In April 2016 I launched Raindrop Cake at Smorgasburg in New York. The attention it got took me by complete surprise. I started Raindrop Cake as a small side hustle based on a fondness for Japanese desserts. I read about a Shingen mochi made out of water. That fascinated me and I decided I would figure out how to make it on my own. I learned everything I could about making jelly, experimenting with different agars and figuring out how a minor difference in water would make a big difference. Below is the original recipe that I landed on that started it all.
(Shingen Mochi)
Recipe makes four 4oz Raindrop Cakes
- 2 cups water (Purest you can find, I used double carbon filtered, UV, reverse osmosis and ionized water)
- 1.20g agar powder (This is the minimal amount needed to hold its shape)
- 200g dark brown sugarcane
- 100ml water (normal water will do it’s for the syrup)
- Silicon dome mold (3.15" diameter)
- 100g kinako powder
- Large silicon half dome mold
- Wooden boats 6.5in x 3.5in
Boil 2 cups water, sprinkle in agar so it does not clump. Boil until completely dissolved. Try not to evaporate too much water.
Let the boiled solution cool to about 150°F.
Pour into mold and let set for at least 2 hours.
To make syrup, boil 100ml water and dissolve 200g of dark brown sugarcane. Boil until there are no more crystals. (Any crystals left will make it gritty and will crystalize the syrup after it’s cooled. You can add a dollop of dark corn syrup to prevent crystallization.)
To serve, gently remove the Raindrop Cake from the mold and place on a plate. Add a healthy amount of syrup and kinako on the side.
The best way to eat it is to generously cover the Raindrop Cake with the Kinako powder, then drizzle the syrup on top then eat it with a spoon.
