When I was thinking of my quintessential Valentine’s Dessert, I had to go this route. A mousse cake would be perfect, since they are gorgeous, and almost resemble a box of chocolates in a way. I decided to go with a classic and simple combination of raspberry and vanilla, just because the contrast is sharp, but the flavors work, and most importantly, you get the pink and white, which are two huge colors in Valentines next to the color red. For the different components, I went with a raspberry-studded chiffon cake, raspberry mousse, cheesecake mousse, a raspberry mirror glaze, and ruby chocolate hearts and diamonds. I named the cake “Love like you” as a Steven Universe reference, since I do have pink diamonds on the cake, so yes, that is a proper nod to the show right then and there.

For the raspberry mousse:
1/4 cup raspberry puree
a pinch of salt
2 teaspoons gelatin powder + 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped stiff
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Melt gelatin, salt, water, gelatin, sugar, and lemon juice together. Once the gelatin has been dissolved, strain into a bowl and allow the mixture to come down to room temperature. Fold in the whipped cream and transfer to a piping bag with a circular tip. Pipe hoops of varying sizes, no bigger than 5 inches in diameter, onto either silpat or parchment, and transfer to the freezer. You will need these to be frozen solid before assembly so that they maintain their shape.

For the chiffon cake:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons halved raspberries
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whip egg whites with half of your sugar, salt, baking powder, and vanilla to stiff peaks. Whip the egg yolks with the rest of your sugar, and stream in your oil until it reaches ribbon stage. Sift the flour. Fold all of your ingredients together and pour into a lined 6-inch cake ring. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Cool completely before unmolding.

For the cheesecake mousse:
6 oz cream cheese
1 cup heavy cream, whipped stiff
2 teaspoons gelatin powder + 1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
a pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt gelatin into milk and sugar. Whip into the cream cheese with vanilla and salt until emulsified and allow to cool down to room temperature. Fold in the heavy cream. Line a 6 inch ring mold with lightly oiled cling wrap on the bottom, and lightly oiled acetate around the insides of the ring mold. Place the 6-inch ring of cake in first. Then pour in your cheesecake mousse base, and press in the raspberry mousse rings throughout the unset cheesecake mixture. Freeze for at least 3-4 hours before attempting to unmold.

For the mirror glaze:
1 cup white chocolate
1/4 cup raspberry puree
1/3 cup gelatin powder + 1/3 cup water
1/4 cup heavy cream
a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pitaya powder

Melt the gelatin into the cream, puree, pitaya, and salt. Pour over the white chocolate once the mixture is hot and allow to sit for at least 3 minutes before stirring to incorporate. Pass through a sieve to remove any lumps. Once the mousse cake is set and frozen solid, unmold, and place on an elevated surface, like on a smaller cup or mug placed over a bowl to capture any excess glaze. Make sure your glaze is no hotter than 90 degrees. Pour the glaze over the frozen cake and allow the glaze to sit for at least 2 minutes before moving the cake.

For the ruby chocolate:
1/4 cup ruby chocolate
a pinch of salt

Melt 3/4ths of your ruby chocolate on a double boiler until the ruby is just melted. Take off the heat and add in your remaining chocolate and salt, mixing until incorporated. Spread onto an acetate sheet using an offset spatula and allow the chocolate to sit in the refrigerator for 1 minute. Take out and cut out heart and diamond shapes, and curl up the sheet using a ring mold. Refrigerate again for another 5 minutes to allow the chocolate to fully set before carefully unmolding.