A Perfect Pantry

Moist coconut cake with strawberry jam syrup, topped with soft nougat made from slightly bitter dark toffee, fresh strawberry jelly and clouds of browned vanilla meringue.

Strawberries are a beautiful fruit that beg you to buy them, and also grow so well in our own garden. I wanted to create a layered dessert where the strawberry could lift with the other flavours. The coconut base is coated with the thick jam like syrup made by incorporating the pulp. The unique toffee nougat filling is mousse like in texture and the richness is balanced with the refreshing jelly. To top it off the soft sweet billowing meringue is delicious and melts in your mouth, bringing the layers together.

INGREDIENTS

Coconut cake

• 50g salted butter
• 50g raw sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ cup plain flour
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ cup desiccated coconut

Strawberry Jam Syrup

• 200g strawberries (leaves removed)
• ½ lemon juiced
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp raw sugar + 2 tbsp raw sugar

Toffee nougat

• 2 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup raw sugar
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tsp gelatine powder + 1 tbsp warm water

Strawberry jelly

• Reserved strawberry juice (from syrup step)
• 2 teaspoons gelatine +2 tbsp warm water

Meringue

• 2 egg whites
• 1/3 cup raw sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tsp vanilla paste

DIRECTIONS

Coconut cake

1. Grease and line three 10cm springform tins. Preheat the Kambrook Air Chef air fryer to 160°C for 5 minutes.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together in the Kambrook PowerMix until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg.
4. Remove from mixer and sift in the flour and baking soda.
5. Fold through with the coconut.
6. Divide evenly between the tins and bake one at a time for 10 minutes.
7. Allow to cool in tins.

Strawberry Jam Syrup

1. Add the strawberries, lemon juice, water and 1 tbsp of sugar to the Kambrook Blitz 2 Go, pulse until smooth.
2. Strain strawberry juice into a bowl and add the pulp to a small saucepan.
3. Add ½ cup of the strawberry juice (reserving the remainder for the jelly) also the saucepan with the pulp and 2 tbsp of raw sugar.
4. Bring to a rolling boil for about 2 -3 minutes until slightly thick.
5. Use a toothpick to prick holes in the cakes and spoon over syrup evenly.

Toffee nougat

1. Place sugar and 1 tbsp water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Meanwhile whisk egg yolks in the Kambrook PowerMix.
3. When the sugar starts to darken remove from heat, allow bubbles to mostly disappear and pour in a slow stream over the egg yolks as they whisk. Note: some of the toffee will set on the edge of the bowl.
4. Continue to whisk until the bowl is no longer hot to touch, the nougat mix should be thick and glossy.
5. Dissolve the gelatine in the warm water and whisk into the nougat.
6. Pour over the cakes and leave in fridge to set, at least an hour.

Strawberry jelly

1. Dissolve the gelatine in the warm water and whisk into the juice
2. Gently pour over the set nougat and leave in fridge to set, at least an hour.

Meringue

1. Place sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Meanwhile whisk egg whites in the Kambrook PowerMix.
3. After the sugar has been boiling for 3 minutes check if it has reached soft boil toffee (take some on a teaspoon and pour over a little water, it should stay together and not dissolve immediately in the water).
4. Once ready remove from heat, allow bubbles to mostly disappear and pour in a slow stream over the egg whites as they whisk.
5. Continue to whisk until the bowl is no longer hot to touch, the meringue should be thick and glossy.
6. Whisk in the vanilla and then transfer to a ziplock (or piping) bag.
7. Remove cakes from the spring form tins and carefully transfer to a serving plate.
8. Cut end off the bag and pipe even tufts all over the top of the cake. To do this, pipe a ball and leave a tail by lifting the bag as you finish piping.
9. Use a kitchen blowtorch to brown the meringue.
10. Serve with fresh strawberries.

 

Recipes created and shared by Dianne Sylvester From NSW
Champion Winner for Summer School Cooking Challenge 2015

 

This recipe was developed using a Kambrook Appliance.

APPLIANCES

• Air Chef Air Frying Oven
• Blitz2Go Active Personal Blender
• PowerMix Planetary Bench Mixer