Cheesecake Mousse
If you’re craving all the tangy cream cheese flavor of a classic cheesecake without the weight, this mousse is your answer. It’s silky, creamy, lightly tangy, and astonishingly airy. Served on its own, paired with fresh berries, compotes or jams, it’s a perfect summer dessert. Yet, it’s also sturdy enough for filling cakes, donuts, and pastries.
I started developing this recipe as a cake filling. Years ago, one of my kids requested a cheesecake filling for their birthday cake, and since their cakes tend to be three‑dimensional sculptures with multiple tiers, I knew a traditional cheesecake’s heft simply wouldn’t work.
In searching for a lighter option, I found no shortage of “simple” and “easy” cheesecake mousse recipes online. Most are essentially no‑bake cheesecake lightened with whipped cream: a high ratio of cream cheese and powdered sugar, then a final fold‑in of whipped cream or Cool Whip. There’s nothing wrong with that approach, but it wasn’t the texture or flavor I wanted.
Much like my Peanut Butter Mousse, I was after something cloud‑like, light enough to eat by the spoonful, but with enough structure to hold its shape. So I turned again to French pastry technique. Sheet gelatin provides beautiful structure without altering flavor or mouthfeel, so that was a given. This time, I paired it with a pâte à bombe: hot sugar syrup whisked into egg yolks until pale, thick, and ribbony. It adds the first layer of aeration and the custardy richness you expect in cheesecake. Lightly sweetened cream cheese and vanilla provide the classic cheesecake flavor. I still finish with a fold-in of whipped cream, but the gelatin and pâte à bombe lay the foundation to trap all that whipped-in air in a stable structure.
The final result delighted me. It’s subtly sweet, letting the cream cheese shine and it pairs effortlessly with berries, stone fruits, chocolate, caramel, or coffee. Whether you serve it in a chilled glass, smoothed between cake layers or piped into cream puffs, it behaves exactly the way you want it to. It may take a bit more effort than the “easy” versions out there, but the payoff is a cool, creamy, dreamy mousse that feels like the best parts of cheesecake — without the weight.
Cheesecake Mousse
Equipment
Ingredients
Method
- In a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.320 ml (1 ⅓ cups) heavy cream
- Place the gelatin sheets in a small bowl of cold water to soften (~5-7 minutes).4 g (2 sheets) gold gelatin sheets
- Meanwhile, place the cream cheese in a medium, heat safe bowl set over a pan of of simmering water. Heat just until it's softened and whisk until smooth.227 g (8 oz) cream cheese
- Squeeze the excess water from the gelatin and add the gelatin, the confectioner’s sugar and the vanilla to the warm cream cheese whisking until smooth and completely blended. Remove the bowl from the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes; it will thicken slightly.45 g (6 tbsp) confectioners’ sugar, 10 ml (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- Meanwhile, in a very small saucepan, combine the sugar and water; boil to 248°F (you may need to tip the pan to get an accurate reading).67 g (⅓ cup) sugar, 30 ml (2 tbsp) water
- While the sugar syrup is coming to temperature, place the egg yolks in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer (a hand-held works best) until blended. Once the syrup reaches 248°F, turn the mixer on to high speed and slowly pour the sugar syrup onto the mixing yolks, avoiding the beaters and the sides of the bowl. Continue to beat on medium speed until the mixture cools and becomes pale and ribbony, about 4 minutes. Gently fold the cooled cream cheese mixture into the egg yolk mixture..3 large egg yolks
- Remove the whipped cream from the refrigerator and add ~1/3 of it to the egg yolk and cream cheese mixture, gently fold until only a few streaks the whipped cream remain – this will lighten the mixture making it easier to fold in the remaining cream.
- Add the remaining whipped cream and gently fold until it is evenly incorporated – be careful to avoid knocking too much air out of the mixture. Transfer the finished mousse to a piping bag fitted with a round or decorative tip and store it in the refrigerator for at least two hours or until ready to use. The mousse can be used to fill pastries or cakes or it can be piped into individual glasses as a stand-alone dessert.
Private Notes
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!More recipes you might enjoy:
About The Author
