Coconut and Passionfruit Meringue Cake
If you like coconut you are going to love this. We are huge fans and it makes a delicious change from chocolate and strawberry for Valentines Day
Serves: 10 -12
Time: 2 - 2 1/2 hours inc. cooling
INGREDIENTS
For the coconut meringue:
· 120g Dessicated coconut – unsweetened
· 30g Cornflour
· 4 Large egg whites (125g)
· ½ tsp Cream of tartar
· 250g Caster sugar
· 1 tsp Vanilla extract
For the passionfruit curd:
· 150g Passion fruit pulp sieved weight (I buy mine on amazon)
· Squeeze lemon juice
· 40g Caster sugar
· 1 1/2 level tablespoons Cornflour
· 2 large eggs
· 50g Butter salted or unsalted
For the Chantilly cream:
· 300ml Double cream
· 2 tbs Caster sugar
· 1 tsp Vanilla extract
To decorate:
· 2 passion fruit – pulp
· 1 ripe mango – sliced plus hearts to decorate (optional)
METHOD
Line two baking sheets with non stick paper. Draw two hearts on the paper so that you can see it through the paper.
Preheat the oven to 130C (260F)Fan / 150C (300F) conventional
Place the coconut and cornflour in a food processor and blitz, ideally so the pieces of coconut are visible but in small pieces.
Ensure a large bowl and beaters are completely grease free, if in any doubt wipe them over with some lemon juice.
Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl and whisk until the mixture is forming soft peaks. Add the caster sugar a tablespoon at a time, beating well between additions, whisk until the mixture is thick and glossy and doesn’t feel gritty when rubbed between your fingers.
Fold in the vanilla extract and the blitzed coconut and cornflour
Put the mixture into a large piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle (NOTE star nozzles may get blocked with coconut) and pipe blobs on prepared baking sheets to form the heart shapes.
Place in preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes then turn off the oven and leave to cool for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
While the meringue is baking make the passion fruit curd.
Place all the ingredients except the butter in a saucepan and whisk. Add the butter and heat gently, stirring continuously, until the butter melts . Allow to simmer until you have a thick curd, keep stirring.
Place thick curd in a bowl and press down a piece of baking paper onto the surface to stop a skin forming. Leave to cool completely.
To make the Chantilly cream whip the cream along with the sugar and vanilla until a good consistency for spreading but not too thick.
Peel and slice the mango, cut some of it into heart shapes if you are soppy like me.
To assemble place one of the coconut meringue shapes on a plate, spread over a generous layer of passion fruit curd and top with half of the Chantilly cream, add a layer of sliced mango.
Place second meringue on top of the cream. Spread the remaining cream on top of the meringue, drizzle over the fresh passion fruit pulp and decorate with mango hearts or slices of mango.
