Lemon White Chocolate Mousse Torte
Moist and tender vanilla cake, creamy white chocolate mousse, and lusciously tart lemon curd make this Lemon White Chocolate Mousse Torte a stunner for both the eyes and the tastebuds!
Ingredients
Cake:
- ¾ cup + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup milk
Lemon Curd:
- 7 egg yolks
- 1 whole egg
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 3 Tablespoons lemon zest
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into half-inch pieces
Lemon White Chocolate Mousse:
- 3 cups heavy cream, divided
- 12 ounces white chocolate, chips or chopped
- 4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
- 3 Tablespoons cold water
- ⅓ cup lemon curd (from recipe above)
To Decorate:
- Freshly-whipped cream
Instructions
Make the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until lightened and creamy. Beat in the egg until combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the sour cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and zest on medium speed.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Add the milk and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing out evenly. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan completely.
- Once completely cool, wrap a sheet of acetate (or parchment paper) about 6 inches tall around the edges of the cake to create a "wall".
Make the Lemon Curd:
- In a medium saucepan, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, and sugar together until combined. Whisk in the lemon juice, zest, and salt. Add the butter and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened, about 4-8 minutes minutes.
- Immediately strain the curd through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium-size bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
Make the Mousse:
- In the chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat 2 cups of the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside in the refrigerator.
- Place white chocolate into a medium bowl. Pour 1 cup of the heavy cream into a saucepan and heat until it begins to simmer. Immediately pour hot cream over the white chocolate and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for 5 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and stir until completely smooth.
- In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water; let stand 1 minute. Heat in the microwave for 10-15 seconds until gelatin is completely dissolved and liquified. Stir gelatin liquid into white chocolate mixture; allow to cool slightly.
- Fold 1 cup of the whipped cream into the white chocolate mixture to lighten it up. Then fold in the rest of the whipped cream until just combined. Fold in the lemon curd, then spread mousse evenly over the cake. Chill in the freezer until set, about 15-20 minutes.
- Spread the lemon curd evenly over mousse layer. Refrigerate torte, covered, until set, about 4 hours.