coconut

Mango Passionfruit Coconut Panna Cotta Tart

May 16, 2022 By Ashley Leave a Comment

I’m all about the tropical flavors lately, and even though it’s still spring, it feels like summer. It’s been HOT here in the midwest. This mango passionfruit coconut panna cotta tart is tropical in flavor, and served cold. This dessert is perfect for hot summer days.

This mango passionfruit coconut panna cotta tart is fairly simple, with the majority of the work in this recipe is just waiting for the tart shell to bake, the panna cotta to set, and the gelée is set. This tart can be made in advance, or over the course of a couple days . This tart is super creamy from the coconut milk, sweet-tart from the mango and passionfruit purees with a crisp cookie-like crust. It’s super delicious and beautiful.

Tart Shell

This sweet tart shell, or a pâte sucrée is tender and crisp, with a slight crumble in texture, similar to a that of a shortbread cookie. It’s the perfect foundation to most any filling, and can be made in a food processor. Check out my post on sweet tart dough for the recipe, and the step by step on how to make this dough.

Coconut Panna Cotta

Panna cotta is an Italian dessert that usually consists of cream, sometimes milk, sugar and vanilla. Gelatin is added to it to make a molded dessert, much like a super creamy jello. In this recipe, I swapped out the cream for coconut milk. The coconut milk still gives it that super creamy and luscious texture that is typical with traditional cream based panna cotta.

Mango Passionfruit Gelée

Gelée is the French term for what we know as jello. This mango passionfruit gelée is not as stiff nor is it clear like typical jello. This is because for this recipe I used mango and passionfruit purées and not juices. The gelée is poured on top of the panna cotta to set firm up and add a pop of fruity flavor that tastes amazing with the coconut milk.

If you make this mango passionfruit coconut panna cotta tart, let me know! Drop a comment or tag me on Instagram. I love seeing your bakes and creations.

Enjoy!

Ash xx

For more tart recipes, check out these posts:

White Chocolate Blackberry Tart

Brown Butter Stone Fruit Tart

Meyer Lemon Ginger Tart with Toasted Honey Meringue

Blueberry Cornmeal Buttermilk Galette

Mango Passionfruit Coconut Panna Cotta Tart

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Mango Passionfruit Coconut Panna Cotta Tart

Coconut panna cotta in a sweet tart shell topped with mango passionfruit gelée and fresh, seasonal fruit

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time27 mins

Chill3 hrs

Total Time3 hrs 57 mins

Course: Dessert

Keyword: gelée, mango passionfruit, panna cotta, panna cotta tart

Servings: servings

Equipment

9.5 inch tart pan

Ingredients

Tart Shell

1 sweet tart crust, fully baked

Coconut Panna Cotta

1 ¾ cups (400ml) full fat coconut milk, canned
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 packet unflavored gelatin
1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste

Mango Passionfruit Gelée

1/2 cup (90g) mango purée
1/2 cup (90g) passionfruit purée
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons unflavored gelatin

Instructions

Make the panna cotta.

In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk, granulated sugar and pinch of salt.
Place the sauce pan over low heat and cook until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is hot. Do not let the mixture simmer or boil.
Put the milk in a small and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Let it bloom for 5 minutes.
Whisk the vanilla bean paste into the milk mixture, followed by the bloomed gelatin.
Whisk the milk mixture until gelatin is completely melted. Let the mixture cool to warm.
Pour the mixture into the tart shell, about ¾ full. Depending on the height of your tart pan, there may be extra milk mixture. Leave enough space for a thin layer of gelée.
Place the tart into the refrigerator to chill for 2-3 hours until set.

Make the mango passionfruit gelée.

In a small saucepan, pour in the mango and passionfruit purées and granulated sugar.
Sprinkle the gelatin on top. Let the gelatin bloom for 5 minutes.
Heat over medium-low heat until all the gelatin dissolves and the mixture is hot but not boiling. Cool until just warm.
Gently pour the mixture over the set panna cotta. Place the tart in the fridge to set for two hours.
Garnish with fresh fruit and serve chilled.

Piña Colada Cupcakes

February 28, 2022 By Ashley Leave a Comment

You know me, I love a good cocktail in cake form. This week, I’m sharing with you my piña colada cupcakes. These coconut cupcakes are fluffy and moist, and filled with caramelized pineapple and topped with pineapple caramel rum ermine frosting. The flavors in this cupcake are perfectly balanced, not artificial tasting, or overly boozy. Most importantly, they are super delicious.

Coconut Cupcakes

Coconut is the star of these cupcakes. They get their coconut flavor from three sources – canned coconut milk, a smidge of coconut extract and lightly toasted coconut. Be sure to used the canned coconut milk (usually found in the Asian foods section of your grocery store) and not the kind that comes in a carton from the refrigerated section. Canned coconut milk has much more coconut flavor, and has a higher fat content, which contributes to keeping these cupcakes moist. You’ll also notice half and half is used. Why more fat?

Biting into a dry cupcake is an incredibly big bummer. White/yellow cupcakes tend to dry out in a small amount of time. Coconut flakes also tend to absorb a small amount of moisture . The higher fat content will keep them moist and increase their longevity.

This recipe makes 24 cupcakes, but you can halve it if you wish. Be sure to not over bake your cupcakes, baking them only until the tops look set, and toothpick comes out with few moist crumbs, but not wet batter.

Caramelized Pineapple Filling

Pineapple is one of my favorite fruits, and caramelized pineapple is a game changer. This stuff is so, so good. Brown sugar, butter and salt are cooked together until melted, followed by a drained, crushed pineapple. The mixture reduces on the stove until reduced, thickened and golden brown. Add some rum and you have a super delicious caramelized pineapple filling.

Pineapple Caramel

This caramel is made like any traditional caramel sauce, but instead of cooking the sugar with water, it’s cooked with pineapple juice. The pineapple juice adds another layer of flavor to the caramel sauce, giving the caramel more depth and a lighter, brighter fruity flavor. Rum and salt are added when the caramel is done. So, so good.

Pineapple Caramel Rum Ermine Frosting

I wanted to use a lighter, whipped frosting for these cupcakes so ermine frosting was the way to go. For a step by step tutorial on how to make this light and fluffy frosting, check out my post on ermine frosting. The frosting is flavored with the pineapple caramel and also rum. Roll the edges of the frosted cupcakes with the remaining toasted coconut and top them with pineapple flowers and a maraschino cherry.

If you make these piña colada cupcakes, let me know! Drop a comment or tag me on Instagram. I love seeing your bakes and creations.

Enjoy!

Ash xx

For more cupcake recipes, check out these posts:

Fruity Pebbles Cupcakes

Maple Bacon Blueberry French Toast Cupcakes

Black Forest Cupcakes

Funfetti Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Fudge Frosting

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Piña Colada Cupcakes

Tender, fluffy and moist coconut cupcakes filled with caramelized pineapple and topped with caramel rum ermine frosting

Prep Time1 hr

Cook Time20 mins

Course: Dessert

Servings: cupcakes

Ingredients

Coconut Cupcakes

1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
2¼ cups (446g) granulated sugar
2 ⅓ cups (280g) all purpose flour
1 cup (120g) cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (241g) unsweetened coconut milk, canned, full fat
⅔ cup (151g) half and half, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon coconut extract
3 large eggs
1 ⅔ cup (57g) sweetened coconut flakes, lightly toasted

Caramelized Pineapple Filling

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup (142g) light brown sugar, packed
pinch of salt
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, in juice, drained *Reserve 2 tablespoons of the pineapple juice
1-2 tablespoons spiced rum

Pineapple Rum Caramel Sauce

¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice
2 tablepoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons spiced rum
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Caramel Rum Ermine Frosting

1 ½ cups (341g) whole milk
1 ¼ cups (248g) granulated sugar
½ cup (60g) all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 ½ cups (283g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1-2 tablespoons spiced rum, to taste
1 cup (85g) sweetened coconut flakes, toasted
pineapple, for decorating (optional)
maraschino cherries, for decorating (optional)

Instructions

Coconut Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two cupcake tins with cupcake liners.
In a large skillet, add the coconut and place over low heat.
Toast the coconut, stirring occasionally so that the coconut doesn't burn. Toast the coconut until lightly golden. Set aside one cup of the coconut for decorating.
In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium low speed, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large measuring cup, whisk together the coconut milk, half and half, vanilla, and coconut extract.
Add the eggs, one at a time, to the butter/sugar mixture, scraping the bowl after each addition.
On low speed, add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the wet ingredients, scraping the bowl after each addition.
Add the toasted coconut, reserving 1 cup for decorating.
Give the batter a final stir with a spatula to make sure everything is well incorporated.
Fill the cupcake lines 2/3 full. Bake cupcakes for 18-20 minutes or until the tops look just set and a toothpick comes out with few moist crumbs.
Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Caramelized Pineapple Filling

In a medium saucepan, over medium low heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, and salt, stirring until the sugar has melted and the mixture is smooth.
Add the drained pineapple, stirring to fully incorporate the brown sugar mixture.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer the pineapple mixture, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Remove the pineapple filling from the heat. Stir in the rum. Let the filling cool completely before using.

Pineapple Caramel Rum

In a medium sized saucepan, combine the sugar and the pineapple juice. Stir just until combined.
Place the saucepan over medium heat. Let the sugar mixture cook, without stirring, until the sugar mixture turns a mid amber color. Take the mixture off the heat to stop the cooking process.
Add the butter to the saucepan and whisk to combine. Be very careful as the mixture is incredibly hot and will bubble up and steam when the butter is added.
Whisk in the heavy cream, followed by the rum and the salt. Whisk until smooth.
Let the caramel cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a storage container to cool completely.

Pineapple Caramel Ermine Frosting

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the milk, sugar, flour and salt, and bring to a boil.
When the mixture starts to boil, continue to cook, whisking constantly for another 2-3 minutes. The mixture will thicken and resemble pudding. Whisk in the rum.
Strain the mixture into a shallow container to remove any clumps. Place plastic wrap over the surface of the mixture to prevent a film from forming.
Leave to cool to room temperature or pop in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. It should be room temperature to touch, not cold.
When the mixture is cool, whisk in half of the pineapple caramel.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
Add the room temperature flour mixture to the butter, a few tablespoons at a time, allowing it to incorporate fully before adding more.
Once combined, whip the frosting on high for 3-5 minutes until smooth, light and fluffy.
Taste the frosting. Add remaining caramel to taste, a tablespoon at a time.

Assemble cupcakes

Using a sharp knife, cut a hole into the center of the cooled cupcakes to create a space for the pineapple filling.
Spoon the pineapple mixture inside each carved out cupcake. Fill the cupcake with the filling to the top, about a heaping teaspoon full.
Top the cupcakes with pineapple caramel ermine frosting. Roll the cupcakes into the reserved toasted coconut.
Top with pineapple and a maraschino cherry.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

Cupcake recipe adapted from Trophy Cupcakes & Parties by Jennifer Shea

Coconut Lime Crumble Cake

June 24, 2021 By Ashley Leave a Comment

I am not a fan of coconut. I’ve tried to like it over the years, but just hadn’t found anything with coconut that I enjoyed. Until this cake. I was determined to make a coconut cake that I loved, one without an artificial or overpowering flavor. This is THAT cake! It’s probably one of the best cakes I’ve ever made – it’s that good. Moist, fluffy and tender coconut lime cake made with lime zest, coconut milk, lightly toasted coconut and a small about of coconut extract just to oomph up that coconut flavor. Filled with a sweet tart lime curd, toasted coconut and crunchy graham cracker crumble, my coconut lime crumble cake is perfectly balanced, delicious and is the perfect summer cake.

Lime Curd

This curd is seriously good enough to be eaten on its own. It’s tart and sweet, creamy and thick, and pairs so well with the coconut lime cake. Lime curd is easy to prepare and takes less than 30 minutes to make. Egg yolks, a whole egg, sugar, salt, lime juice and zest are heated until thickened and creamy. Butter is added to help thicken the curd, add a little bit of richness and also make the curd silky smooth. Once the curd is chilled, it is ready to use.

Graham Cracker Crumble

The graham cracker crumble adds a layer of crunchiness to add texture to the cake with its creamy fillings. With the creamy buttercream and tart lime curd, the crumble adds an element to the cake that is reminiscent of key lime pie. Crushed graham crackers are mixed with melted butter, brown sugar and a pinch of salt and baked until golden brown and crunchy. Don’t use finely crushed graham cracker crumbs. You want to make sure you are leaving some small pieces of graham cracker intact for some extra crunch and texture. Once the crumble is baked and cooled, break into larger pieces and toss with some of the toasted coconut. The crumble will be layered with the coconut buttercream and lime curd.

Coconut Buttercream

For this cake, I went to my go-to Swiss meringue buttercream as the base for my coconut buttercream. For a semi-naked 8″ cake, 5″ tall, you will only need a half of a batch of buttercream. To fill and completely frost a 8″ cake, 5″ tall, make 3/4 of a batch or a full batch of Swiss meringue buttercream. Coconut cream and a small amount of coconut extract gives the buttercream it’s creamy coconut flavor. Use as much or as little coconut extract as you like. Be careful adding too much though, because adding too much will give you that suntan lotion/artificial coconut flavor.

How to make coconut lime crumble cake

I typically bake my cakes in two pans then torte (cut in half), but you can divide the batter between 3 pans if you like. For a 6″ cake, make a half batch of the batter. This coconut lime cake uses coconut milk, coconut extract and lime zest for flavor.

Butter is mixed into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Mixing the butter into the dry ingredients coats the flour, preventing too much gluten formation. Then, a small amount of the milk mixture is added, just until the dry ingredients are *just* moistened and the mixture is beaten on medium-high for two full minutes until lightened in color, and thick like soft-serve ice cream. This mixing is crucial as it helps to form the structure of your cake. The remaining wet ingredients are added in three parts. The cake batter will be a bit on the thicker side.

You will also notice, a scale is required for this recipe. Scratch cakes can be tricky to make sometimes, and the baking science is very important in the making and baking of scratch cake. We need cakes to be consistent in taste and texture, and bake up with no problems – no sinking, no overflowing, no rubbery layers, etc. A scale is key in getting consistent results. I use this one from Amazon. This recipe will not work if you convert it to volume (cups) measurements.

If you make this coconut lime crumble cake let me know! Drop a comment or tag me on Instagram. I love seeing your creations.

Enjoy!

Ash xx

For more layer cake recipes, check out these posts:

Strawberry Rose Buttermilk Cake

Earl Grey Cake with Honey Buttercream and Blackberry Caramel

Banana Cake with Salted Caramel and Peanut Butter Buttercream

Chocolate Stout Cake with Coffee Irish Cream Buttercream

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4.5 from 2 votes

Coconut Lime Crumble Cake

Moist, fluffy and tender coconut lime cake made with lime zest, coconut milk, lightly toasted coconut and a small about of coconut extract filled with a sweet tart lime curd, toasted coconut and crunchy graham cracker crumble

Prep Time1 hr

Cook Time45 mins

Cooling Time3 hrs

Course: Dessert

Ingredients

Lime Curd

3 large (42g) egg yolks
1 large (50g) egg
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (76g) fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon lime zest
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, room temperature

Graham Cracker Crumble

3/4 cup (107g) graham cracker crumbs (about 4 1/4 graham cracker sheets)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
pinch of fine sea salt
1/4 cup (22g) coconut, sweetened, flaked

Coconut Lime Cake

14 ounces (396g) cake flour
14 ounces (397g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons lime zest
8 ounces (255g) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 large eggs
3 ounces (85g) canola oil
12 ounces (341g) unsweetened coconut milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1/2-3/4 cup (43g-64g) toasted coconut, sweetened, flaked

Coconut Buttercream

1/2 batch Swiss meringue buttercream (Omitting vanilla)
1/4 cup (74g) coconut cream, unsweetened
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract

Instructions

Toast the coconut.

Place the coconut for both the streusel and the cake a in a large skillet.
Cook over low-medium heat, stirring frequently, until the flakes are mostly golden brown. Because the coconut is sweetened, it will toast quickly.
Set aside to cool completely.

Make the lime curd.

Combine the sugar and lime zest into a bowl. Rub the mix between your hands to release the oils of the zest.
Add the egg and egg yolks to the sugar mixture and whisk to combine thoroughly.
Add the lime juice and whisk to combine.
Pour the mixture into a medium sauce pan, and place over a medium low heat. Add the butter. Stir continuously to keep the mixture moving so your eggs don't scramble.
Cook the curd until thick and just beginning to bubble, or until an instant read thermometer reaches 170F. The curd will thicken more in the refrigerator.
Take the curd off of the heat and whisk in the butter. Strain the curd into a clean shallow bowl, and let it sit until it reaches room temperature.
Cool completely in the refrigerator before using.

Make the graham cracker crumble.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a small cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, melt the butter in the microwave, about 30-45 seconds.
Whisk in the brown sugar.
Add the graham cracker crumbs to the bowl and stir to coat.
Pour out the streusel onto the parchment paper.
Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until golden brown. Let the crumble cool.
Sprinkle 1/4 of the toasted coconut over the crumble. Stir to mix, breaking up some of the larger crumbs.

Make the coconut lime cake.

Prepare your cake pans. Brush the bottoms and sides of your cake pans with melted butter. Line the bottoms and sides with parchment paper.
Combine the coconut milk, oil, eggs, coconut extract and vanilla in medium bowl. Whisk to thoroughly combine. Pour 40z/113g of the wet ingredients into a separate mixing cup.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lime zest. On low speed, mix for 1 minute.
With the mixer still running, add in the softened butter pieces, one or two pieces at a time. Mix until the mixture resembles cornmeal. You should be able to gather a bit in your hand, squeeze and you have a solid piece. This means the butter is evenly distributed.
With the mixer still on low, pour in the 4oz of liquid and mix until the flour mixture is moistened.
Turn the mixer speed to medium (4 or 6) and whip for *two full* minutes. The mixture should be whipped up, thick, and lighter in color.
Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is properly mixed.
With the mixer speed on low, add the remaining wet ingredients in three parts, scraping down the bowl after each addition has been mixed in.
Once all the wet ingredients have been added, give the bowl a final scrape and mix with a spatula. Fold in the 1/2 cup of toasted coconut.
Evenly divide the batter among the prepared pans.
Bake the layers for 35-45 minutes. Check the cake at 30-35 minutes to test for doneness. If a toothpick comes out clean, and the top of the cake feels springy and set when touched, take the cakes out.
Tap the cake once, firmly against the counter to remove excess steam. If your cakes dome at all, use a clean kitchen towel to gently push the domes down. Cool the cakes for 15 minutes in the pans.
Run a palette or butter knife around the cakes in their pans before turning them out to cool completely on cooling racks.
Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator a couple hours.

Make the coconut buttercream.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the coconut cream at little at a time, coconut extract and prepared Swiss meringue buttercream.
Mix on low until everything is incorporated and the buttercream is smooth.

Assemble the coconut lime crumble cake.

Work with chilled cake layers. Using a long serrated knife torte the layers, cutting them evenly in half. You will have four cake layers total. The tops of the cakes will be the center two layers of your cake. If you made your cake in 3 pans, skip this step.
Put one of the cake layers, cut side up onto an 8" cake board or directly onto a cake stand.
Spread a thin, even layer of the butter on the cake layer with an offset spatula. Pipe a rim (or dam) of buttercream around the edge of the cake layer.
Spread about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the lime curd over the cake.
Sprinkle the graham cracker streusel on top of the curd. Pat into place.
Spread about one cup of the buttercream on top of the curd/crumble using an offset spatula to evenly distribute the buttercream. You're looking for the buttercream to be about 1/4 inch thick.
Place the second cake layer on top, top up, and press down gently so that the layer is adhered to the buttercream. Repeat steps 3-6.
Place the third cake layer on top, top up, and press down gently so that the layer is adhered to the buttercream. Repeat steps 3-6.
Place final cake layer on top and frost with the remaining buttercream. Chill for 30 minutes.
Slice into pieces and serve.

Notes

The completed cake will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days. Bring to room temperature before serving.