Coconut Crepe Cake with Passionfruit Caramel

  

 

  

It was my husband Clint's birthday on the weekend. He is a hard person to buy gifts for. We did get a him few trinkets and books to open and breakfast in bed (scrambled eggs and hot tea). But I think the thing he enjoyed the most was the football. We had three big wins.  Joey's U10s West End Bombers team had another great win, Linus's U12s West End Bombers team had their second win for the season (Clint is their coach- so double the celebrations) and the Mighty Essendon Bombers had a win ... I don't think we could have paid money for better gifts.  We followed that winning feeling up with a trip to the Museum to see the Mesopotamia exhibition and then had a delicious meal at one of our favourite restaurants, Spice Temple. I made this Coconut Crepe Cake with Passionfruit Caramel for his birthday cake. It can't compete with watching your favourite people kicking a soggy ball around a mud pit on a cold, foggy Saturday morning, but it comes close!


Coconut Crepe Cake with Passionfruit Caramel
from Valli Little's Delicious: Simply the Best

For the Coconut Custard:
7 egg yolks
180g caster sugar
3 teaspoons grated lime zest
2 tablespoons cornflour
200ml milk
400ml coconut milk
200ml cream
90g desiccated coconut
icing sugar, to dust

For the Crepes:
150g plain flour
3 eggs
2 tablespoons caster sugar
40g unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus extra melted butter to brush
250ml coconut milk
300ml milk

For the Passionfruit Caramel:
pulp of 6-8 passionfruit
150ml caster sugar

Grease and line a 20cm springform cake pan with plastic wrap, leaving plenty overhanging the sides.

Make the Coconut Custard:
Whisk together the yolks, caster sugar, zest, cornflour and a pinch of salt. Place milk, coconut milk and cream in a pan over medium-high heat and bring to just below boiling point. Remove from heat and pour over egg mixture, Return mixture to a clean saucepan and cook over a very low heat for 5- minutes, stirring, until the mixture has thickened. Stir in the desiccated coconut, then transfer to a bowl. Cover surface with plastic wrap and chill.

Make the Crepes:
Place flour, eggs, sugar, butter, coconut milk and milk in a food processor. Whiz until smooth, then strain into a jug. Stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Brush a 20cm crepe pan or non-stick frypan with butter and place over medium heat. Pour in just enough crepe batter to coat the base of the pan, swirling to cover. Cook for 1-2 minutes each side until lightly golden. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing the pan with more butter as needed and stacking the cooked crepes between baking paper. Cool.

Assemble the Cake:
Place a crepe in the prepared pan and spread with a thin layer of the coconut custard. Continue layers with remaining crepes and custard, finishing with a crepe. Fold over the overhanging wrap to cover, then press down gently. Chill for 4 hours or overnight until set.

Make the Passionfruit Caramel:
Place the passionfruit pulp in a food processor and pulse several times to loosen the seeds from the pulp. Strain into a jug, pressing down on the solids. Reserve a teaspoon of the seeds, then discard the remaining solids. Measure 125ml passionfruit juice and set aside. Place caster sugar and 30ml water in a pan over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium and cook, without stirring, for 3-4 minutes until a golden caramel. Remove from heat and carefully stir in the passionfruit juice. Return to a low heat and stir for 1-2 minutes until thickened. Cool slightly, then add the passionfruit seeds and chill.

When ready to serve, dust cake with icing sugar and serve with caramel.