Fig and coconut mousse cake
Fig and coconut mousse cake SERVES 8 PREP AND COOK TIME 2 HOURS (+ COOLING AND REFRIGERATION TIME) You need to make this recipe a day ahead. 1 cup (80g) desiccated coconut
⅓ cup (45g) cornflour
1 cup (160g) icing sugar
6 egg whites
½ cup (110g) caster sugar
8 small (600g) fresh figs, cut into four slices lengthways
200g Raffaello, approximately COCONUT MOUSSE 5 level teaspoons powdered gelatine ⅓ cup (80ml) water
⅔ cup (150g) caster sugar
500ml coconut milk (see Test Kitchen tips)
1¾ cups (435ml) pouring cream 1 teaspoon finely grated lime rind
1 egg white
1 Preheat oven to 140°C (120°C fan-forced). Mark a 20cm square on two sheets of baking paper; turn paper, marked-side down, onto two oven trays.
2 Combine the coconut, sifted cornflour and icing sugar in a medium bowl. Beat egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the caster sugar, beating until dissolved after each addition; gently fold in coconut mixture.
3 Spoon mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm plain tube. Pipe diagonally across the squares marked on baking paper. Bake the meringue for 1 hour 30 minutes or until browned lightly and crisp. Cool in oven with door ajar.
4 COCONUT MOUSSE Meanwhile, sprinkle the gelatine over the water in a medium heatproof bowl. Stand bowl in a medium pan of simmering water; stir until gelatine dissolves. Cool for 5 minutes. Stir sugar and coconut milk into gelatine mixture until sugar dissolves. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, whisking occasionally, or until thickened slightly. Beat cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; reserve ¼ cup cream. Fold remaining cream into coconut milk mixture with lime rind. Whisk egg white in a clean small bowl until soft peaks form; fold into coconut mixture.
5 Meanwhile, lightly oil a deep 20cm square cake pan; line base and sides with plastic or freezer wrap. Trim the edges of meringue to fit the pan; place one meringue in base of pan. Stand larger slices of figs upright against the sides of the pan; place remaining fig slices on the base to cover.
6 Pour Coconut Mousse over figs; smooth top. Trim fig tops if above mousse level. Carefully place remaining meringue on top of mousse. Cover, refrigerate overnight.
7 Turn cake onto a tray; remove plastic wrap. Invert cake onto a plate. Before serving, dust lightly with a little more icing sugar, if you like. Dip unwrapped Raffaellos in reserved cream; place on top of cake. Not suitable to freeze. Gelatine suitable to microwave.