Heaven & Hell Cake (Mousse)

Peanut butter and cream cheese whipped together with powdered sugar, then folded into stiff whipped cream. That’s the entire recipe. No baking, no cooking, no gelatin. Just three components that come together into a mousse so rich and smooth it earns the name Heaven & Hell.

The key is getting the cream cheese and peanut butter mixture truly fluffy before folding in the whipped cream. Beat them together until there are no lumps and the texture is light. If it looks a little grainy, a couple tablespoons of cream loosens it up enough to blend smoothly.

Fold the whipped cream in carefully. You want to keep as much air as possible from the whipped cream intact. That air is what gives the mousse its cloud-like lightness against the dense peanut butter base.

Chill for at least an hour before serving so it firms up and the flavors meld.

Kitchen Tips

• Bring the cream cheese and peanut butter to room temperature before mixing. Cold ingredients don’t cream smoothly and you’ll fight lumps the whole way.
• Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks in a cold bowl. Soft peaks fold in too easily and deflate.
• Use creamy peanut butter for a smooth mousse, or chunky if you want bits of peanut throughout.
• Serve in individual cups or ramekins for a polished presentation.

Variations

• Spoon the mousse over sliced bananas and drizzle with chocolate sauce for a full sundae experience.
• Layer it in a chocolate cookie crust for a no-bake peanut butter pie.
• Fold in mini chocolate chips before chilling for a peanut butter cup mousse.