Godiva Strawberry Torte

This show-stopping strawberry torte layers a liqueur-soaked sponge cake with whole fresh strawberries and a billowy strawberry mousse laced with Godiva chocolate cream liqueur. It’s the kind of dessert that gets a gasp when you bring it to the table.

The mousse is built on a cooked custard base of egg yolks, sugar, and milk, thickened with gelatin and loaded with strawberry puree and a generous pour of Godiva liqueur. Once chilled until it mounds on a spoon, whipped cream gets folded in for that light, airy texture.

Assembly is straightforward: sponge cake goes in the springform, gets doused with more liqueur, then the whole strawberries go in hulled-side down, and the mousse fills in all the gaps. Several hours in the fridge sets everything into a sliceable, gorgeous torte.

Chef Tips

• Chill the custard mixture until it mounds on a spoon before folding in the cream. If it’s too liquid, the mousse won’t set and the torte will be soupy.
• Place the whole strawberries hulled-side down. This gives you beautiful red tops visible when you unmold and slice.
• Run a warm knife around the springform edge before releasing. The mousse can stick and tear if you force it.

Variations

• Non-alcoholic version: Replace the Godiva liqueur with chocolate syrup and a splash of vanilla extract.
• Chocolate sponge base: Use a chocolate sponge cake instead of plain for double the chocolate presence.