Torte Basiliko – A Refreshing Lime Basil Mousse Cake with Strawberry-Rhubarb Heart and Coconut Crunch
Discover Torte Basiliko: a vibrant mousse cake with layers of lime, basil, strawberry-rhubarb compote, coconut cream, and a crisp base, topped with green mirror glaze.If you’re looking for a cake that captures the essence of summer in both flavor and appearance, Torte Basiliko is an exquisite creation that delivers just that. Inspired by the elegance of modern pâtisserie, this entremet blends bold lime and basil mousse with a fruity strawberry-rhubarb compote, creamy coconut notes, and a crispy shortbread base. Each component brings its own texture and taste—soft, airy mousse, tangy fruit, rich coconut, and crunchy layers—all encased in a glossy green mirror glaze.This cake is perfect for special occasions or when you want to impress guests with a bakery-level dessert at home. The flavor profile is fresh and exotic, ideal for warm-weather gatherings or anyone who appreciates refined, nature-inspired pastry.
Ingredients
Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote Insert
- 125 g strawberry purée
- 70 g jam sugar 2:1
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- Zest of 1 organic lime
- 80 g fresh strawberries finely diced
- 40 g rhubarb finely diced
- 2 sheets 4.2 g gelatin
Coconut Cream Layer
- 70 g coconut milk
- 25 g sugar
- 1.5 sheets 2.5 g gelatin
- 25 g crème fraîche
- 8 ml coconut liqueur e.g., Malibu
- 70 g heavy cream
Coconut Sponge
- 1 egg white L
- 1 pinch of salt
- 30 g sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 25 g flour
- 10 g shredded coconut
- 10 g melted butter
- A little strawberry jam for brushing
Gluten-Free Shortbread for Crunch Layer
- 90 g butter
- 82 g almond flour
- 42 g rice flour
- 22 g cornstarch
- 1 –2 pinches of salt
Crispy Coconut Base
- 15 g white chocolate couverture
- 45 g praline nougat
- 56 g gluten-free shortbread from above
- 10 g crêpes dentelles wafer flakes
- 16 g shredded coconut
- 1 pinch of salt
Lime-Basil Mousse
- 60 g whole milk
- Zest of ½ organic lime
- 1 sheet gelatin
- 110 g white chocolate couverture
- 30 g lime juice
- 2 g fresh basil finely chopped
- 130 g heavy cream
Mirror Glaze (No chocolate or condensed milk)
- 4 sheets 6.8 g gelatin
- 90 g milk
- 182 g cream
- 240 g sugar
- 65 g glucose syrup
- 17 g cornstarch
- Green gel food coloring optional: mix with a hint of yellow
Decoration
- White chocolate
- Green and yellow cocoa butter coloring
- Edible sugar pearls
- Acetate sheets for chocolate leaves
Instructions
🧊 Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote
- Soak gelatin in cold water.
- In a saucepan, combine strawberry purée, diced strawberries and rhubarb, jam sugar, lime juice, and zest. Bring to a boil and cook for 4 minutes.
- Let cool to 80°C, then stir in drained gelatin until dissolved.
- Pour into a 16 cm ring mold and chill until fully set (or freeze for faster setting).
🥥 Coconut Cream
- Soak gelatin in cold water.
- Warm coconut milk with sugar, then dissolve the gelatin in it.
- In a separate bowl, mix crème fraîche with coconut liqueur, then stir in the warm coconut milk.
- When mixture begins to thicken slightly, fold in semi-whipped cream.
- Spread on top of the chilled compote layer and refrigerate until set.
🍰 Coconut Sponge
- Preheat oven to 180°C (top/bottom heat).
- Beat egg white with salt and sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in egg yolk.
- Sift in flour and add shredded coconut. Carefully fold in.
- Mix 1 tbsp of batter with melted butter and fold back into main batter.
- Spread batter about 1 cm thick onto baking tray lined with parchment or silicone mat.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes. Cool, then cut a 16 cm outer ring and a smaller inner ring to create a donut shape.
- Brush lightly with strawberry jam and place on top of the set coconut cream layer. Freeze entire insert.
🌴 Crispy Coconut Base
- Prepare Shortbread:
- Combine butter, almond flour, rice flour, cornstarch, and salt to form crumbles.
- Freeze 20 minutes, then bake at 170°C for 20–25 min until golden.
Make Crunch Layer:
- Melt white chocolate and praline nougat.
- Stir in 56 g baked shortbread, crêpes dentelles, shredded coconut, and salt.
- Roll mixture between parchment to 3 mm thickness and chill until firm.
- Cut into two circles the size of your mold, removing center to form a ring.
🍃 Lime-Basil Mousse
- Heat milk briefly with lime zest and let infuse for 10 minutes.
- Soak gelatin. Melt white chocolate.
- Reheat milk, dissolve gelatin, then strain onto white chocolate and stir to combine.
- Add lime juice and chopped basil, then blend with immersion blender.
- Fold in semi-whipped cream.
🧩 Assembly
- Pour about ¾ of the mousse into an 18 cm mold. Spread slightly up the sides.
- Press frozen coconut-fruit insert into the center.
- Add remaining mousse, smoothing the top.
- Place cut crispy coconut ring on top and freeze the entire cake overnight.
✨ Mirror Glaze
- Soak gelatin. In a pot, heat milk, cream, glucose syrup, and 180 g sugar.
- Mix remaining sugar with cornstarch, stir into pot.
- Bring to boil while stirring, remove from heat, cool to 70°C.
- Stir in gelatin and coloring. Blend with immersion blender.
- Cool to 26°C before glazing.
🌟 Final Decoration
- Unmold frozen cake and place on a rack over a tray.
- Pour glaze evenly over the cake.
- Remove drips and transfer to serving plate.
- Decorate with chocolate leaves (made from colored and tempered white chocolate on acetate) and edible sugar pearls.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
I’m Chef Mimo, a passionate pastry chef with over 17 years of experience in the world of fine desserts. I specialize in French-style entremets, refined cakes, and creative chocolate work. Pastry is not just my profession—it’s my lifelong passion. Through PastryCrafted.com, I love sharing my recipes, techniques, and inspirations with anyone who dreams of mastering the art of pastry. Whether you’re a curious beginner or a seasoned pro, you’re welcome in my sweet world.