Menke's Cake Recipe

Prepare and bake sponge

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9-inch round cake pan or a 7-inch springform with parchment and grease. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks with half the sugar (0.3 cups) and vanilla until pale. Fold in melted butter. In a clean bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form, then slowly add remaining sugar (0.3 cups) and beat to medium-stiff glossy peaks. Fold a spoonful of beaten whites into yolk mixture to loosen, then gently fold remaining whites into batter. Sift the dry ingredients over batter and fold gently until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and bake 15–20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack. Trim or slice horizontally to produce two thin layers if desired (for assembly into tiers).

Bloom gelatin

Sprinkle gelatin over 2 tbs cold water in a small bowl. Let sit 5 minutes to bloom.

Cook custard base

In a small saucepan, heat milk and half the sugar (0.125 cups) with vanilla seeds until just simmering. Whisk the 2 egg yolks with remaining sugar (0.125 cups) in a bowl. Temper the yolks by whisking in a few tablespoons of hot milk, then pour tempered yolks back into the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon (do not boil). Remove from heat.

Finish mousse base

Stir the bloomed gelatin into the hot custard until fully dissolved. Cool the custard to room temperature, stirring occasionally. While cooling, whip cold heavy cream to soft-medium peaks. Once custard is cooled but still fluid, fold about a third of whipped cream into custard to lighten, then fold in remaining cream gently until homogenous. Chill briefly (15–20 minutes) if needed to firm slightly before assembly.

Stir shredded coconut, coconut cream and powdered sugar together in a small bowl. If you prefer a smoother paste, pulse briefly in a food processor until the coconut is evenly moistened but still textured. Chill 10 minutes to thicken. This layer will be spreadable to give coconut texture between mousse and cake.

Bloom gelatin

Sprinkle gelatin over 1.5 tbs cold water and let sit 5 minutes.

Make gelée

Warm pineapple and mango purées with sugar and lemon juice over low heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm (do not boil). Stir in bloomed gelatin until fully dissolved. Remove from heat and cool to slightly thickened but still pourable (about 10–15 minutes).

Combine passionfruit pulp, sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves, about 2–3 minutes. Taste and adjust sweetness. Remove from heat and cool. For a smooth coulis, press through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds, reserving seeds for garnish if desired.

Layer cake

If you baked one sponge, slice horizontally into two even layers. Place bottom sponge on serving plate or cake ring. Brush lightly with pineapple juice (about half of the soak). Spread a thin even layer of coconut mixture over the sponge (about half of the coconut mix). Pour or spoon half of the vanilla bean mousse over coconut layer and spread evenly to the edges. Gently pour about half of the cooled pineapple-mango gelée over the mousse; it should sit as a semi-firm layer. Chill in refrigerator 20–30 minutes to set slightly.

Repeat layers

Place second sponge layer on top, brush with remaining pineapple juice. Spread remaining coconut mixture, then remaining mousse. Smooth the top and spoon remaining gelée in the center, allowing a small dome or spreading to the edges as desired. Chill at least 2 hours, preferably 4 hours or overnight, to fully set.

Finish and serve

Before serving, remove cake from ring or springform. Spoon passionfruit coulis around plate or drizzle over slices. Garnish top with toasted coconut, fresh mango slices and mint leaves. If you reserved passionfruit seeds, sprinkle a few on top for texture. Slice with a hot, clean knife for clean cuts.