There’s something incredibly charming about old-fashioned European-style cakes — delicate layers, pastel colors, glossy fruit toppings, and that soft, romantic feel that just takes you back. This Retro Strawberry Mousse Cake is exactly that kind of dessert. It’s elegant yet simple, and absolutely perfect for spring, summer, or whenever you’re craving something fruity and refreshing.

What makes this cake truly special is its structure:

A thin, tender sponge cake at the bottom
A fluffy strawberry mousse layer that’s light and airy
Fresh strawberry slices sitting on top
And finally, a shiny red jelly glaze that locks in the fruit and gives that beautiful glossy finish

Each bite is creamy, fruity, slightly tangy and just melts in your mouth.

The bottom cake layer is just enough to give structure and a bit of bite — but it’s thin so it doesn’t overpower the mousse. The mousse itself is smooth, creamy, and lightly sweet with real strawberry purée folded in. The fresh strawberry slices add a juicy bite. And the red jelly on top brings everything together with a glossy shine that makes the cake look like jewellery!

Tips for Success

Use ripe, sweet strawberries for the best flavor. The mousse depends on it.
Let the mousse set completely in the fridge before adding the strawberries and jelly, so the layers stay clean and neat.
Slice the strawberries evenly so they look beautiful through the jelly layer.
If you want a more intense pink colour, you can add a drop of natural red or pink food colouring to the mousse.

Print Pin

Retro Strawberry Mousse Cake

Course Dessert

Cuisine Czech

Keyword jelly cake, mousse cake, mousse cake recipe, retro cake, strawberry cake

Prep Time 35

Cook Time 10

Resting 2

Total Time 2 45

Servings 12

Equipment

20cm cake tin

Ingredients

Base

2 eggs
3 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp plain flour
Butter and flour for the tin

Strawberry mouse

300 g strawberries
6 gelatine sheets
100 g white sugar
300 g double cream

Jelly layer

500 g strawberries
1 sachet quick red jel (red cake jelly)

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 160ºC. Grease 20cm cake tin with butter, add in some self-raising flour and shake around until the whole tin is covered with flour.
Separate the egg whites and yolks, whip the egg whites on low speed and once the egg whites start to turn white add tablespoon of sugar and whip until soft peaks. Mix egg yolks, two tablespoon of sugar and whip until fluffy and pale in colour, add tablespoon of flour followed by table spoon of whipped egg whites and gently mix. Follow by adding another tablespoon of flour and tablespoon of whipped egg whites. Once incorporated, add everything into the rest of the egg whites. Fold the mixture in gently so you won’t loose the air form the egg whites. Transfer the batter into the cake tin and bake for about 10-12 minutes, until the sponge is golden brown and starts separating form the sides of the tin. Let it cool completely. The sponge will be low and look dense, do not worry, that's normal.
To prepare your strawberry mousse, add your gelatine sheets into cold water and let them sit for about 15 mins. In the meantime, add your strawberries into a blend and blend until you have smooth puree, add them to pot with sugar and heat gently to about 65ºC, as soon as the sugar melted, take it off heat. Squeeze all the water out of the gelatine and add it into the warm strawberry puree. Stir well to make sure the gelatine has dissolved and incorporated into the mix properly. Let it cool to room temperature – it cannot be hot but stay liquid. Whip the cream half way, do not whip it too stiff or it will not combine with your puree well. The cream should be fluffy but still runny, not too stiff. Once you have the right consistency, incorporate the strawberry puree and mix gently into the cream.
Take your cake tin and fill the sides with grease/baking paper. Your sponge goes in first, followed by strawberry mousse. Spread the mousse on the sponge evenly and let it rest in the fridge.
Cut the remaining strawberries into slices and spread them on the top of the strawberry mousse. Once that is ready, prepare your quick jel according to the packet instructions and pour over the the top of the cake. Make sure the jelly is not too hot or your mousse will melt. Place your cake into fridge until the jelly on the top is set and enjoy.