Today I’m offering you a little dessert that’s incredibly fresh and not very difficult to make, which I found on the Relais Desserts website. It’s a coconut, strawberry and mint soft cake made by Pascal Lac. The recipe was patiently waiting to be published (it was made last spring). Now that strawberries are flooding our market stalls, you can give it a go!
Here, strawberry is paired with mint and coconut, and I can tell you it’s a combination that works perfectly! Not only is it a change, but the mint brings a huge amount of freshness, as you can imagine (and I’m not talking about mint flavouring, yuck! You need fresh mint). Of course, if you don’t like it, you can replace it with another flavour you enjoy (vanilla, for example, quite simply).
It was the chance to try the Fashion Eclair kit that had been catching my eye for a while. I love this kit! You get the silicone mould (which I didn’t use here) but also a cutter for cutting out the sponge and the pâte sablée. The little boat-shaped cases are also part of the kit, so it’s really practical!
Ingredients & Method
4 components · Full recipe
Mint pastry cream (start the day before)
Ingredients
- 200 g (7.1 oz) milk
- 50 g (1.8 oz) sugar
- 25 g (0.9 oz) egg yolk
- 25 g (0.9 oz) cornstarch
- about 20 fresh mint leaves
Method
1
The day before, finely chop the fresh mint leaves and leave to infuse in the milk in the refrigerator.
2
The next day, strain the milk and heat it with half the sugar.
3
In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining sugar until the mixture turns pale.
4
Add the cornstarch and whisk again. Gradually pour a little of the hot milk into the bowl in a thin stream, whisking constantly, to temper the mixture, then pour everything back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk.
5
Whisk over medium heat until the cream thickens. Bring to a boil and cook for 2–3 minutes.
6
Transfer to a bowl, cover with cling film pressed directly onto the surface, and leave to cool slightly before refrigerating. Once fully cold, remove from the fridge and whisk until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 12 mm plain tip and keep refrigerated until assembly.
Mint mascarpone whipped cream (start the day before)
Ingredients
- 200 g (7.1 oz) cream
- 100 g (3.5 oz) mascarpone
- 20 to 30 g (1.1 oz) icing sugar (to taste)
- about 20 fresh mint leaves
Method
1
The day before, finely chop the fresh mint leaves and leave to infuse in the cream in the refrigerator.
2
The next day, place the bowl and whisk attachments of the electric mixer in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
3
Strain the cream to remove the mint leaves, then pour the cream and mascarpone into the chilled bowl and begin whisking at medium speed. Once the cream starts to firm up, increase the speed. Add the icing sugar and continue whisking. Be careful not to over-whip — you risk getting a grainy or buttery cream. With mascarpone, this happens much more quickly, so stop in time. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 15 mm plain tip and keep refrigerated until assembly.
Coconut dacquoise
Ingredients
- 180 g (6.3 oz) egg whites
- 140 g (4.9 oz) sugar
- 90 g (3.2 oz) ground almonds
- 70 g (2.5 oz) icing sugar
- 50 g (1.8 oz) desiccated coconut
- 25 g (0.9 oz) flour
Method
1
Preheat the oven to 165°C / 325°F.
2
Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, adding the sugar in 3 additions, until you reach a meringue consistency.
3
Sift together the dry ingredients (icing sugar, ground almonds, and desiccated coconut) and fold gently into the meringue using a spatula.
4
Fold in the sifted flour.
5
Spread the batter into a 20×15 cm (5.9 in) frame and smooth with a small palette knife. Note: do not spread over a full 30×40 cm (15.7 in) baking sheet — the layer will be too thin. Using a frame ensures the right thickness.
6
Pascal Lac suggests piping a spiral from the outside inward into each mould using a piping bag fitted with a 0.8 cm (0.3 in) plain tip. Bake for approximately 15 minutes until dry to the touch and lightly golden. Leave to cool on a rack. Cut out 10 small biscuits using the Fashion Éclair cutter and set aside.
Assembly of the Coconut, Strawberry and Mint Soft Cake inspired by Pascal Lac
Ingredients
- 250 g (8.8 oz) strawberries
- a few fresh mint leaves
- desiccated coconut
Method
1
Pipe a base of mint pastry cream along the full length of the biscuit, centred, then using a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm (0.4 in) tip, pipe dots of mint mascarpone whipped cream on top of the pastry cream, leaving spaces to tuck in pieces of fresh strawberry.
2
Finish by decorating with a few small mint leaves. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Gallery
