think it was on the fluffier side)