This Carrot Orange Mousse Cake Recipe yields a rich, spiced carrot cake topped with a cloud-like white chocolate orange mousse. The carrot cake recipe is flavored with orange zest, blended toasted walnuts, raisin paste, finely-grated carrots and cinnamon. This is an excellent cake for special occasions because the mousse elevates the overall texture and flavor. It would be great on the Easter table, since oranges and carrots are in peak season in Spring.
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This cake is another installment of my vintage recipe redo series on social media. This is the modern reimagining of the 1930s/1940s recipe for "Hallowe'en Salad". The "salad" is essentially orange juice with gelatin, filled with shredded carrots, chopped walnuts and orange pieces. It gets decorated with a raisin Jack O'Lantern face and served on a bed of lettuce. You can imagine how terrible the texture is. I likened it to eating the scraps of food at the bottom of the kitchen drain. So I took the flavors and gelatin component, and turned it into something a lot more texturally pleasing! For social media, I included a Jack O'Lantern face using a stencil and a dusting of black cocoa powder. The photos here show a year-round garnish option of shredded carrots and orange slices.
I adapted the mousse component from Julie Marie Eats to essentially make an orange-scented mousse cake. I borrowed the ground nut technique from Kassie Mendieta and the raisin paste technique from A Full Living. The cake base is adapted from my popular layered carrot cake, that I also use in my carrot cake trifle.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- The walnut and raisin paste add incredible flavor depth to the cake.
- The mousse is so light and has a great orange flavor. I used orange zest and orange extract for maximum orange flavor.
- Carrot and orange go together so beautifully. You'll love this unexpected flavor combo.
Ingredients
- Carrots flavor the cake. I love a finely-shredded carrot, but feel free to grate them to your liking.
- Softened raisins and walnuts make a paste that adds incredible flavor depth to the cake base.
- All-purpose flour gives a tender crumb to the cake.
- Baking powder and baking soda give lift to the cake.
- Cinnamon flavors the cake.
- Oil adds richness to the cake. You can use any neutral-flavored oil. I used avocado oil.
- Sour cream provides moisture and richness to the cake.
- Dark brown sugar and granulated sugar sweeten the cake and the mousse.
- Whole eggs provide structure to the cake, egg yolks provide structure and richness to the mousse.
- Orange zest flavors the cake and the mousse. The cake also has optional orange extract.
- Unflavored gelatin provides structure to the mousse.
- White chocolate provides structure and sweetness to the mousse.
- Heavy cream is the main base of the mousse.
- Orange extract (not pictured) boosts the orange flavor in the mousse.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and variations
Here's how to customize this carrot orange mousse cake recipe to your liking:
- Cream cheese frosting — make a simple cream cheese frosting and tuck it between the cake and the mousse layer for even more classic carrot cake flavor.
- Another flavor — add orange blossom water, almond flavor or rum flavoring to the cake or mousse.
- Another nut — swap walnuts for pecans, pine nuts or pistachios.
- No raisins — omit the raisins and replace with ¼ cup more of granulated sugar.
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This recipe has not been tested with any substitutions or variations. If you try any, please let me know how it turned out by commenting below!
How to make This Carrot Orange Mousse Cake Recipe Step-by-Step
Step 1: Grease a 9-inch springform pan and place a circle of parchment paper in the bottom. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour the walnuts on a parchment lined baking tray. Bake for 10-15 minutes until toasted. Keep the oven on for the cake. In a heatproof bowl, combine the boiling water and raisins to soak for 10 minutes. After soaking, drain the water off and pat dry with a paper towel. Add the softened raisins, toasted walnuts, oil and sour cream to a blender, or a medium jug if using an immersion blender. Blend until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition. Add vanilla and whisk until incorporated.
Step 2: In a small bowl, rub together the dark brown sugar, granulated sugar and orange zest to express the oils of the zest. Add the mixture to the previous mixture and whisk until combined.
Step 3: In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add flour mixture in 3 parts to the wet mixture, careful not to overmix. Fold in carrots. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the tin for 30 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Keep the pan for assembly.
Step 4: In a small bowl, combine the gelatin and cold water. Let sit for 5 minutes to bloom. In a medium bowl, add the granulated sugar and orange zest. Rub together with your fingers to express the oils of the zest. Add the egg yolks and whisk by hand or beat with hand beaters fir about 2 minutes until pale and fluffy.
Step 5: In another medium heatproof bowl, gently melt the white chocolate over a small pot of simmering water. Remove from the heat. Pour out the water from the small pot and return it to the heat. Add ½ cup (100g) of the heavy cream and heat just until simmering. Remove from the heat and let cool for a bit. You just don’t want it to be boiling (212°F) as that can ruin the gelatin. Add the bloomed gelatin mixture and whisk until melted.
Step 6: Add the cream gelatin mixture to the melted white chocolate and stir until smooth. Add this mixture to the egg yolk sugar mixture and fold together. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a bowl with hand beaters, whip the remaining 1 ½ cups (350g) heavy cream until soft peaks. Add half of the whipped cream to the white chocolate mixture, gently folding it in. Then add the rest of the whipped cream, food coloring and orange extract, and fold it in. Be careful not to overmix. Place the cooled cake layer back in the springform pan. Pour the mousse over the cake and smooth the top. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, before unmolding. Before serving, garnish with orange slices and carrots, if desired.
Top tips
- I used a box grater to grate my carrots, but you can also use a food processor with a grater attachment.
- For best results, be sure to use aluminum-free baking powder. This ensures the carrots will not oxidize in the cake, which can cause a bluish discoloration.
- Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature. This ensures all of your ingredients will mix in properly.
Recipe FAQs
Store mousse cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not freeze. Freezing degrades the gelatin in the mousse.
Check out this article by Serious Eats on how to pasteurize egg yolks.
Yes, it is best for mousse cakes to chill overnight so it is a great make-ahead dessert.
More recipes you'll love
Lastly, if you make this Carrot Orange Mousse Cake Recipe be sure to leave a comment or give it a rating. I love to see when people make my recipes, so please tag me @youthsweets on Instagram if you post!
📖 Recipe
Carrot Orange Mousse Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Carrot cake
- ¾ cup walnuts (3 oz, 85g)
- ⅓ cup raisins (2 oz, 56g)
- ¾ cup boiling water
- ½ cup oil (110g)
- ¼ cup sour cream (58g)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
- ½ cup dark brown sugar (100g)
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups thinly-grated carrots lightly packed, (150g shredded, approx. 2 large carrots)
White chocolate orange mousse
- 1 ½ teaspoon unflavored gelatin granulated (5g)
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 1 tablespoon orange zest finely grated
- 2 egg yolks pasteurized
- ¾ cup white chocolate (150g)
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream (450g, 16 oz)
- ½ teaspoon orange extract optional
- Few drops orange food coloring optional
Instructions
Make the cake
- Grease a 9-inch springform pan and place a circle of parchment paper in the bottom.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour the walnuts on a parchment lined baking tray. Bake for 10-15 minutes until toasted. Keep the oven on for the cake.
- In a heatproof bowl, combine the boiling water and raisins to soak for 10 minutes. After soaking, drain the water off and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Add the softened raisins, toasted walnuts, oil and sour cream to a blender, or a medium jug if using an immersion blender. Blend until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition. Add vanilla and whisk until incorporated.
- In a small bowl, rub together the dark brown sugar, granulated sugar and orange zest to express the oils of the zest. Add the mixture to the previous mixture and whisk until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add flour mixture in 3 parts to the wet mixture, careful not to overmix. Fold in carrots.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the tin for 30 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Keep the pan for assembly.
Make the mousse
- Warning: This part has a lot of steps that all happen very quickly. Be sure to have your ingredients measured ahead of time and have lots of extra bowls and utensils readily available.
- In a small bowl, combine the gelatin and cold water. Let sit for 5 minutes to bloom.
- In a medium bowl, add the granulated sugar and orange zest. Rub together with your fingers to express the oils of the zest. Add the egg yolks and whisk by hand or beat with hand beaters for about 2 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- In another medium heatproof bowl, gently melt the white chocolate over a small pot of simmering water. Remove from the heat.
- Pour out the water from the small pot and return it to the heat. Add ½ cup (100g) of the heavy cream and heat just until simmering. Remove from the heat and let cool for a bit. You just don’t want it to be boiling (212°F) as that can ruin the gelatin. Add the bloomed gelatin mixture and whisk until melted.
- Add the cream gelatin mixture to the melted white chocolate and stir until smooth. Add this mixture to the egg yolk sugar mixture and fold together.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a bowl with hand beaters, whip the remaining 1 ½ cups (350g) heavy cream until soft peaks.
- Add half of the whipped cream to the white chocolate mixture, gently folding it in. Then add the rest of the whipped cream, food coloring and orange extract, and fold it in. Be careful not to overmix.
Assemble
- Place the cooled cake layer back in the springform pan. Pour the mousse over the cake and smooth the top.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, before unmolding. Before serving, garnish with orange slices and carrots, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published 10/10/2025.
The flavor depth from the walnut and raisin paste is so good in the carrot cake! The mousse texture is perfect. Full disclosure, I am the author of this recipe.