Introduction

These Santa Claus Dome Cakes are a festive and elegant dessert perfect for the holiday season. Featuring a creamy vanilla mousse with a fresh strawberry center, a buttery sablé cookie base, and a shiny red mirror glaze, they look as delightful as they taste.

The image shows several small dome-shaped desserts placed on a white marbled surface. Each dessert has three layers: the bottom layer is a thin, light brown cookie or biscuit base, the middle layer is a thick, smooth white cream, and the top layer is a shiny, bright red mirror glaze dome. Each dome is topped with a small round beige ball. The arrangement of the desserts is neat, with even spacing and the red glaze reflecting light clearly. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

For the Vanilla Mousse:

300 ml heavy cream (cold)
250 ml whole milk
1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 egg yolks
80 g granulated sugar
6 g powdered gelatin (about 2 tsp) + 30 ml cold water
6–8 fresh strawberries (small, stem removed)

For the Sablé Cookie Base:

120 g unsalted butter (room temperature)
80 g powdered sugar
1 egg yolk
200 g all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Red Mirror Glaze:

150 g sugar
150 g glucose syrup
75 ml water
100 g sweetened condensed milk
150 g white chocolate (finely chopped)
10 g powdered gelatin + 60 ml water
Red gel food coloring

For the Decorations:

100 g white chocolate for the ring and ball

Instructions

Step 1: Bloom the gelatin for the mousse by combining 6 g powdered gelatin with 30 ml cold water in a small bowl and letting it sit for 10 minutes until fully bloomed.
Step 2: Heat the milk and infuse vanilla by warming the whole milk with the vanilla bean (split and seeds scraped) or extract over medium heat until warm but not boiling. Remove from heat.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar until pale and slightly thickened.
Step 4: Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring gently, until it reaches 82°C (180°F) and thickens slightly.
Step 5: Remove from heat, stir in the bloomed gelatin until fully dissolved, and let the custard cool to room temperature.
Step 6: Whip the cold heavy cream to soft peaks, then gently fold it into the cooled custard until smooth and fully combined.
Step 7: Spoon a small amount of mousse into each silicone dome mold, press one whole strawberry into the center, and cover with additional mousse until the mold is filled. Smooth the tops.
Step 8: Freeze the mousse domes overnight until completely solid.
Step 9: Make the sablé cookie dough by creaming together butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract, then mix in the flour and salt until a dough forms.
Step 10: Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to 4 mm thickness and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Step 11: Cut rounds slightly larger than the dome molds and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake at 170°C (340°F) for 12–14 minutes until lightly golden. Let cool completely.
Step 12: Bloom the gelatin for the glaze by combining 10 g powdered gelatin with 60 ml water and letting it sit for 10 minutes.
Step 13: In a saucepan, bring sugar, glucose syrup, and water to a boil and cook until it reaches 103°C (217°F).
Step 14: Remove from heat, stir in sweetened condensed milk and the bloomed gelatin until fully dissolved. Pour over chopped white chocolate and let sit for 1 minute.
Step 15: Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Add red gel food coloring until a bright Santa hat red is achieved. Let cool to 32–35°C (90–95°F) before using.
Step 16: Unmold the frozen mousse domes and place them on a wire rack over a tray. Pour the red mirror glaze over each dome, letting it coat evenly. Allow glaze to set for 5 minutes.
Step 17: Gently lift each glazed dome using a spatula and place it on a sablé cookie base.
Step 18: Decorate by piping or molding a ring of melted white chocolate around the base of each dome as the “fur trim.” Add a small white chocolate ball on top of each dome to complete the Santa hat look.

Tips & Variations

Use fresh, ripe strawberries for a juicy center that complements the creamy mousse perfectly.
For a citrus twist, add a teaspoon of orange zest to the sablé cookie dough.
If you don’t have glucose syrup, substitute with light corn syrup in equal amounts.
Make sure the glaze is at the right temperature (32–35°C) before pouring to ensure a smooth, glossy finish.

Storage

Store the completed dome cakes refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Allow them to come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving. If frozen, keep them covered and thaw in the refrigerator overnight before glazing and decorating.

How to Serve

The image shows multiple small dome-shaped desserts arranged on a white marbled surface. Each dessert has three clear layers: a bottom thin brown crumbly base, a middle thick smooth pale cream layer, and a top shiny red dome with a mirror glaze texture. On top of each red dome, there is a small round white sphere as decoration. The desserts are evenly spaced, and light reflections appear on the glossy red domes. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use gelatin sheets instead of powdered gelatin?

Yes, gelatin sheets can be used as a substitute. Use about twice the weight of powdered gelatin and soak them in cold water until soft before adding to your mixture.

Can I prepare these cakes ahead of time?

Absolutely! The mousse domes can be frozen for up to a week before glazing and decorating, making them perfect for holiday preparation in advance.

Santa Claus Dome Cakes Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.7 from 564 reviews

Santa Claus Dome Cakes are festive and elegant desserts featuring a creamy vanilla mousse encasing a fresh strawberry, set atop a buttery sablé cookie base. Finished with a shiny red mirror glaze and white chocolate decorations mimicking Santa’s hat trim, these individual domes combine smooth textures and vibrant holiday colors perfect for special occasions.

Author: Dylan
Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: overnight freezing included: approx. 12 hours
Yield: 6–8 individual dome cakes 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Freezing with Baking and No-Cook elements; primary cooking method: Baking (for cookie base) and Freezing (for mousse setting), glazing is a no-cook technique
Cuisine: French-inspired

Ingredients

Scale

Vanilla Mousse

300 ml heavy cream (cold)
250 ml whole milk
1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 egg yolks
80 g granulated sugar
6 g powdered gelatin (about 2 tsp) + 30 ml cold water
6–8 fresh strawberries (small, stem removed)

Sablé Cookie Base

120 g unsalted butter (room temperature)
80 g powdered sugar
1 egg yolk
200 g all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Red Mirror Glaze

150 g sugar
150 g glucose syrup
75 ml water
100 g sweetened condensed milk
150 g white chocolate (finely chopped)
10 g powdered gelatin + 60 ml water
Red gel food coloring

Decorations

100 g white chocolate for the ring and ball

Instructions

Bloom the Gelatin for the Mousse: Combine 6 g powdered gelatin with 30 ml cold water in a small bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes until fully bloomed.
Heat the Milk and Infuse Vanilla: In a saucepan, warm the whole milk with the vanilla bean (split and seeds scraped) or vanilla extract over medium heat until hot but not boiling. Remove from heat.
Prepare the Egg Yolk Mixture: Whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar in a separate bowl until pale and slightly thickened.
Cook the Custard Base: Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook gently over low heat, stirring until the custard thickens slightly and reaches 82°C (180°F).
Incorporate Gelatin and Cool: Remove custard from heat, stir in the bloomed gelatin until fully dissolved, and let cool to room temperature.
Fold in Whipped Cream: Whip the cold heavy cream to soft peaks and gently fold into the cooled custard base until smooth and combined.
Fill Molds with Mousse and Strawberries: Spoon a small amount of mousse into each silicone dome mold, press a whole strawberry into the center, then cover with more mousse to fill the mold. Smooth the tops.
Freeze the Mousse Domes: Place molds in the freezer and freeze overnight until completely solid.
Make the Sablé Cookie Dough: Cream butter and powdered sugar until smooth, add egg yolk and vanilla, then mix in flour and salt until dough forms.
Roll and Chill the Dough: Roll dough between parchment sheets to 4 mm thickness and chill for 30 minutes.
Bake the Cookie Bases: Cut rounds larger than dome molds, place on parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake at 170°C (340°F) for 12–14 minutes until lightly golden. Cool completely.
Bloom the Gelatin for the Glaze: Combine 10 g powdered gelatin with 60 ml water and let bloom for 10 minutes.
Heat Syrup Base for Glaze: In a saucepan, boil sugar, glucose syrup, and water until temperature reaches 103°C (217°F).
Finish the Glaze: Remove from heat, stir in sweetened condensed milk and bloomed gelatin until dissolved. Pour mixture over chopped white chocolate and let sit for 1 minute.
Blend and Color the Glaze: Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth, add red gel food coloring to achieve bright Santa hat red. Cool glaze to 32–35°C (90–95°F) before using.
Unmold and Glaze the Domes: Remove frozen mousse domes from molds; place on wire rack over tray. Pour red mirror glaze evenly over each dome and let set for 5 minutes.
Assemble the Domes on Cookies: Lift each glazed dome gently with a spatula and place on sablé cookie base.
Decorate with White Chocolate: Pipe or mold a ring of melted white chocolate around each dome base to form the “fur trim” and add a small white chocolate ball on top to complete the Santa hat look.