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This is Neopolitan Ice Cream Mousse Cake is the summer dessert you’ve been waiting for. It has layers of strawberry sponge cake, chocolate mousse, strawberry mousse and vanilla mousse, and is topped with chocolate ganache and chocolate covered strawberries. The most mind-blowing part, though, is that the mousses are made with just 2 ingredients: ice cream and gelatin. That’s it – no whipping, no fuss, and hardly any effort! The cake tastes like ice cream, and is super creamy and light in texture, unlike the hard and very difficult to eat ice cream cakes we’ve all grown up eating.
This cake is also really easy to customize. You can do just one or two layers of the ice cream mousse instead of all three, use different ice cream flavors to make different mousse flavors (just make sure you use ice cream, not sorbet), or swap the strawberry sponge cake with any other cake you like.
Also, if layered mousse cakes are your jam, you might also want to check out my Mocha Mousse Cake made with layers of dark chocolate mousse and white chocolate mocha mousse.
Making Mousse With Ice Cream
Turning ice cream into mousse is probably one of my favorite hacks for yummy no-bake desserts. Ice cream already has a lot of the ingredients used to make mousse, including eggs, milk, cream, and sugar, making it the perfect base for mousse. All you have to do is mix it with bloomed gelatin, and let it chill in the fridge until it sets. The gelatin helps the ice cream reach a mousse-like set texture instead of melting, while still retaining its delicious flavor and light and creamy texture.
Using Acetate To Make Layered Mousse Cakes
Because mousse is very soft and delicate, it can be hard to demold from a regular cake pan without messing up. That’s why, for cakes with thick layers of mousse like this one, it is best to use an acetate collar like this one for assembly. The collar holds the mousse in place, allows creating even layers, and can be easily removed once the mousse has set.
To use an acetate collar properly, once the cake has baked and cooled down, place it on a serving stand. Then cut a strip of acetate to size and wrap it around the cake and hold it in place with tape. The acetate should be tight enough that there isn’t any gap around the cake, but also not so tight that it is squeezing the cake out of shape. You can make sure the acetate collar is straight by flipping it and putting it around the cake – it should have the same fit on both sides! Add the mousse layers one by one, letting each layer set in the fridge before adding the next one. Then chill the cake overnight until it is fully set. When ready to serve, carefully cut the tape and slowly roll off the acetate collar. Then the cake is ready to serve, as it is already on the serving stand!
Step By Step Photos
Let’s quickly go over the steps with photos to help you visualize this recipe:
1. Make the strawberry sponge cake
Add the eggs, sugar and vanilla to a bowl.
Whisk on high speed for 3-4 minutes until the mixture has tripled in volume.
Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt.
Fold very gently with a spatula until the dry ingredients are almost combined.
Crush freeze dried strawberries in a food processor, and add to the batter.
Fold very gently with a spatula until just combined.
Pour the batter into a baking pan.
Bake until the cake is cooked through – then let it cool down.
2. Prepare the ice cream mousses
First, prep the gelatin in 3 bowls. Mix gelatin with cold water and refrigerate until it firms up. Then heat in the microwave and stir until the gelatin is dissolved.
Pour the melted ice cream into 3 bowls. Add the dissolved gelatin into each bowl, and gently mix it in.
3. Assemble the cake
Wrap the cake in acetate on a cake stand.
Pour over the chocolate mousse layer, then place in the fridge until set.
Gently spoon over the strawberry mousse layer and let it set.
Lastly, spoon over the vanilla mousse layer. Place the cake in the fridge overnight.
Once the cake has set, carefully remove the acetate collar and decorate with ganache and strawberries.
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Ingredients
Strawberry sponge cake:
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (65g)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour (65g)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup crushed freeze dried strawberries (25g)
Chocolate ice cream mousse layer:
- 5 tsp powdered gelatin + 5 tbsp cold water (75ml)
- 3 cups chocolate ice cream, fully melted at room temperature (420g)
Strawberry ice cream mousse layer:
- 5 tsp powdered gelatin + 5 tbsp cold water (75ml)
- 3 cups strawberry ice cream, fully melted at room temperature (420g)
Vanilla ice cream mousse layer:
- 5 tsp powdered gelatin + 5 tbsp cold water (75ml)
- 3 cups vanilla ice cream, fully melted at room temperature (420g)
Decoration (optional):
- Ganache: 1/2 cup heavy cream (120g) + 100g semi sweet chocolate
- Strawberries to decorate (dip in melted chocolate if desired)
Instructions
Strawberry sponge cake:
- Pre-heat the oven to 325F and line a 9″ round cake pan with parchment paper (do not add butter or baking spray)
- Blitz freeze dried strawberries in a food processor until they turn into a powder. Make sure you don’t do this far in advance, because the crushed strawberries become sticky and moist with time, making them hard to mix into the batter
- Add the eggs, sugar and vanilla to a bowl. Whisk on high speed for 3-4 minutes until the mixture triples in volume and becomes very light, fluffy and ribbony in texture
- Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt. Use a rubber spatula to very slowly and very gently fold in the dry ingredients until they are almost combined, but not all the way
- Add the crushed freeze dried strawberries, and very slowly and gently fold them in until just combined. Take care not to overmix or knock out the air from the batter, as that will cause the cake to deflate and turn out dense
- Transfer the batter to the 9″ pan, and bake in the pre-heated oven for ~14 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with some light crumbs
- Let the cake fully cool down
Ice cream mousses:
- To save time, I recommend preparing the 3 mousses in tandem. Make sure the 3 ice creams are fully melted at room temperature, and measure them out into 3 large bowls
- Take 3 smaller bowls for the gelatin. Add 5 tbsp cold water into each bowl, then add 5 tsp powdered gelatin into each bowl. Stir each bowl so the gelatin mixes with the water. It will still be grainy, that’s ok. Place the bowls in the fridge for ~10 minutes until the gelatin firms up (meaning it has “bloomed”)
- Once the gelatin has firmed up, it is time to heat and dissolve it. Working with one bowl of gelatin at a time, microwave for 15-20 seconds until the mixture warms up, and stir to dissolve the gelatin. If it still looks lumpy, microwave for another 10-15 seconds and stir again until dissolved. Repeat with all 3 bowls of gelatin
- Pour one small bowl of the dissolved gelatin into each bowl of ice cream – I recommend using a fine mesh sieve to make sure no little lumps of gelatin get into the ice cream. Stir to combine the gelatin with the ice creams
Assembly:
- Place the cooled down cake on a cake stand. Wrap the cake with an acetate collar so that it is tight with no gaps, but not so tight that the cake is getting deformed. Also make sure the acetate collar is straight, then secure it with tape. This acetate will hold the mousse layers
- Gently pour the chocolate ice cream mousse into the acetate collar on top of the cake. Place the cake in the fridge for 1-2 hours until the mousse has set. Leave the other mousses outside at room temperature in the meanwhile
- When the chocolate mousse has set, gently pour on the strawberry mousse layer. I recommend doing this with a spoon and testing out with a little bit first to make sure the mousse layers don’t start to mix up. Place back in the fridge for ~1-2 hours until the strawberry mousse layer has set
- Repeat with the vanilla mousse layer. Then place the cake in the fridge overnight until it has fully set
Decoration:
- Prepare the chocolate ganache by adding the cream and chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl, and microwaving in 20 second increments, stirring in between, until the chocolate melts and a smooth ganache forms. Let it cool down for 10 minutes
- Once the cake has set, carefully remove the acetate collar. You can use a knife or offset spatula to smooth out the edges of the cake if needed
- Carefully spread a layer of the chocolate ganache on top of the cake – I like to make a swirl with an offset spatula
- Decorate with strawberries
- Serve & enjoy! Make sure to keep the cake refrigerated and don’t leave it out for too long
Video Tutorial
Notes
- Using different ice cream flavors: You can use any ice cream flavors you like for this cake, just make sure to use ice cream and NOT sorbet
- Make ahead & storage: You can prepare the cake and mousse layers 1-2 days in advance. Keep the cake in the fridge with the acetate collar still on. When you are ready to serve, remove the acetate collar and add the ganache and strawberry decoration. Keep the cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days once it has been cut into
More Summer Recipes
Here are some more recipes with minimal baking you will love:
- No bake mango ice cream cheesecake made with mango ice cream and cream cheese
- Easy chocolate mousse cake with a layer of chocolate genoise cake and an easy 2 ingredient chocolate mousse
- No bake salted caramel cheesecake cups made with only 7 ingredients and no gelatin
- Easy mango float made with only 4 ingredients, including Biscoff cookies, sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream and mangos
Comments
N
Looks good. Want to try. Where can I find gelatin packs that are halal?
Zoha
Look up Rossmoor or Hearthy foods!
Tania
Looks amazing!
Can I ask, how long can I remove it from the fridge after the acetate collar has been removed?
I wanted to make it for a friend’s birthday but I would decorate it with the ganache and then take it to her house which is 15 mins away. However would we need to put it back in the fridge? If so will
The layers hold after being out for some time?
A million question/, I know! So grateful for your help though!
Zoha
Hi Tania! Because of the gelatin the cake will hold shape without the collar (after it has set overnight) but can’t be left out for too long. Keep refrigerated as much as possible. I think 15-20 minutes out is fine 🙂
Asma Amer
I never knew this ingenious use of ice cream
Thank you Zoha for the tip.
I had always been afraid of mousse, but not anymore.
❤️
Zoha
Glad you like the recipe 🙂
Sarwat
soooo yummmmyyy definitely gonna try sooooon
Zoha
YAY! Hope you love it