What kind of Creme or Mousse is the most robust? How can I strengthen a mousse?
I want to make a multi layer cake where one of the top layers consists of some kind of mousse. I haven't decided on what kind of mousse/creme yet because I have to transport the cake once it's done and I am afraid that the mousse will collapse.
What kind of mousse/creme is the most robust? How can I support a mousse without changing it's texture too much (I don't want it to become a jelly)?
Best Answer
There are several major types of mousse, made from different bases, and with different flavor elements.
Depending on which one you are using, they may have varying requirements. As MandoMando mentions in the comments, assuming you are using a mousse based on whipped cream or whipped egg whites or a freezer-stable thickener (neither gelatin, agar agar, nor carageenan are freeze-stable), you can simply freeze the cake for transport. This tends to work very well, although you may have issues with condensation when thawing it, so you want it very well wrapped (usually after freezing, so as not to muss the icing).
Chocolate mousses are often fairly stable due to the cocoa butter, which is solid at room temperature; some can also be gelatin stablized. See the linked recipe in
Chocolate mousse - methods to have firm foamy mousse using white egg and cream
for inspiration, where the confection is built with two layers of mousse, one which is stablized with gelatin.
Many fruit mousses tend to be made with gelatin, so increasing the quantity of gelatin will give you a stronger mousse.
See also: Hydro-colloid primer for perhaps more information on hydro-colloids than you ever wished to know.
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How can I make my mousse firmer?
You can also use 25 percent more gelatin to stiffen a savory mousse. A basic savory mousse recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of gelatin to 3 tablespoons of water. To moderately thicken the mousse, use 1 1/2 teaspoons of gelatin and 4 1/2 tablespoons of water.How do you stabilize a mousse?
The trick of any good foam is to stabilize the air bubbles into the foam. You do not want the air bubbles to disappear, or the chocolate mousse collapse. When you make a meringue you stabilize the air by adding extra sugar and baking it.How do you keep mousse from separating?
To your melted chocolate and (possibly) sugar and/or butter, add in this order: stir in almost-all-fat yolks first. then fold in the whites. These have enough water in them to keep the cocoa solids from clumping up.Is a binder used in a mousse?
The use of beaten cream and eggs in mousse creates air pockets that make the dish light and fluffy. The gelatin helps it stick together, although some cooks just use eggs as a binder. As a result, mousse has a solid form, with a lightness that can make it feel quite refreshing, depending on what the ingredients are.How to Use A Hair Mousse
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