Dark Chocolate Coconut Passion Fruit Mousse Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line two 20cm cake tins with baking parchment - if your cake tins are quite shallow, line the sides to a depth of at least 5cm. Put the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and 1 tsp salt in a bowl and mix well. If there are any lumps in the sugar, squeeze these through your fingers to break them up.
• Measure the buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla in a jug. Add the egg and whisk until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until well combined. Pour the cake mixture evenly into the two tins, and bake for 25-30 mins until risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack, peel off the baking parchment and leave to cool. These sponges can be made up to three days ahead and will stay moist if wrapped in cling film, or you can wrap well and freeze for up to two months.
• To make the mousse, put the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water, one at a time, so they don't stick together. Set aside for 5 mins to soften. Scoop the pulp and seeds from the passion fruit into a sieve suspended over a bowl, and push through the juice - you should have about 100ml. Put 1 tbsp of the seeds in a small bowl and set aside. Save 2 small empty passion fruit halves and discard the rest.
• Pour the coconut cream, passion fruit juice and sugar into a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Remove from the heat and stir in the coconut rum liqueur. Add the gelatine to the hot liquid, a leaf at a time, squeezing out the water before you add them. Stir until the gelatine has dissolved. Fill each reserved passion fruit half with some of the mixture, place in a small dish and chill until needed. Leave the remaining mixture to cool to room temperature. Pour the double cream into a large bowl and whip until it's holding its shape. Add half the passion fruit mixture, fold together, then add the remaining mixture and fold through again.
• Line a deep 20cm cake tin with a double layer of cling film. Slice each sponge in half through the middle and drizzle each layer with 1 tbsp coconut rum liqueur. Place one of the layers into the tin, flat-side down, and spread with a third of the passion fruit mousse - don't worry if a little trickles down the sides. Layer the remaining sponges and mousse on top, finishing with a layer of cake. Cover the top of the cake with cling film and chill for at least 4 hrs, or preferably overnight.
• When the cake has chilled and the mousse is set, turn out onto a cake stand, so the base now becomes the top, and remove the cling film. Using a palette knife, scrape any passion fruit mousse off the edges of the cake, to give it a smooth surface. Place the cake back in the fridge while you prepare the ganache.
• Put the chocolate and cream in a pan and gently heat, stirring now and then, to make a runny chocolate sauce. Leave to firm up at room temperature until it reaches a spreadable consistency.
• Remove the cake from the fridge. Spread the ganache over the top and sides of the cake with a palette knife until completely covered. Decorate with a ring of toasted coconut shavings, if you like. Remove the filled passion fruit shells from the fridge and place these on top too, topped with the reserved passion fruit seeds. Chill until ready to serve, but bring out of the fridge 1 hr before slicing (don't forget to serve the passion fruit jellies to your favourite guests too). Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 2 days.

Steps:

• Preparation:
• Make the Hot Milk Cake as directed and make sure it is cool inside and out. (If frozen, let thaw in the refrigerator, 3 to 4 hours. or on the countertop for 1 to 2 hours. If time demands, you can thaw on the countertop. If time demands you can thaw on the countertop 1 to 2 hours, but be careful not let it sit too long before you begin working with it, as a cold cake is easier to cut.)
• Clear a space in the refrigerator large enough for the cake on a cake board. The mousse cake will need several hours to set up.
• If making the Coconut Simple Syrup now, let cool to room temperature. Make the Coconut Mousse as directed, allowing time for the gelatin-sugar mixture to cool before finishing.
• Set a revolving cake stand on a clean, dry work surface and place the cake, top-side up, on the stand. Using a serrated knife and holding the blade perfectly horizontal, remove any curve from the top of the cake to level it. While you saw gently with the knife, use your other hand to rotate the stand gradually and bring the cake toward you. Get eye level to the cake as needed to make sure you are holding the knife exactly level. Repeat to split the cake into three or four equal layers.
• Arrange all the cake layers on the work surface. Using your hands, tap off and brush away excess crumbs. Turn the original bottom layer flat-dark-side, or pan-side, up; reserve this to be the top layer of the assembled cake. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of each layer with an ample amount of the coconut syrup.
• Line a clean 6-by-3-inch cake pan with plastic wrap, leaving about 3 inches of overhang all around the sides to use later as a handle. Take up the original top of the cake, which you leveled, to be the bottom layer of the assembled cake. Place the first layer of cake, syrup-side up, in the lined pan. Scoop 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the mousse on top of the cake layer and use an offset spatula to level it. Top with the second layer of cake, syrup-side up, and press down lightly to seal and secure. Add another layer of mousse. Repeat with the third layer if making a four-layer cake.
• Place the reserved top piece, flat-dark-side up, on top. Cover with plastic wrap and carefully transfer the cake to the refrigerator. Let set for at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.
• To unmold the mousse cake, wrap a hot towel around the pan for 1 minute and gently shake to loosen the cake. Invert the pan onto a cake board on a clean work surface, then gently lift the pan off. If it resists, give a little tug on the plastic-wrap "handle." When the pan is off, peel the plastic-wrap lining from the cake. Transfer the cake on its board onto the revolving cake stand, with a nonslip pad or damp paper towel underneath.
• This cake requires only one coat of icing. Using the offset spatula, smear a generous scoop of the icing on one side of the cake. Keeping the spatula in front of you, rotate the cake stand to spread the icing in a smooth coat about 1 inch thick. (It needs to be thick enough to hide the sides of the cake, but not drooping down the sides.) Add more icing as you go, but do NOT back track! The icing will be covered with coconut, so it is not important for it to be perfect; however, you want the cake layers aligned perfectly and the coat of icing to be straight up and down on all sides, as well as crumb free and smooth. As you frost the sides, push the icing up over the top edge of the cake to make sure the coverage is complete, then use this excess to frost the top, using the spatula to pull the icing across the cake toward the center. There should be enough icing from the sides to cover the top, but if necessary, add another small scoop.
• Using a cupped hand, apply the dried coconut to the sides and top of the cake, pressing gently to help it adhere. Very carefully transfer the cake on the board to a presentation platter. Gather up any excess coconut and press it onto the cake, or reserve for another use. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.
• Stir 1/2 cup coconut milk into 1/2 cup Simple Syrup. Store tightly sealed in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Steps:

• Assembly: Line 2 (6-inch) ring molds with acetate band. Line rings with strips of biscuit joconde. Place a circle of chocolate biscuit on bottom of rings. Divide mango filling between rings. Top each ring with 7 tablespoons of mousse and top with a chocolate meringue disc. Fill rings with mousse and freeze for 15 minutes. Top with additional mousse and freeze. Unmold and spray with chocolate and refrigerate.
• Combine almond flour, confectioners sugar and flour. Add eggs and whip on high speed for 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar and whip to medium peaks. Fold in egg whites. Spread onto 2 parchment lined baking sheets. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 7 minutes, cool and cut into 1-inch strips.
• Using a paddle attachment on medium speed, cream butter, confectioners sugar and cocoa powder until fluffy about 5 minutes. Gradually add yolks and eggs, continue to mix until combined. Add warm chocolate. Whip egg whites to soft peaks, add sugar gradually and whip into stiff peaks. Fold egg whites into chocolate mixture. Spread onto 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 9 minutes. Cool and cut into 5 1/2-inch circles.
• Combine mango and lime juice, set aside. Caramelize sugar, add butter, mango and vanilla. Saute for 2 minutes, cool completely.
• Whip egg whites into soft peaks. Cook sugar, corn syrup and water until 240 degrees Fahrenheit. Slowly add sugar and continue to whip on high speed into stiff peaks, set aside. Combine purees and bring to a boil. Ribbon yolks and sugar, temper with purees and cook until 185 degrees F. Add gelatin, strain, cool and fold in half of the whipped cream. Fold remaining cream into egg whites. Fold mixtures together and use immediately.
• Whip egg whites to soft peaks. Cook sugar, corn syrup and water to 240 degrees F. Slowly add sugar to egg whites and continue to whip into stiff peaks. Fold in cocoa powder. Pipe 8 spiral 6-inch circles onto parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 212-degree oven for 1 hour. Cool and spread both sides with cocoa butter.
• Combine warm cocoa butter and coloring. Pour over chocolate and stir. Strain and place in spray gun, use immediately.