Coconut and Passion Fruit Angel Cakes
These cakes are beautifully light using only egg white in the sponge. Traditionally a cake made with egg whites is called an angel cake – so there you go.
Makes 12 cupcakes or 1 x 6 inch sandwich cake (two sponges)
Ingredients
For the cakes or 2 x 6 inch sandwich cakes
3 egg whites
150ml milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
150g Plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
50g dessicated coconut
180g Caster sugar
125g Soft margarine or butter
For the passion fruit curd
2 eggs
75g sugar
50g butter
4 passion fruit (juice required but keep the seeds)
Few drops of passion fruit flavouring (optional)
To complete the frosting
200ml double cream
10g icing sugar
You will need a 12 hole muffin tin with cup cake cases or 2 x 6 inch sandwich tins brushed with lining paste and base lined.
Preparation
Start by making the passion fruit curd. Extract the juice from the passion fruit by cutting the fruits in half then using a teaspoon, scrape out the seeds into a metal sieve set over a small bowl. Rub the fruit juice and pulp from the seeds and set aside. Keep the seeds for decoration later.Place the eggs in a medium saucepan, beat well then add all the other ingredients. Stir constantly over a low heat until the butter has dissolved then increase the heat and stir all the time until the curd thickens. Transfer to a jug or bowl and allow to cool completely.
To make the sponge - start by whisking the egg whites to soft peaks then in a separate bowl whisk together the margarine (or butter) and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. I then add about one quarter of the milk plus the vanilla and about one quarter of the flour sifted with the baking powder and keep mixing until everything is incorporated. Repeat until the flour and milk have been added and the mixture is smooth. Finally fold in the coconut and the whisked up egg whites. Divide the mixture between the cases or the two tins then bake for 18-20 (25 minutes for the cakes) minutes at 180 degrees until the cakes are risen, golden and firm to the touch. The sponges are quite pale because of the absence of the egg yolk.
Allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.
To make the frosting simply whisk together the double cream and icing sugar until thickened (but not too much !). Fold in the passion fruit curd. Pipe the cream over the cakes and top off with a few passion fruit seeds.