🎄 Spiced Mousse & Cranberry Cake
A festive holiday torte combining a fragrant anise-infused mousse, tangy cranberry mandarin compote, soft almond sponge, and a glossy cherry-red mirror glaze — elegant, nostalgic, and beautifully balanced.This rectangular Christmas cake celebrates spice and fruit in a gentle, refined way. The anis-scented mousse pairs harmoniously with tart cranberries simmered in mandarin, all nestled in a soft sponge base and coated in a mirror glaze that captures the joy of the season.
Ingredients
🍊 Cranberry Compote Insert
- 200 g fresh or frozen cranberries
- 75 g mandarin purée or juice or orange juice
- Zest of ½ organic orange
- 150 g jam sugar 1:2 ratio
- 1 sheet gelatin gold grade
🌰 Anise Sponge
- 30 g blanched ground almonds
- 20 g granulated sugar
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 egg whites
- 22 g granulated sugar for meringue
- 35 g all-purpose flour
- 10 g unsalted butter melted
- Ground or whole anise to taste
⭐️ Spiced White Chocolate Mousse
- 125 g heavy cream for infusion
- Spices: anise ½ tsp, vanilla seeds (½ pod)
- Zest of 2–3 mandarins
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tsp sugar
- 5 gelatin sheets gold
- 215 g white chocolate chopped
- 70 g mandarin juice
- 250 g heavy cream to whip
❤️ Cherry Mirror Glaze
- 120 g glucose syrup
- 120 g granulated sugar
- 60 g water
- 8 g powdered gelatin + 48 g cold water
- 120 g white chocolate chopped
- 80 g sweetened condensed milk
- Gel food coloring: red cherry red, a tiny bit of black
Instructions
Cranberry Insert
- Soak the gelatin in cold water.
- Simmer cranberries with mandarin purée until they burst.
- Add orange zest and sugar-pectin mixture. Boil for ~4 min.
- Remove from heat, let cool slightly, then stir in gelatin.
- Line a 9x25 cm frame with cling film and pour in compote.
- Smooth the surface and freeze overnight.
Anise Sponge
- Preheat oven to 180°C (356°F).
- Whip almonds, 20 g sugar, egg, and yolk until fluffy.
- Separately, whip egg whites with 22 g sugar to stiff peaks.
- Fold meringue, flour, and anise into almond mixture.
- Mix 1 tbsp batter with melted butter, then fold back in.
- Line a baking tray with foil to shape a 10x30 cm rectangle.
- Spread the batter and bake for ~20 minutes.
- Cool overnight, then trim to ~9x25 cm.
Spiced Mousse
- Soak gelatin in cold water.
- Gently warm 125 g cream with anise, vanilla, and zest. Let infuse 30 min. Strain and adjust to 125 g if needed.
- Reheat infused cream. Whisk yolks with sugar.
- Temper the yolks with the hot cream, return to heat, and cook to 82°C (pasteurization).
- Off heat, dissolve gelatin.
- Add to melted white chocolate in 3 additions. Stir thoroughly each time.
- Mix in mandarin juice. Cool to 30°C.
- Whip 250 g cream to soft peaks, fold gently into mousse base.
Mirror Glaze
- Bloom gelatin in cold water.
- Heat glucose, sugar, and water to 103°C.
- Remove from heat, add condensed milk and gelatin.
- Pour over chopped white chocolate. Add coloring.
- Let sit briefly, then emulsify with stick blender (avoid bubbles).
- Cover with cling film touching surface and refrigerate overnight.
Assembly
- Trim frozen cranberry insert to be ~1 cm smaller than mold.
- Spread most of the mousse into the silicone mold, pushing it up the sides.
- Place insert in the center, gently press down.
- Pour in remaining mousse.
- Lay sponge on top and gently press until level with the mold.
- Cover and freeze overnight.
Finishing
- Gently warm the mirror glaze to 45°C, cool to 35°C before use.
- Unmold frozen cake and place on a rack. Pour glaze evenly.
- Let excess drip, then clean base edges with a knife or spatula.
- Transfer to serving plate.
Optional Decoration
- Dip cranberries in egg white, then sugar. Let dry. Decorate with frosted berries, star cookies, and fresh rosemary for a wintery finish.
Notes
🕰 Thawing:
Let the glazed cake defrost slowly in the fridge (~4 hours) before serving.
I’m Chef Mimo, a passionate pastry chef with over 17 years of experience in the world of fine desserts. I specialize in French-style entremets, refined cakes, and creative chocolate work. Pastry is not just my profession—it’s my lifelong passion. Through PastryCrafted.com, I love sharing my recipes, techniques, and inspirations with anyone who dreams of mastering the art of pastry. Whether you’re a curious beginner or a seasoned pro, you’re welcome in my sweet world.