DESSERT RECIPES

Strawberry Cheesecake Mousse Towers

Updated

Stacked towers of crisp homemade chocolate wafers and a whipped strawberry cream cheese mousse, finished with whipped cream and a thick dark chocolate sauce.

Prep
45 min
Cook
20 min
Total
3 hr 40 min
Yield
4 towers
Illustration of Strawberry Cheesecake Mousse Towers
AI-generated illustration, not a photo of this recipe.

This plated dessert from the KitchenSimplicity archive builds little towers out of three thin chocolate wafers layered with a fluffy strawberry cheesecake mousse. A heart-shaped wafer, a spoonful of whipped cream and a swipe of dark chocolate sauce turn each one into something that looks far fussier than it is.

It is a natural fit for Valentine’s Day or any small dinner where you want a make-ahead dessert. The wafers keep for weeks, the mousse needs only a bowl and a mixer, and a couple of hours in the fridge softens the cookies so the towers cut cleanly with a fork.

Tips

  • Rolling the wafer dough in powdered sugar instead of flour keeps the cookies tender; extra wafers keep for 2 to 3 weeks in an airtight container.
  • For a shortcut, use store-bought chocolate wafers and whipped topping and make only the mousse from scratch.
  • The chocolate sauce firms up in the fridge; warm it gently over hot water or in short microwave bursts to loosen it.
  • For extra chocolate, spread a thin layer of the sauce on each wafer before piping the mousse.

Strawberry Cheesecake Mousse Towers

Prep
45 min
Cook
20 min
Total
3 hr 40 min
Yield
4 towers

Ingredients

  • For the chocolate wafers:
  • 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, plus more for rolling
  • 6 tablespoons (30 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 1/2 cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 pinch fine salt
  • 1 pinch baking powder
  • For the strawberry cheesecake mousse:
  • 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (60 g) strawberry puree (from about 4 to 5 large strawberries)
  • 3/4 cup (180 ml) cold heavy cream
  • For the dark chocolate sauce:
  • 2 oz (57 g) dark chocolate, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • For serving:
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) cold heavy cream, whipped with 1 teaspoon powdered sugar and a drop of vanilla (about 1/2 cup whipped)

Steps

  1. Make the wafer dough: beat the softened butter until creamy, then sift in the powdered sugar and cocoa and beat until no dry streaks remain.
  2. Beat in the vanilla, egg yolk and milk. Add the flour, salt and baking powder and mix until the dough is smooth and evenly colored.
  3. Shape the dough into a flat disk, wrap it and chill for 20 minutes.
  4. Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment. Dust the counter with powdered sugar (not flour) and roll the dough 1/8 inch thick.
  5. Cut at least 12 rounds with a 2 1/2-inch cutter and 4 hearts with a 1 1/2-inch heart cutter. Reroll the scraps to cut more wafers for later.
  6. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the wafers release easily from the parchment. Slide the parchment onto a rack and let the wafers cool completely.
  7. Make the mousse: beat the cream cheese until soft, then beat in the sugar until smooth. Add the strawberry puree and cold cream and whip until soft peaks form. Spoon into a piping bag or zip-top bag and refrigerate.
  8. Make the sauce: in a heatproof bowl, whisk the cornstarch into the cream until smooth, then add the chocolate, sugar and vanilla. Set over a pot of barely simmering water (the bowl should not touch the water) and stir now and then until melted and glossy. Let it cool; it thickens as it cools.
  9. Assemble: set a wafer on each plate and pipe a layer of mousse on top, stopping about 1/2 inch from the edge. Add a second wafer and more mousse, then a third wafer and a final layer of mousse.
  10. Refrigerate the towers for about 2 hours so the wafers soften slightly.
  11. To serve, top each tower with a spoonful of whipped cream and a heart wafer, and decorate the plate with the chocolate sauce.

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