Raspberry Lemon Mousse Mini Cakes and A Giveaway

Any mini dessert is just the rage whether at restaurants 

or at home and especially here at 

Purple Chocolat Home.

Did you know that March 4th is National Pound Cake Day?

I was honored to be contacted by Sara Lee (yes, THE Sara Lee)

to create a recipe using one of their ready made pound cakes

to help celebrate National Pound Cake Day.

Of course my mind started spinning about all of the fun

things I could do with Sara Lee Pound Cakes.  

I had made the Valentine's Petit Fours and found

their pound cake to be so much fun to work with.

It is flavorful and has such a great, firm texture.

What better flavors than raspberry, lemon and cream

to go along with a Sara Lee All Butter Pound cake!

I began by cutting the cake loaf into thirds and then turning those

thirds on their sides and cutting them into thirds again.  Use

a bread knife.  Keep the bottom crust on but cut the rounded

top crust off before you cut the last third.

So each third will give you three slices of cake.

Using a 2 1/4 inch round cookie or biscuit cutter,

cut each cake slice into a round.

You should now have three rounds for each third of the loaf.

Cut the center out of the third piece so that you end up with

a ring using a 1 1/4 inch cookie or biscuit cutter or as I did,

using the wide end of my largest frosting tip.

Now spread raspberry jam on the top and bottom pieces - the ones

without the hole in the center and then stack the middle piece

on the bottom piece.

Pipe your lemon mousse into the center and then place the top

on with the jam side down.

The towers are then frosted with additional lemon mousse.

When you slice into the mini cake you have a raspberry and lemon mousse

filled center.

Raspberry Lemon Mousse Mini Cakes

(Makes 6 mini cakes)

2 - 10.75 oz Sara Lee All Butter Pound Cakes, thawed

Raspberry jam

1 C. heavy whipping cream

1/2 C. lemon curd

Fresh raspberries

Powdered sugar

Raspberry Sauce if desired.

Prepare and slice the pound cakes as directed above.

You will end up with 18 rounds, six with holes in the

center and twelve without.

Set the cake aside.

In mixer bowl using a wire whisk beat the heavy

whipping cream with the lemon curd until soft peaks

form.  You will want it stiff enough to be able to frost

with.

Spread one side of the twelve rounds without holes

with raspberry jam.  Do not spread all the way to the

edge.  

Stack the center round with the hole on top of the

bottom round.  

Place half of the mousse in a pastry bag.

Pipe the mousse into the center of the cakes.

Top with the last round, jam side down.

Frost each cake with additional mousse.  I

sat mine on top of a tiny glass - like a shot glass.

Garnish with fresh raspberries and powdered sugar.

Serve with raspberry sauce if desired. 

Click here for a printable recipe.

This is so light tasting and refreshing, perfect for Spring celebrations.

So let me just tell you my taste tester's reactions -

My daughter and her boyfriend were fighting over their piece, even

grabbing the plate and running off with it.

I had already wolfed one down earlier in the day.

My hubby came home from work and I cut it in half

to show him how pretty it was (thinking I would get half)

and he gobbled the whole thing down saying, "That was

fantastic!"  Needless to say, this was a big hit here.

Thank you Sara Lee for asking me to participate.

Not only did Sara Lee send me a $50 Visa gift card and coupons

for participating,

they sent me a 

$50 Visa gift card and coupons

for a giveaway to my readers.

Tell me what creative recipe you would make

 with a 

Sara Lee Pound Cake by leaving

me a comment (and the recipe if needed)

and I will choose my favorite idea.  

The winner will

receive the $50 Visa gift card and coupons.  

All entries must

be received by Midnight March 9th.

Then I will make and feature the winning

recipe on my blog!

I will be posting this with

On The Menu Monday

Foodie Fridays

Lemon Mousse Tres Leche Cupcakes

What a wonderful way to serve an easy Tres Leches

cake in these fun silicone cupcake cups shaped like

a tea cup and saucer.

I have two ways I serve this, one with a lemon mousse

topping and then whipped cream and the other with

just whipped cream.  I prefer it with the lemon mousse.

I found the silicone tea cup shaped cupcake 

molds when I was in Washington DC last year

at a specialty store but I have seen them this year

at Z Gallerie.  I filled them half way and then if

they went above the cupcake cup I sliced the top

off.  That actually helped as the cake absorbed

the cream mixture more easily.

These cute chocolate cups were a find from Home 

Goods, but were smaller when we once opened

the package so I used it for raspberry sauce and

some fresh raspberries.  

Easy Tres Leches Cake Recipe

1 white cake mix

3/4 C. melted butter

6 eggs

1/2 C. water

2 T. shredded lime peel

Heat oven to 350.  Grease and flour a 9x13 pan or if

you are using the silicone cupcake cups, they need no

grease.  

Combine the cake mix with the butter, eggs and water.  Beat

on low until combined and then beat for 2 minutes on medium.  

Stir in the lime peel.  Bake for 35-40 minutes for the pan 

or 20-25 minutes for the cupcakes or until a toothpick

comes out clean.

The batter will be thick.  Spread it in the pan or fill the cupcake

cups half full.  Bake for 35-40 minutes for the pan 

or 20-25 minutes for the cupcakes or until a toothpick

comes out clean.

Meanwhile mix:

2 C. cream or half and half

2 cans sweetened condensed milk

2 cans evaporated milk

When cake comes out of oven let it cool

and then poke holes all over it with a wooden 

skewer or a chopstick.  Slowly pour half of the 

milk mixture over the cake.  Cover and chill

overnight.  Cover and chill remaining sauce.

About 1 hour before serving pour remaining sauce

over the cake.

To serve top with lemon mousse and then

sweetened whipped cream.

Lemon Mousse

1 1/2 C. heavy whipping cream

1 jar lemon curd

Beat the whipping cream on high speed with 

the wire whip attachment.  When it starts to

set add the jar of lemon curd and continue to 

whip until stiff.  Pipe or spread on top of the

chilled cake.

Sweetened Whipped Cream

1 1/2 C. heavy whipping cream

3/4 C. powdered sugar.

Beat the cream and sugar together until stiff.

Pipe or spread onto the top of the cake.

Raspberry Sauce

12 oz. frozen raspberries, thawed

3/4 C. sugar

Blend the thawed raspberries and add the sugar.

Press the blended berries through a sieve to remove

as many seeds as possible.

What a fun way to serve a delicious and refreshing

dessert.

I will be posting this with 

Foodie Fridays

Sweets for a Saturday