Introduction: Rose Water Raindrop Cake With Cardamom Coconut Whipped Cream

This neat-looking dessert is gluten free, dairy free, and vegan!

Raindrop Cake or Water Cake is the English translation of Mizu (water) Shingen Mochi (glutinous rice cake). The dessert phenomenon started in Japan and spread all over the internet a few years ago. It's not really a cake and not quite a jelly. It's basically solidified water that looks just like a large raindrop, and it's pretty awesome.

The key to making a perfect Raindrop Cake is having just the right concentration of agar. Agar (or agar-agar) is a gelling agent that comes from algae and can be used like a vegan gelatin. You might find this in the Asian foods section or health foods section of your local grocery store. It's best to use the lowest amount of agar possible that will gel the water so that the Raindrop Cake will look clear. Raindrop Cake should melt into water as soon as you put it in your mouth.

My version of the Raindrop Cake is flavoured with rose water and paired with a cardamom coconut whipped cream.

Step 1: Gather Your Ingredients

For the Raindrop Cake, you will need:

  • 1/8 teaspoon agar (agar-agar)
  • 2 teaspoons rose water
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 3/4 cup water
  • measuring cup
  • small pot
  • molds or small bowls/cups

For the Cardamom Coconut Whipped Cream, you will need:

  • 1 can of coconut milk
  • icing sugar
  • cardamom powder
  • chilled bowl
  • hand mixer

Step 2: Dissolve Your Agar

Measure out 3/4 cups of water and add it to a small pot. Add your 2 tablespoons of sugar and dissolve.

Add your 1/8 teaspoon of agar. Heat while constantly stirring. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil for a few minutes until all of the agar is dissolved.

Turn off the heat and add your 2 teaspoons of rose water.

Pour the mixture back into your measuring glass. Concentration is very important, so add more water until you reach the 3/4 cup mark again. Some water would have been lost while boiling.

Step 3: Pour Your Raindrop Cake Into Molds

I found it easier to use the measuring cup for pouring the liquid into the molds. Try to pour down the sides of your molds slowly to reduce the amount of bubbles. You'll also get less bubbles if you pour while it is still hot.

You can use small bowls or cups if you don't have a spherical mold.

After pouring, put your molds in the fridge overnight to set.

Step 4: Make Your Cardamom Coconut Milk Whipped Cream

First you will need to put your can of coconut milk in the fridge for a day. This will help to separate the fat from the liquid. The fat will float to the top of the can and this is the part that we want. I find each can of coconut milk is a little bit different. When you go to buy a can from the store, give a few cans a shake. Pick the can that feels more solid and sloshes less. You should also check the ingredients and make sure that it's just coconut milk inside and no guar gum, otherwise the fat won't separate properly.

Scoop out the top layer of coconut fat from your can and add it to a chilled bowl. Whip this until it looks creamy and fluffy. Add 1/4 cup of icing sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder and whip just until smooth. You can change the amount of icing sugar and cardamom to your taste preference.

Step 5: Done!

Carefully remove the Raindrop Cakes from their molds. You can put them in a warm water bath to melt the edges a bit to help get them out of the molds.

The Raindrop Cakes should be very delicate and easily broken. They should also be clear and colourless.

Enjoy your Rose Water Raindrop Cake with your Cardamom Coconut Whipped Cream!

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