Why I’ll Love This Recipe
I love how these individual mousse cakes layer nutty pistachio sponge with a silky raspberry mousse and a jewel-bright raspberry glaze. The flavors balance sweet berries with earthy nuts, and the light, airy texture feels elegant without being heavy. Each mini cake looks bakery-worthy but comes together with straightforward steps I can prep ahead for effortless entertaining.
ingredients
(Here’s a tip: Check out the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.)
Pistachio sponge cake
Ground pistachios
All-purpose flour
Eggs
Granulated sugar
Unsalted butter, melted
Vanilla extract
Raspberry mousse
Fresh or frozen raspberries, puréed and strained
Granulated sugar
Fresh lemon juice
Unflavored gelatin
Cold water
Cold heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
Raspberry mirror glaze
Raspberry purée
Sugar
Water
Agar-agar powder or gelatin
Garnish
Finely chopped pistachios
Fresh raspberries
directions
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I preheat the oven to 350 °F and line a jelly-roll pan with parchment. I whisk ground pistachios, flour, and a pinch of salt. In a mixer, I beat eggs and sugar until pale and thick, fold in the dry mix, then drizzle in melted butter and vanilla. I spread the batter thinly, bake 10–12 minutes, and cool.
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I punch out cake rounds with a cookie cutter to fit my silicone mousse molds or ring molds, pressing one round into the base of each cavity.
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For the mousse, I bloom gelatin in cold water. I heat raspberry purée, sugar, and lemon until steaming, then whisk in softened gelatin until dissolved. I cool the mixture to room temperature and fold it into softly whipped cream.
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I pipe mousse over each cake base, tap to eliminate air bubbles, and freeze the molds at least 4 hours (or overnight) so the mousse firms for glazing.
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For the glaze, I simmer raspberry purée, sugar, water, and agar (or gelatin) for one minute, then strain and cool to 90 °F—just pourable but not hot.
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I unmold the frozen mousse cakes onto a rack, pour glaze evenly over each one, and let excess drip away. I transfer them to a tray, garnish with chopped pistachios and a raspberry, and refrigerate 2 hours to thaw gently before serving.
Servings and timing
This recipe makes 8–10 mini mousse cakes. I spend about 45 minutes active time, 4 hours freezing, and 2 hours final thaw, so dessert is ready in roughly 7 hours (mostly hands-off).
Variations
I swap raspberries for strawberries or blackberries, or fold chopped dark chocolate into the mousse for texture. When I crave citrus, I add orange zest to the sponge and use orange gel glaze on top. For a no-bake shortcut, I use crushed pistachio cookies mixed with butter as the base.
storage/reheating
I keep finished mousse cakes covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days. They freeze beautifully—just flash-freeze on a tray, wrap individually, and store up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the fridge. No reheating is needed.
FAQs
How do I keep the glaze smooth and shiny?
I pour it at about 90 °F; hotter melts the mousse, cooler won’t flow evenly.
Can I make one large cake instead of minis?
Yes—I build it in an 8-inch springform pan lined with acetate and add 5–10 extra minutes to the glaze-setting time.
What if I don’t have pistachios?
Almonds or hazelnuts work fine; the texture stays light and the nut flavor still pairs beautifully with raspberries.
Do I have to use an electric mixer for the sponge?
Hand-whisking works, but I whisk at least 5 minutes until the eggs triple in volume; that lift keeps the sponge airy.
How can I make this dessert fully plant-based?
I swap butter for melted coconut oil, replace gelatin with agar-agar in both mousse and glaze, and whip chilled coconut cream instead of dairy cream.
Conclusion
These Raspberry Pistachio Mousse Cakes are my favorite way to showcase summer berries and elegant nutty sponge in a single bite. Light, colorful, and make-ahead friendly, they bring bakery charm to my table without stress—and they disappear fast every time I serve them.
Print
Raspberry Pistachio Mousse Cakes
- Total Time: ~7 hrs (mostly hands-off)
- Yield: 8–10 mini mousse cakes
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Elegant raspberry mousse cakes with pistachio sponge and mirror glaze—perfect mini entremets for special occasions and make-ahead entertaining.
Ingredients
Pistachio Sponge Cake
¾ cup (90 g) ground pistachios
½ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
3 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled (sub: coconut oil)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Raspberry Mousse
1 cup (240 g) raspberry purée, strained (fresh or thawed frozen)
¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 ½ tsp unflavored gelatin or agar-agar powder
2 Tbsp cold water (for blooming)
1 cup (240 ml) cold heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks (sub: whipped coconut cream)
Raspberry Mirror Glaze
¾ cup (180 g) raspberry purée
¼ cup (50 g) sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) water
1 tsp agar-agar powder or 1 tsp gelatin
Garnish
2 Tbsp finely chopped pistachios
Whole fresh raspberries
Instructions
Make Pistachio Sponge
Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Line a jelly-roll pan with parchment.
Whisk ground pistachios, flour, and salt.
Beat eggs and sugar (stand mixer or 5 min hand-whisk) until pale, thick, and tripled in volume.
Fold in dry mix, then drizzle in melted butter and vanilla.
Spread batter thinly on pan; bake 10–12 min until lightly golden. Cool, then cut rounds to fit silicone dome or ring molds.
Prepare Raspberry Mousse
Bloom gelatin (or agar) in cold water 5 min.
Warm raspberry purée, sugar, lemon juice until steaming; whisk in gelatin until dissolved. Cool to room temperature.
Fold cooled purée into whipped cream in 3 additions.
Assemble & Freeze
Place a sponge round in each mold cavity. Pipe raspberry mousse over sponge, tap to remove air pockets.
Freeze at least 4 hrs or overnight until solid.
Raspberry Mirror Glaze
Simmer raspberry purée, sugar, water, and agar (or gelatin) 1 min. Strain; cool to 90 °F (32 °C)—pourable yet not hot.
Glaze & Finish
Unmold frozen mousse cakes onto a rack. Pour glaze evenly; let excess drip.
Transfer to tray; garnish with chopped pistachios and a raspberry.
Refrigerate 2 hrs to thaw gently before serving.
Notes
Flavor Swaps: Use strawberries or blackberries; add orange zest to sponge; fold 2 Tbsp chopped dark chocolate into mousse.
No-Bake Base: Replace sponge with crushed pistachio cookies mixed with melted butter.
Plant-Based: Use agar, coconut oil, and whipped coconut cream.
- Prep Time: 45 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Bake (mousse & glaze) + Baked sponge
- Cuisine: French-Inspired
