Himbeer-Frischkäse-Torte (raspberry cream cheese torte)

Method

1. Crush the biscuits to fine crumbs and stir in the melted butter until it looks like wet sand. Press firmly into the base of a 24 cm springform and chill while you make the mousse.
2. Purée the 350 g raspberries with the 60 g sugar and pass through a sieve to remove the seeds, if you like a smooth mousse.
3. Soak all the gelatine, both amounts, in cold water for 5 minutes. Warm about a third of the raspberry purée gently in a small pan, take off the heat, squeeze the gelatine for the mousse dry and stir it in until fully dissolved. Stir this back into the rest of the purée.
4. Beat the cream cheese and 80 g sugar together until smooth, then fold in the gelatine-set raspberry purée.
5. Fold in the whipped cream in two additions, gently, keeping as much air as possible.
6. Pour the mousse over the chilled base, smooth the top, and chill for at least 2 hours, until set enough that a glaze poured on top will not sink in.
7. For the glaze, purée the remaining raspberries with the sugar and sieve if wanted. Soak and squeeze the remaining gelatine, warm a little of the purée to dissolve it, stir back in, and let cool to just above room temperature before pouring evenly over the set mousse.
8. Chill at least 2 more hours, until the glaze is set, before releasing the ring and slicing with a knife run under hot water between cuts.

Notes

• Do not pour the glaze onto a soft mousse. If the base layer has not set enough to support it, the glaze sinks in and the two layers merge into one muddy colour instead of staying distinct.
• Squeeze soaked gelatine dry before it goes into anything warm. Extra water dilutes its setting power and the torte can end up softer than intended.
• A full chill matters more than any other step here. There is no baking to fall back on if the gelatine has not had enough time; a torte cut at 2 hours instead of 4 will not hold a slice.
• It keeps for 3 days in the fridge, covered, and slices most cleanly cold, straight from the fridge.

Ingredient substitutions

• Raspberries can be strawberries in both the mousse and the glaze, in the same weight, for a milder, sweeter torte.
• Digestive biscuits can be any plain biscuit; shortbread gives a slightly richer, more buttery base.
• A splash of framboise or another fruit liqueur, stirred into the mousse, is a good adults-only addition.
• For a lighter version, replace up to half the cream cheese with quark, though the mousse will be slightly less rich and hold a slightly softer slice.