Bookmark
These Santa Claus Dome Cakes bring a festive spirit to your holiday table with their rich vanilla mousse and crisp sablé cookie base, all wrapped in a glossy red mirror glaze that looks just like Santa’s hat. Perfect for December celebrations, they combine elegant flavors and playful design, sure to impress family and friends alike.
I discovered this recipe when looking for a dessert that would wow my guests without overwhelming me. It quickly became a holiday favorite that everyone asks for again and again.
Ingredients
- Heavy cream: three hundred ml cold for a light and airy mousse
- Whole milk: two hundred fifty ml warmed with vanilla to infuse flavor
- Vanilla bean or pure vanilla extract: for authentic aromatic vanilla notes choose fresh beans from specialty shops if possible
- Egg yolks: three for richness and structure in the custard base
- Granulated sugar: eighty grams for gentle sweetness
- Powdered gelatin: six grams with thirty ml cold water to stabilize the mousse
- Fresh strawberries: six to eight small berries for a burst of freshness inside each dome
- Unsalted butter: one hundred twenty grams room temperature for the sablé cookie richness
- Powdered sugar: eighty grams for delicate sweetness in the sablé
- Egg yolk: one to bind the cookie dough
- All-purpose flour: two hundred grams carefully sifted for a tender sablé base
- Salt: a pinch to enhance flavors
- Vanilla extract: one teaspoon to add aroma to the sablé
- Sugar: one hundred fifty grams for the red mirror glaze’s sweetness
- Glucose syrup: one hundred fifty grams to add smoothness and shine
- Water: seventy-five ml plus sixty ml with gelatin for dissolution and glaze texture
- Sweetened condensed milk: one hundred grams to add creaminess in the glaze
- White chocolate: two hundred fifty grams finely chopped, one hundred for decoration, ensure high quality couverture for smooth melting
- Red gel food coloring: for the festive bright red appearance pick vibrant coloring for rich tone
Instructions
- BLOOM THE GELATIN FOR THE MOUSSE:
- Combine six grams powdered gelatin with thirty ml cold water in a small bowl and let it rest for ten minutes until fully bloomed. This step ensures the gelatin will dissolve smoothly into the mousse.
- HEAT THE MILK AND INFUSE VANILLA:
- Gently warm two hundred fifty milliliters of whole milk with a vanilla bean or extract in a saucepan over medium heat. The milk should be hot but not boiling to keep the vanilla aroma at its best.
- PREPARE THE EGG YOLK MIXTURE:
- In a separate bowl, vigorously whisk three egg yolks with eighty grams of granulated sugar until the mixture turns pale and slightly thickened; this builds volume and richness.
- COOK THE CUSTARD BASE:
- Slowly add the warm milk into the egg yolk and sugar mixture while whisking to avoid cooking the eggs too fast. Return everything to the saucepan and keep stirring gently over low heat until it thickens slightly and reaches about eighty-two degrees Celsius.
- INCORPORATE GELATIN AND COOL:
- Take the custard off the heat and gently stir in the bloomed gelatin until fully melted. Set aside to cool to room temperature without allowing the custard to set.
- FOLD IN WHIPPED CREAM:
- Whip three hundred milliliters of cold heavy cream to soft peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the cooled custard to create a light, airy mousse texture.
- FILL MOLDS WITH MOUSSE AND STRAWBERRIES:
- Spoon a small amount of mousse at the bottom of each silicone dome mold, then place one whole small strawberry in the center. Cover the strawberry completely with more mousse until the dome is full. Smooth the surface evenly.
- FREEZE THE MOUSSE DOMES:
- Place the filled molds in the freezer and leave them overnight so the mousse sets firm.
- MAKE THE SABLÉ COOKIE DOUGH:
- Beat one hundred twenty grams of unsalted butter with eighty grams powdered sugar until smooth. Add one egg yolk and a teaspoon of vanilla extract, then mix in two hundred grams of flour with a pinch of salt until a dough forms.
- ROLL AND CHILL THE DOUGH:
- Between two sheets of parchment paper, roll out the dough evenly to about four millimeters thickness. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for thirty minutes to firm it.
- BAKE THE COOKIE BASES:
- Cut rounds slightly larger than the domes and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake at one hundred seventy degrees Celsius for twelve to fourteen minutes until lightly golden. Allow the sablé cookies to cool completely.
- BLOOM THE GELATIN FOR THE GLAZE:
- Soak ten grams of powdered gelatin in sixty milliliters of water for ten minutes until fully bloomed.
- HEAT SYRUP BASE FOR GLAZE:
- In a saucepan, combine one hundred fifty grams sugar, one hundred fifty grams glucose syrup, and seventy-five milliliters water. Bring to a boil and cook until the mixture reaches one hundred three degrees Celsius.
- FINISH THE GLAZE:
- Take the syrup off the heat and stir in one hundred grams sweetened condensed milk and the bloomed gelatin until dissolved. Pour immediately over one hundred fifty grams finely chopped white chocolate and let sit for one minute to start melting.
- BLEND AND COLOR THE GLAZE:
- Using an immersion blender, mix the glaze until smooth and glossy. Add red gel food coloring gradually until you achieve a bright festive red hue. Let the glaze cool to thirty-two to thirty-five degrees Celsius before glazing the domes.
- UNMOLD AND GLAZE THE DOMES:
- Carefully remove the frozen mousse domes from the silicone molds and place them on a wire rack over a tray to catch excess glaze. Pour the red mirror glaze evenly over each dome and let it set for five minutes.
- ASSEMBLE THE DOMES ON COOKIES:
- Gently lift each glazed dome with a spatula and place it carefully on a sablé cookie base.
- DECORATE WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE:
- Melt one hundred grams of white chocolate and pipe rings around the base of each dome to mimic the fur trim of Santa’s hat. Add a small white chocolate ball on top to complete the look.
My favorite ingredient has to be the fresh strawberries hidden inside each dome offering a juicy surprise with every bite. One Christmas, my children’s faces lit up when they saw the red domes topped with white chocolate balls, and it became a charming tradition to decorate them together.
Storage Tips
These dome cakes can be stored in the freezer for up to two weeks. For best results, keep them covered in airtight containers to avoid freezer burn. Let them thaw in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving to maintain texture and flavor.
Ingredient Substitutions
If you do not have glucose syrup, substitute with light corn syrup or honey but note that this might affect the shine of the glaze. You can replace fresh strawberries with raspberries for a slightly different but equally delicious flavor. Use powdered gelatin cautiously if you prefer to switch to agar agar though the texture may vary.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these domes chilled on a festive platter alongside other Christmas treats like spiced nuts or peppermint bark. They pair beautifully with a glass of sweet dessert wine or warm mulled wine for a classic holiday experience.
These festive domes are impressive to serve and can be mostly prepared ahead to make holiday hosting easier.
Common Recipe Questions
- → Comment réussir la mousse vanille légère ?
La mousse est réalisée avec une base de crème anglaise infusée à la vanille, gélifiée avec de la gélatine, puis incorporée délicatement à la crème fouettée pour une texture aérienne.
- → Quelle est la fonction du glaçage miroir rouge ?
Le glaçage miroir ajoute une finition brillante et colorée qui rappelle le bonnet du Père Noël, apportant à la fois esthétique et douceur sucrée.
- → Comment préparer la base sablée croustillante ?
La pâte sablée est réalisée avec du beurre, du sucre, un jaune d’œuf, de la farine et une touche de vanille, puis étalée, découpée et cuite jusqu'à une légère coloration dorée.
- → Peut-on préparer ces gâteaux à l'avance ?
Oui, les dômes doivent être congelés après moulage et peuvent être glacés juste avant le service, ce qui facilite la préparation anticipée.
- → Quelle pratique est recommandée pour le démoulage ?
Le démoulage est plus simple lorsque les dômes mousse sont complètement congelés, permettant un glaçage uniforme sans déformations.