White Chocolate Strawberry Cloud Cake

No-bake white chocolate cream-cheese mousse on a Golden Oreo crust, finished with a glossy strawberry compote crown. Soft, tall, and fully chilled.

By Brandon Carroll

Yield: 12 servings

Prep: 40 minutes

Cook: no bake

Total: about 6 hours 40 minutes (includes chill)

Ingredients

• 24 to 26 vanilla sandwich cookies (Golden Oreos), whole cookie with filling
• 4 to 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (start with 4; add the 5th only if crumbs feel dry)
• 8 ounces high-quality white chocolate bars (Ghirardelli or Lindt; do not use chips)
• 24 ounces full-fat block cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and halved (keep small ones whole)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (for topping)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

1. Pulse the vanilla sandwich cookies (filling included) in a food processor until they are fine crumbs.
2. Pour in 4 tablespoons melted butter and pulse. Squeeze some crumbs in your hand; if they hold a shape, stop. If they crumble, add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter.
3. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Use the bottom of a glass to pack it tight. Freeze 20 minutes to set the butter.
4. Break the white chocolate into a bowl. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between, until smooth. Cool on the counter until tepid; a drop on the inner wrist should feel neither hot nor cold.
5. In a separate cold bowl, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Set aside.
6. In the main mixer bowl, beat the room-temperature cream cheese and powdered sugar until completely smooth with no lumps.
7. With the mixer on low, slowly drizzle in the cooled white chocolate, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Scrape the bowl and mix until uniform.
8. Stir one big scoop of whipped cream vigorously into the cheese base to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream with a spatula (over, under, turn) and stop the moment the white streaks disappear.
9. Pour the mousse over the frozen crust. Smooth the top with an offset spatula. Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 6 hours; overnight is safer.
10. For the topping: in a saucepan combine strawberries, granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Simmer over medium heat 5 minutes until the berries soften and release juice.
11. Stir together cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Stir the slurry into the strawberries and boil 1 minute until the liquid turns clear and glossy. Remove from heat and cool completely in the fridge before crowning the cake.