Spinach and Strawberry Mousse Cake

Make the cake layer. The weight of spinach in this recipe is the net weight — meaning already picked over and stripped from the stems. Visually it looks like a lot; in my photo it takes up nearly half the salad spinner. Wash the spinach and dry it thoroughly.

Place the spinach and vegetable oil in a food processor or blender and blend until you get a smooth, uniform mixture.

Beat the egg whites thoroughly, gradually adding half the sugar, and whip to stiff peaks.

Beat the egg yolks thoroughly, gradually adding the remaining half of the sugar and the vanilla sugar, and beat until the mixture lightens in color and increases in volume.

Add the blended spinach mixture and stir to combine.

Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the mixture using light bottom-to-top folding motions.

Whisk together the flour and baking powder. Sift the flour mixture into the batter in portions, gently folding it in from the bottom up each time, taking care not to deflate the batter.

I used a 20 cm baking ring. Line the bottom with parchment and do not grease the sides. Transfer the batter in and gently smooth the top.

Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C (350°F) for about 15–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Once cooled, run a knife along the edge of the ring and remove the sponge.

Make the mousse. Blend the strawberries, powdered sugar, and lemon juice until smooth.

Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Bloom the gelatin in 3–4 tbsp of water and let it sit for 10 minutes, or for the time indicated on the package. Heat it until the gelatin is fully dissolved, then let it cool. Pour the dissolved gelatin into the strawberry mixture while stirring.

Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks.

Add the strawberry mixture and fold together vigorously but gently. You'll end up with a wonderfully delicious, fragrant strawberry cream. Taste it and add more powdered sugar if needed.

Assemble the cake. Place the sponge layer into the mold upside down (so the more porous side faces up) and brush with the soaking liquid.

Pour the mousse over the sponge layer and refrigerate until fully set.

Warm the sides of the mold with a hair dryer or run a knife between the cake and the ring, then remove the ring.

Decorate with whipped cream and strawberries if desired. Just look at how strikingly beautiful this turns out!

This "Spinach and Strawberry" Mousse Cake is incredibly tender, with a harmonious strawberry-and-cream aroma and absolutely zero spinach flavor. So delicious!