Vanilla Mousse Cake Bunnies with Strawberry Gelée Filling
These vanilla mousse cake bunnies are perfect to serve alongside tea or for any Spring party! They are very lightly sweet and delicate. You can choose to serve them as is, or spray them with a chocolate velvet spray to create a fun effect on the surface.
Ingredients
Strawberry Gelée (Make 1 day before the mousse)
- 3 Silver Grade Gelatin Sheets *linked above are the ones I used
- 250 g Strawberries *fresh or frozen work fine
- 20 g lemon juice *fresh squeezed
- 20 g sugar
Madeleine Biscuit Base
- 1 large egg
- 50 g sugar
- 50 g butter melted and cooled
- 1 pinch salt
- 55 g flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
Vanilla Mousse
- 5 Silver Grade Gelatin Sheets *linked above are the ones I used
- 115 mL whole milk
- 30 g heavy cream (for saucepan)
- 1 vanilla bean pod *or sub with 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large egg yolks
- 35 g sugar
- 150 g heavy cream (for whipping - not for the saucepan)
White Chocolate Velvet Spray (Optional - you can also just buy this in a can)
- 120 g good quality white chocolate *I use ghirardelli white chocolate chips
- 80 g good quality white cocoa butter
Instructions
Make Strawberry Gelée (Make 1 day before the mousse)
- Select molds for your gelee that are smaller than your bunny molds, as this will be your filling - the heart molds I use are linked above. Set your molds on a metal tray, and prepare space in your freezer for your tray.
- Set to 3 gelatin sheets to soak in cold water until soft, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, process the strawberries and lemon juice in a food processor till pureed.
- Add the puree to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium low heat.
- Add the sugar, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Then cook 1 more minute, and remove from heat.
- Lightly strain gelatin sheets from the water, then add to the hot strawberry puree, and stir till melted.
- Pour the puree into your molds through a fine mesh sieve. Cover your molds with plastic wrap, and freeze until solid.
Madeleine Biscuit Base (Make same day as your mousse)
- Prepare a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 350 deg F (180 deg C).
- Beat eggs and sugar until doubled, white, and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
- Sift in the dry ingredients, whisk in gently to preserve the air that you whipped into the egg.
- Take about 1/4 cup of the batter into a separate bowl, and mix in the butter. Then add this back to your batter along with vanilla extract and fold in gently.
- Spread your batter with your spatula thinly over the parchment lined baking sheet. This will be the thin cake base layer for your bunnies. The batter may look too thinly spread to come together in some areas, but don't fear, it will melt and join during baking.
- Bake 12-15 minutes, then remove from the oven and slide the parchment off the baking sheet onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare a stencil of the bottom of your bunny mold by cutting a piece of cardstock to match its shape. Use this stencil to cut 12 bunny bases out of your madeleine biscuit.
Vanilla Mousse Bunnies
- Set your bunny molds on a metal baking pan, and create space in your freezer for your tray.
- Prepare a piping bag (a gallon ziploc will substitute fine here).
- Set your gelatin sheets to soak in cold water while you do the next steps.
- To a small saucepan, add milk and 30g cream. Slit open the vanilla bean, and scrape the seeds into the saucepan, adding the bean as well. Bring to a simmer over medium low heat.
- Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof mixing bowl till pale and thick.
- As soon as your milk simmers along the edges of the pan, begin to gradually add to your egg and sugar mixture, whisking constantly so you don't cook the eggs. When all of your milk is added and the mixture is smooth, add it back to your saucepan.
- Cook this over medium low heat, stirring constantly to prevent clumping, until it reads 82-85 deg C (185 deg F). Remove the saucepan from heat.
- Lightly strain your gelatin sheets and add them to the hot cream, mixing until combined. Set this aside to cool while you move on.
- With a whisk attachment in your mixer, whip the remaining 150g cream until thick, but not forming peaks, still a bit runny.
- When your creme anglaise has cooled to 40 deg C (102 deg F), gently fold it into your whipped cream. Add this to your piping bag.
- From here, you will need to work somewhat quickly before the gelatin in your mousse sets. Pipe your mousse halfway up your bunny molds. Use the back of a spoon to spread the mousse up the sides of your molds - this will prevent creasing. Now, add your frozen strawberry gelees to your molds.
- Pipe the vanilla mousse into your bunny molds (you will have some extra), to not quite fill the molds (you need a bit of space for your biscuit).
- Lightly press the prepared biscuit bases into the top of the molds.
- Cover your molds with aluminum foil, and set your tray in your freezer overnight (a full 24 hours is best).
*Optional* White Chocolate Velvet Spray
- Prepare your spray gun by filling the basin with warm water to preheat.
- In the meantime, combine your cocoa butter and chocolate, and heat in the microwave in 15 second intervals until it reaches 50 deg C (122 deg F). Drain your spray gun basin of water, and add the melted chocolate and cocoa butter mixture to your sprayer's basin through a fine mesh sieve.
- Working one bunny at a time, as your bunnies must be fully frozen when sprayed, spray with a thin layer of the chocolate velvet spray. Set back in a container in the freezer.
- When the bunnies have set (a few minutes), they are ready for painting. This can be done easily by combining a bit of gel food coloring with water and brushing on. I find black sesame seeds work best for the bunny eyes, as black food coloring will not keep well (it will spread over hours).
Serve your bunnies
- When ready to eat, let the bunnies thaw at least an hour. They will become very delicate - so put them in their final spot before thawing. Enjoy!