It's been a while since I last made a mousse cake, but I'm making up for it today with this new creation. At the base of the cake is a unique nutty coconut meringue. The mousse layer itself is made from whipped heavy cream and pastry cream — I borrowed the proportions from the Cream Cloud Cake with Strawberries and simply increased the ratio of heavy cream. And the best part? Hidden inside the cake is a fragrant raspberry layer. Coconut and raspberries are an absolutely wonderful combination, but if you don't have raspberries on hand, other berries like black or red currants would work just as well — in that case you'd have a Coconut Currant cake!)) The cake turned out incredibly delicious and unique. My daughter was especially thrilled — the slice I offered her disappeared in the blink of an eye, before my husband and I even had a chance to start on ours!)). It really is a wonderful cake, especially if you love coconut and raspberries!
Ingredients:
- Crust:
- 2 egg whites
- 100 g sugar
- 30 g shredded coconut
- 30 g almonds (or hazelnuts)
- Berry Layer:
- 500 g raspberries (frozen or fresh; other berries work too)
- 60 g sugar
- 15 g gelatin
- Mousse:
- 500 g heavy cream 33–36%
- 250 g milk
- 125 g sugar
- 25 g starch (I used cornstarch)
- 25 g shredded coconut
- 12 g gelatin
- 10 g vanilla sugar
- For Coating:
- 30 g shredded coconut
How to cook coconut raspberry mousse cake
Make the crust. Beat the egg whites thoroughly, gradually adding the sugar, and whip to stiff peaks.
Add the ground almonds and shredded coconut, and gently fold in with folding motions, being careful not to deflate the mixture.
Transfer to a springform pan or pastry ring that you'll use to assemble the cake — I used a ring set to 22 cm. Line the bottom with parchment paper beforehand. Spread the mixture in evenly.
Make the berry layer. Place the raspberries (frozen — no need to thaw) and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, crushing them with a potato masher to speed things up; let simmer for a couple of minutes. If the raspberries are very tart, add more sugar.
Press the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the seeds, pressing firmly with a spoon to extract as much as possible. You should end up with about 400 g of purée. Let cool. Bloom the gelatin in 100 ml of water and let sit for 10 minutes, or according to the package instructions. Heat until the gelatin fully dissolves, then let cool completely. Stir into the raspberry purée.
Line a pan or ring with parchment paper. If using a ring, you can adjust it 2–3 cm smaller so the berry layer will be enclosed within the white mousse layer. If using a springform pan, you can trim the set layer later or leave it as is. Pour in the raspberry mixture. To prevent it from seeping through, it's best to pour in just a little first, place in the freezer for 10 minutes to seal the edges, then pour in the rest and refrigerate until fully set.
Make the cream. Combine the milk, sugar, vanilla sugar, and starch in a small saucepan, stir well, and place over heat. Cook, stirring, until thickened — the pastry cream will be very thick. Let cool completely.
Add the pastry cream in portions, continuing to beat, then add the shredded coconut. Bloom the gelatin in 100 ml of water ahead of time and let sit for 10 minutes, or according to the package instructions. Heat until the gelatin dissolves, then let cool. Pour the gelatin into the cream mixture (pour it directly onto the beaters while continuing to whip) and beat a little more.
Spread just under half of the cream on top, smooth it out, and place in the freezer for 20 minutes to let the layer set slightly. Leave the remaining cream at room temperature — you don't want it to set.
Place the berry layer on top. Despite how it may sound, it's actually quite simple. I just held it upside down by the parchment paper it had set on, then carefully peeled the paper off from the top.
Spread the remaining cream on top, making sure it gets around the sides as well — tap the pan on the counter if needed. Refrigerate until fully set, about 2–3 hours.
Warm the sides of the pan with a hair dryer or run a knife around the edge and release the cake from the pan. Coat the cake on all sides with shredded coconut (toasted beforehand in a dry skillet). And there's your cake!
If you keep the cake until the next day, the raspberry color will gradually begin to tint the surrounding white layer, so if you're particular about appearance, it's best to serve the cake right after it sets. This Coconut Raspberry Mousse Cake has a wonderful flavor and aroma. Here's what the cake looks like when sliced!
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