Yogurt mousse cake
Yogurt mousse cake has a crisp, buttery cookie crust and a smooth white mousse with the gentle tang of Greek yogurt. It is lighter than cheesecake, cool and refreshing under its blueberry topping, and perfect for hot days.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Rising or chilling
- 5 hr
- Total time
- 5 hr 40 min
- Method
- Chilled
Ingredients
Cookie crust
Yogurt mousse
Topping
Instructions
Step 1
Mix 150 g digestive biscuit crumbs with 65 g melted unsalted butter, tip it into a lined 20 cm springform pan and press it down very firmly with the bottom of a glass. The butter acts as the binder that lets the crust firm up once chilled. The crust is ready when a squeezed handful of the mixture clumps like wet sand and the surface is flat and even.
Step 2
Put the pan in the fridge for about fifteen minutes while you make the mousse. The butter sets and keeps the crust from crumbling when you pour the mousse over it. The crust is ready when it feels hard to the touch and no longer looks buttery and shiny.
Step 3
Sprinkle 10 g powdered gelatin over 50 g cold water, stir once gently and leave it for five minutes. This soaking step lets every grain of gelatin absorb enough water to dissolve evenly later. The gelatin is ready when it has swollen into a firm, translucent mass.
Step 4
Whisk 400 g Greek yogurt with 80 g granulated sugar, 15 g lemon juice and 4 g vanilla extract until the sugar dissolves. Room-temperature yogurt will not make the gelatin set into lumps when you combine them. The mixture is ready when it is smooth, slightly looser than before and no longer gritty with sugar.
Step 5
Microwave the bloomed gelatin for about ten seconds until melted, stir in a few spoonfuls of the yogurt, then pour this back into the bowl of yogurt. Thinning the gelatin first with a little yogurt brings the two closer in temperature, so no strings form. The mixture is ready when it is uniform with no strands of gelatin in sight.
Step 6
Whip 200 g cold whipping cream for about three minutes until it reaches medium peaks. Whipped cream makes the mousse light and airy instead of dense like set yogurt. It is ready when the peak stands up on the lifted whisk but its tip curls over slightly.
Step 7
Fold the whipped cream into the yogurt mixture in two additions, then pour it over the crust and tilt and swirl the pan so the top levels itself. Folding in two stages blends the cream in evenly without losing too much air. The mousse is ready when it is smooth, evenly white and the surface is as flat as a mirror.
Step 8
Cover the pan and refrigerate for about five hours or overnight. The gelatin needs several hours of chilling for the mousse to become firm enough to slice. The cake is ready when the surface does not wobble when you shake the pan gently and does not stick to your finger.
Step 9
Warm the ring of the pan gently with a warm towel, release the ring, then arrange 100 g fresh blueberries over the top of the cake. The warmth helps the sides of the mousse release from the pan while staying smooth. The cake is finished when the sides stand straight and the blueberries cover the top evenly.
Equipment
- Springform pan
- Hand mixer
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Kitchen scale
- Mixing bowl
- Microwave
- Refrigerator
Tips
- If you only have regular yogurt, strain it through cheesecloth in the fridge for about three hours so it drains and thickens like Greek yogurt.
- You can replace the blueberries with mango, strawberries or a layer of fruit jam for a change.
- A little grated lemon zest in the mousse makes it brighter and more refreshing without adding more lemon juice.
Storage
The cake keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for three days. The crust softens over time, so if you make it ahead, add the blueberries just before serving.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The mousse has rubbery strands running through it.
- The hot gelatin hit cold yogurt and set instantly. Bring the yogurt to room temperature and mix the gelatin with a little yogurt before adding it.
- The crust crumbles when sliced.
- The crust mixture needed more butter or was not pressed firmly enough. Press it down hard with the bottom of a glass and give it enough time to chill.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
