Raindrop Cake looks beautiful, has almost no calories, and is easy to make if you follow a few simple tips. It is not too late to make this beautiful and delicious Japanese summer dessert! And I will show you how to make it really crystal clear like a giant raindrop!
What is raindrop cake?
Raindrop cake is actually called “Mizu Shingen Mochi” in Japanese. It is a jelly-like dessert made from water and agar powder and it looks just like a giant raindrop. The dessert originated in Yamanashi prefecture, which has a Japanese sweets shop that first sold this dessert.
The fairest flowers soonest fade
At the shop where the Mizu Shingen Mochi” originated, the raindrop cake only stays in its raindrop form for about 30 minutes so you can not take away, you have to eat it there. Apparently, there is always a queue at that shop because of how popular this dessert is.
3 tips to make crystal clear raindrop cake
- Use quality agar powder
. I used one called “Cool Agar which I ordered on Amazon from Japan. There are different types of agar agar powder. I shared a comparison chart in Anmitsu post.
- Use Mineral water. The brand I used is available in Australia from major supermarkets.
- Use the correct agar powder and mineral water ratio. Follow exactly the recipe. It does make a little more than I needed for the mold I have.
Difference between various coagulants
Gelatin, Kanten and Agar are used as coagulants in Japan. I have shared the comparison chart in Anmitsu post. If you are interested and would like to know more, head to that post. If you really want to impress with CRYSTAL CLEAR raindrop cake, I recommend use the same agar powder
I used.
What is the brown powder on the side?
It is kinako
, which is soybean powder. Kinako is a Japanese superfood, a superb plant-based protein. Roasted soybeans are finely grinded into powder. I try to incorporate it as much as I can, often just by sprinkling over yoghurt because it has super anti-aging power and also is high in dietary fibre. It is delicious, has a lovely nutty aroma, and is so easy to blend into cooking.
What is the dark syrup ?
It is brown sugar syrup called “Kuromitsu
” in Japanese. Kuromitsu is a brown sugar syrup made from Okinawa black sugar. Its texture is a little bit thicker than maple syrup and beautiful dark brown in colour. The raindrop cake itself is almost tasteless, so the brown sugar syrup gives a rich sweet taste to this dessert.
Where did you get the mold ?
You can also find the raindrop molds on Amazon, but I made mine in a big, Silicone Ice Ball Mold 
. So you don’t need to buy a fancy mold, you can just use a cheap one like I did or make it just in a cup or bowl. My mold was 5.5cm in diameter.
What is the serving plate made out of?
The serving plate is the same serving plate that Takoyaki is usually served in. They are made out of thin wood. Because of the shape, they are called “Funazara” in Japanese or “Bamboo Boat plate
”. They are not plastic, so they are eco friendly.
Here is my instruction for Raindrop cake and If you liked it, please rate it and leave a comment below. Also, don’t forget to follow me on Youtube, Pinterest, Facebook , Twitter and Instagram to keep up to date with all the latest happenings on Chopstick Chronicles. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #ChopstickChronicles so I can see your wonderful creations!
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Raindrop cake
Ingredients
- 10 g agar powder
- 300 g mineral water
- 4 tbs soy bean powder
- 4 tbs brown sugar syrup
- Instructions
Instructions
- Put the agar powder in a small saucepan.
- Add a little bit of water at a time (to avoid creating lumps) to the saucepan and continuously stir to dissolve the powder.
- Bring it to boil over heat then turn it down to simmer for 2 minutes over low heat stirring constantly.
- Turn it down and continue to stir constantly in the saucepan then transfer to a sink filled with water and continue to stir so that it cools quickly (make sure not to get any extra water in the pan).
- Pour it in an ice ball mold and fill half (semi sphere/half sphere?) place the lid on and fill the ball from the top hole. Leave it in the fridge to set for at least one hour.
- When it is set, remove from the mold and serve it with 1 tbs soy bean powder and 1 tbs brown sugar syrup
Notes
- Consume within 30 minutes, otherwise it will melt.
- The mixture makes more than you need to fill, depending on the mold size. You can put the leftover to set in a small cup.
- I bought agar agar powder from Japan. If you would like to know more about the difference of coagulant, read here. The type of agar powder I used and the ingredients of original raindrop cake "Mizu Shingen Mochi" does start to re-liquify in room temperature, therefore it needs to be consumed quickly after serving.
can i store the raindrop cake and if i can how long can i store it for?
Hi James, no you can not store it.
Is it too late to ask a question about this? Is the mineral water necessary to help it set? Can I use regular water? i was hoping to use maybe a mix of water and strawberry flavoring (clear). Thanks!
Hi Alex, it just help to make crystal clear raindrop cake 😀
Hi! I accidentally bought lantern powder instead of agar powder, can I use it for this recipe? How is it different from agar? Thanks!
I meant “kanten “ powder
Hi Syd, It will not make crystal clear raindrop cake.
Thank you for your agar powder tip and I have also used the same. I wonder if there any difference in the result when I used (sparkling) mineral water?
Hi Yvonne, I am not sure as I have not used sparkling water for this recipe.
Hello, can this recipe be prepared in advance for a function and served at whatever time the guests are ready? Or can it not be refrigerated for longer than the recipe states? Thanks!
Hi Sarah, yes you can prepare in advance as long as it kept in fridge 😀
Hi, I was wondering exactly how to measure the agar powder if I don’t have a scale. I looked up 300 grams of water to cups, but I can’t find a conversion for agar powder.
Hi Zach Thank you for trying to make this recipe and your effort for conversion. In the recipe card though, there is a word says US metric and also you can click it to change to US metric. 10g of agar agar powder is approximately 1.5 tablespoon. See other readers’ comments above as well.
oh wow! I need to read more carefully. Thanks for replying so quickly.