Momofuku Basil Raspberry Cake
It’s no secret that I have fallen deeply in love with these Momofuku cakes. I have collected many of Christina Tosi’s recipes on my blog and loved each and every one of them. I do however think they have one flaw – too much sugar for my sweet tooth. Therefore I have started to alter the amount of sugar added in these recipes, thus creating (sort of) my own versions of Momofuku cakes. And I have to say I like them even more now. And this Momofuku basil raspberry cake is definitely at the top of my preferences!
There’s a certain charm to the layers of this Momofuku basil raspberry cake! It’s both the different colours – from the intense red of the raspberry sauce to the light colour of the cheesecake – and the different textures – from the softness of the sponge cake to the crunchiness of the butter crumbs and the silkiness of the liquid cheesecake. And in the end you get to taste a cake that has it all!
I have to highlight the star of this cake however – basil. You know I’ve worked quite a lot with this special ingredient lately (check out these cakes for more basil recipes) and somehow everyone around me has got to love it. It’s so intriguing and just so delicious. The flavor is awakening for your senses and it just goes so well with something as bright as raspberries! Basil has in my opinion the X factor and it just makes you want another slice.
Momofuku Style Raspberry Basil Cake
Ingrediente
Sponge cake:
- 225 g butter (softened)
- 280 g white sugar
- 150 g eggs
- 125 ml buttermilk
- 125 ml vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 210 g all-purpose flour
- 6 g baking powder
- 2 g salt
Liquid cheesecake:
- 200 g cream cheese (softened)
- 50 g white sugar
- 10 g cornstarch
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Butter crumbs:
- 65 g powdered milk
- 45 g all-purpose flour
- 45 g cornstarch
- 15 g white sugar
- 1 g salt
- 85 g butter (melted)
Lime basil cremeux:
- 2 g gelatin sheets
- 100 g eggs
- 65 g white sugar
- 75 ml lime juice
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 2 g basil leaves (fresh)
- 75 g butter (softened)
Raspberry sauce:
- 180 g frozen raspberries (thawed)
- 50 g white sugar
- 6 g pectin NH
- 5 ml lemon juice
- 2 g gelatin sheets
Lemonade soak:
- 80 ml water
- 20 ml lemon juice
- 30 g white sugar
- 2 lemon zest pieces
Instructiuni
Sponge cake:
- Mix the butter and white sugar until pale and creamy.
- Add the eggs, one by one, and mix well after each addition to ensure a smooth mixture.
- Stream in the vegetable oil and mix well then add the buttermilk, slowly, mixing all the time.
- Stir in the vanilla then add the flour sifted with baking powder and salt.
- Mix just to incorporate then spoon the batter in a 40x30cm cake pan lined with baking paper. Level the batter and bake the cake in the preheated oven at 180C for 25 minutes.
- When done, allow to cool down then cut the cake into 2 discs of 16cm diameter. You will be making a third disc of cake from the cake leftovers.
Liquid cheesecake:
- Mix the cream cheese with the sugar.
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Pour the mixture in a silicone mould and bake in the preheated oven at 160C for 20-25 minutes or just until set, but not at all golden brown. It shouldn’t be jiggly in the center.
- Allow to cool down then mix with a spoon until creamy.
Butter crumbs:
- Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Add the melted butter and mix well.
- Spread the crumbs on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 180C for 8-10 minutes or just until golden brown.
- Allow to cool down before using.
Lime basil cremeux:
- Bloom the gelatin in cold water.
- Combine the eggs, sugar, lime juice and lime zest in a bowl. Place over a hot water bath and cook, mixing all the time, until it begins to thicken.
- Turn the heat off and add the gelatin then pass the mixture through a fine sieve.
- Allow to come to 40C then add the butter and basil and blend until smooth. Reserve aside.
Raspberry sauce:
- Bloom the gelatin in cold water.
- Combine the white sugar and pectin.
- Place the raspberries in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat them up slightly then add the sugar and pectin and cook for 2 minutes from the moment it starts to boil.
- Turn the heat off and add the lemon juice and gelatin.
- Pass through a fine sieve and allow to cool down before using.
Lemonade soak:
- Combine the water, lemon juice and sugar, as well as zest pieces in a pot. bring to a boil then remove the zest pieces and allow to cool down completely.
To assemble the cake:
- Line a 16cm cake ring with acetate sheets.
- Make up the first layer of the cake by pressing the cake leftovers in the cake ring.
- Brush with lemonade soak then spoon in half of the cheesecake.
- Sprinkle in ⅓ of the crumbs, followed by ⅓ of the cremeux and ⅓ of the raspberry sauce.
- Next is a disc of sponge cake and a new lemonade soak. Follow the same steps: cheesecake, crumbs, cremeux and raspberry sauce one more time.
- Next is the final layer of sponge cake and a lemonade soak, followed by the final ⅓ of cremeux, butter crumbs and raspberry sauce.
- Refrigerate the cake for a few hours.
- Remove the ring and acetate sheets and enjoy!
Video
Other basil recipes you might enjoy:
So excited to try this. I have always wanted to try Tosi’s cakes but even a sugar addict like myself could see it was going to be way to sweet so was put off making them.
This I will try as I have great success with your recipes. Thank you.
Noreen, that’s the problem with most American recipes – too much sugar. However, some recipes can be adapted, much like I did here. Less sugar equals more flavor in my opinion.
Nu poate fi ratat,il voi face in doua saptamani la o ocazie speciala ce se apropie.
Multumesc !
Buna Olguta, reteta si imaginile arata de milioane, as vrea sa o incerc dar am o nedumerire. Daca nu am pectina NH pot folosii in loc Gelfix de la Dr Oetker?
Multumesc pentru ajtor si reteta!!!
Merge cu Gelfix, da.
Buna seara! As dorim sa va intreb daca torturile momofuku se pot imbraca in pasta de zahar?
Nu am incercat niciodata, dar cred ca cel mai bine ar fi sa il imbraci intr-un strat subtire de blat pe laterale, o foaie de blat, ca sa sigilezi umiditatea cremelor.
O sa incerc. Multumesc pt raspuns?!
L-am incercat si a iesit superb! Multumim pentru reteta, este fantastica! Singurul element cu care am avut oarecum probleme a fost sosul de zmeura care s-a intarit foarte tare (s-a facut un jeleu de zmeura destul de solid), insa mi-a pus probleme doar un pic la montare, in rest a fost perfect 🙂
L-am incercat, dar poate imi spui tu unde am gresit, l-am facut pe 24 dec si l-am servit pe 25. Pe 25 am avut surpriza sa constat ca este tare si uscat, poate nu l-am insiropat destul? In acelasi timp crema aceea cu busuioc si lamaie absolut delicioasa, nu prea s-a simtit, doar stratul de cheesecake. Am respectat reteta in tocmai si cremele separat erau dementiale.
Inca ceva, cum as putea sa maresc cantitatea de cremeux cu lime astfel incat sa nu trebuiasca sa cumpar o ladita de lime si sa umplu niste tarte sau eclere, de exemplu?
Iti multumesc frumos, sunt foarte tentata sa ma inscriu la unul din cursurile tale desi sunt incepatoare. Mie nu prea imi plac deserturile complexe pentru ca daca gresesti un pas nu mai iese nimic.
Am mai incercat briosele cu ciocolata de post, delicioase!!!!!!!
Sper sa prind incredere in mine! Te pup si un an nou cu bucurii si realizari!
Cred ca mai mergea insiropat. Chiar nu e un tort tare si uscat.
Crema de lamaie nici nu a fost gandita sa fie in cantitate mare – este clar o chestie de gusturi. Poti incerca data viitoare sa faci mai multa crema cu busuioc. 🙂
Poti pune zeama de lamaie in loc de lime. Dar neaparat coaja de lime pentru aroma.
L-am facut si pe cel cu picaturi de ciocolata! A iesit de vis! Multumim frumos pt retete!
How many people will this serve?
8-10 servings. It’s a very filling cake.
Buna, a-si dori sa va intreb daca 6gr de pectina este echivalenta cu 6gr Gelfix? Va multumesc.
Excited to try bake this cake! Quick question, do we have to freeze them for at least 3 hours like the original momofuku recipe? Or refrigerator is fine? Thanks!
Ouale se cantaresc cu sau fara coaja? Multumesc
Intotdeauna fara 🙂
1 ou in cofetarie are aprox 50g. Asadar spargi intr-un bol cam cate crezi ca ai nevoie si apoi amesteci cu o furculita pentru a avea compozitie omogena, abia apoi cantaresti.
Buna! Imi poti spune mai exact ce este lapte pudraA si B? Multumesc frumos!
In general, cand exista notari de genul acesta, A si B, sunt acelasi ingredient impartit in 2 portii caci intra in reteta in pasi diferiti ai retetei.