Passion Fruit Mousse Cake with Coconut and Vanilla

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If you like passion fruit desserts – this beautiful cake is especially for you. This passion fruit mousse cake is festive, delicious and combines coconut meringue base, coconut mousse, passion fruit mousse and vanilla, all covered in passion fruit glaze and coconut marshmallows for decoration.

This cake is perfect for Passover and for people who avoid gluten, and it’s simply breathtaking. It will for sure make everyone in the dinner table say WOW when it is served, and it’s simply delicious.

Passion Fruit Mousse Cake with Coconut and Vanilla

Photo: Natalie Levin



Passion Fruit Mousse Cake with Coconut and Vanilla

For coconut dacquoise:

  • 2 large egg whites
  • Pinch of salt
  • 120 grams sugar
  • 60 grams ground coconut
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For passion fruit mousse:

  • 2 grams gelatin
  • 10 ml. water
  • 75 grams passion fruit juice (strained)
  • 120 grams sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 85 grams soft butter
  • 125 ml. heavy cream

For vanilla and white chocolate mousse:

  • 5 grams gelatin powder
  • 25 ml. water
  • 180 ml. milk
  • Grains of 1/2 vanilla bean
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 200 grams chopped white chocolate
  • 375 ml. heavy cream

For coconut marshmallows:

  • 14 grams gelatin powder
  • 70 ml. water
  • 200 grams sugar
  • 100 grams corn syrup
  • 2 tbsp. water
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp. coconut extract
  • Shredded coconut for coating

For passion fruit glaze:

  • 9 grams gelatin powder
  • 45 ml. water
  • 50 ml. passion fruit juice
  • 100 grams sugar
  • 100 grams glucose or corn syrup
  • 70 ml. milk
  • 100 grams white chocolate
  • Yellow food coloring (to taste)

Decoration:

  • A little passion fruit (including the seeds)
  • Toasted and chopped almonds

You will need:

  • 20 cm round baking ring
  • 16 cm round baking ring

Coconut dacquoise

  1. Preheat oven to 170c degrees and line oven pan with baking paper.
  2. In a bowl of a mixer whip egg whites and salt until pale foam begins to form.
  3. Add the sugar gradually and continue beating at high speed until you get a very stiff meringue.
  4. Add coconut and vanilla and fold gently until mixture is smooth.
  5. Transfer the meringue mixture into a pastry bag and pipe a 20-22 cm round circle on the pan.
  6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and set. Cool completely and cut out a straight 20 cm – this is the base of the cake.

Passion fruit mousse:

  1. In a small bowl mix gelatin and water and set aside for 10 minutes at room temperature until the gelatin absorbs all the liquid.
  2. In a saucepan, heat passion fruit juice to a simmer. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and sugar until smooth.
  3. Pour about 1/3 of boiling juice into the egg mixture while whisking.
  4. Add in the remaining juice into the eggs and beat until combined.
  5. Return the mixture into the pan and continue to cook while whisking constantly on medium-low heat, until you get a uniform and thick cream.
  6. Remove from heat and add the butter. Beat well until absorbed.
  7. Dissolve the gelatin and stir in.
  8. Strain and cool for about 10 minutes at room temperature.
  9. Whip heavy cream to soft peaks and fold into the passion fruit cream until blended.
  10. Pour the passion fruit mousse into a 16 cm round baking ring and freeze for at least 5-6 hours.

Vanilla and white chocolate mousse

  1. In a small bowl mix gelatin and water and set aside for 10 minutes at room temperature until the gelatin absorbs all the liquid.
  2. In a small pot heat milk, vanilla and salt to a simmer.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth.
  4. Pour about 1/3 amount of hot milk into the egg yolks, while whisking until blended.
  5. Return the mixture into the pan with the remaining milk and stir well.
  6. Continue to cook over medium-low heat, stirring with a spatula constantly until the mixture reaches 82-84c degrees. Remove from heat.
  7. Dissolve the gelatin and stir into the mixture. Strain.
  8. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave and add in the vanilla cream while whisking until smooth.
  9. Cool the mixture at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
  10. Whip heavy cream to soft peaks and fold into the cream until rather thin mousse is formed.
  11. Assemble the cake: place the dacquoise in a 20 cm round baking ring.
  12. Pour about 1/2 amount of vanilla and white chocolate mousse and flatten.
  13. Extract the frozen passion fruit mousse layer and place in the center of the cake, over the vanilla mousse.
  14. Pour over the remaining vanilla mousse and flatten the top with a spatula.
  15. Freeze the cake completely overnight.

Coconut marshmallow

  1. Mix gelatin and water in a mixer bowl with whipping-attachment, stir and set aside for 15 minutes until gelatin absorbs the liquid.
  2. In a small pan put sugar, corn syrup, water and salt and heat to a boil.
  3. Cook the syrup over medium-high heat until it reaches a temperature of about 116-117c degrees.
  4. Whip the gelatin mixture at very high speed, while adding the hot syrup in a thin stream.
  5. Continue beating for 10 minutes until the mixture is fluffy and very thick and bright. Add the vanilla and coconut extracts.
  6. Line an oven pan with parchment paper and sprinkle liberally with shredded coconut.
  7. Transfer the marshmallow mixture onto the pan and sprinkle the top with more coconut.
  8. Flatten the marshmallow mixture with your hands to an even layer, about 3-4 cm thick.
  9. Allow setting for 12 hours at least at room temperature.
  10. Using a sharp knife, cut the marshmallows into 2*2 cm cubes, and coat with coconut.

Passion fruit glaze

  1. In a medium bowl mix gelatin and water and set aside for 15 minutes at room temperature until the gelatin absorbs all the liquid.
  2. In a medium saucepan put passion fruit juice, sugar and glucose and heat to a boil.
  3. When the mixture boils, add in the milk and mix well.
  4. Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate in the microwave or over double-boiler.
  5. When boiling again (after adding the milk), add in the gelatin and mix until melted.
  6. Strain and add into the melted chocolate. Wait a minute, and beat until melted and mixture is smooth.
  7. Add in food coloring until you reach the desired shade.
  8. Cool the glaze to 30c degrees.

Assemble the cake and decorate:

  1. Extract the frozen cake from the pan and place on a rack.
  2. Pour the glaze, coating the sides and the top of the cake.
  3. Freeze for about 1/2 hour.
  4. Arrange marshmallows on the sides of the cake.
  5. Sprinkle some ground almonds on top and arrange more marshmallows and passion fruit seeds on top.
  • Keep the passion fruit mousse cake in the refrigerator up to 5 days in a closed box.

Passion Fruit Mousse Cake with Coconut and Vanilla

Photo: Natalie Levin

Passion Fruit Mousse Cake with Coconut and Vanilla

Photo: Natalie Levin