Custard pandan chiffon with sago, sesame seed praline and passionfruit mousse

Preparation time:
60 mins + plus chilling
Cooking time:
55 mins
Serves:
6

Ingredients

Green lemon syrup
75ml water
25g sugar
green food coloring to tint
juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp cornflour

Sago
50g caster sugar
60ml coconut

200g small sago

Passion fruit mousse
2 1/2 leaves gelatine, gold strength
150ml passionfruit juice
juice of 1/2 lime
2 yolks
175g caster sugar
finely grated zest of 1 orange
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 egg whites, whisked to soft peaks
125ml double cream

125ml thickened cream, whisked to soft peaks

Sesame seed praline
225g caster sugar
60ml water
75g white sesame seeds, toasted

75g black sesame seeds, toasted

Custard pandan chiffon cake
Caramel (layer 1)
250g caster sugar

50ml water

Custard (layer 2)
200g caster sugar
1/2 x 375ml can evaporated milk
6 eggs

1 vanilla beans, seed removed and reserved

Cake batter (layer 3)
2 pandan leaves
175ml coconut milk
6 egg yolks
125ml grapeseed oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp green food coloring
250g plain flour
200g caster sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
6 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
100g caster sugar

Method

1. To make green lemon syrup, stir water, sugar and colouring, in a small saucepan, over low heat, until sugar dissolves. Stir in combined juice and cornflour. Simmer until thickened.

2. To prepare sago, stir coconut milk and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Add sago to a saucepan of simmering water. Cook for about 10 minutes or until sago is translucent. Drain. Rinse. Drain. Add to coconut milk with a pinch of salt. Set aside.

3. To make passionfruit mousse, soak gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes. Bring juices to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from heat. Remove gelatine from water and squeeze out excess water. Add to juice mixture. Stir until dissolved.

4. Whisk egg yolks over a saucepan of simmering water until pale and thick. Add sugar and continue whisking until mixture is thick and forms a ribbon when whisk is lifted. Whisk in gelatine mixture and citrus zests. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until mixture thickens. Fold egg whites and creams into cooled mousse mixture, in two batches. Refrigerate until set.

5. To make praline, line an oven tray with baking paper. Stir sugar and water in a medium heavy based saucepan over medium heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Use a wet pastry brush to brush any stray grains on side of pan back down into mixture. Bring to a boil. Boil, uncovered, without stirring, until mixture turns golden brown. Stir in sesame seeds. Pour onto prepared tray. Set aside to cool.

6. To make cake, preheat oven to180C. Grease a 28cmx18cm ovenproof dish or cake pan. Line an oven tray with four pages of newspaper. Pour over enough water to cover and soak paper.

7. To make caramel, stir sugar and water in a medium heavy based saucepan over medium heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Use a wet pastry brush to brush any stray grains on side of pan back down into mixture. Bring to a boil. Boil, uncovered, without stirring, until mixture turns golden brown. Pour into prepared dish.

8. To prepare custard, whisk all ingredients together in a jug. Set aside. Pour over caramel in dish.

9. To make cake batter, place pandan leaves and coconut milk in a saucepan. Place over a low heat until hot. Set aside to cool and infuse.

10. Beat cooled coconut milk, yolks, oil, vanilla and colouring in a large bowl, with an electric mixer until combined. Add combined sifted flour, sugar and baking powder. Beat to combine.

11. Beat egg whites in clean bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and cream of tartar, beating until dissolved after each addition, until mixture is thick and glossy. Fold into cake batter in two batches. Pour batter over custard in dish.

12. Place dish on soaked newspaper on oven tray. Cook for about 30 minutes or until cooked when tested. Stand cake for 10 minutes before inverting onto a chopping board. Cool.

Notes

Tips

- You will need about 6 large passionfruit to obtain 125ml juice (exact number will depend on size and amount of pulp in each fruit)
- To extract juice, blend pulp and seeds briefly in a blender. Strain and discard seeds. Alternatively, you can push pulp through a sieve.

- Placing the baking dish on a layer of wet newspaper, helps prevent the caramel from burning.

This recipe has not been tested

Recipe by Leigh and Jennifer

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