Recipe
Tropical Cake with Drip Ganache
A fantastic layer cake with lots of delicious flavors: vanilla, passion fruit, mango, and chocolate. The cake is covered with vanilla buttercream and topped with dripping ganache and plenty of chocolate decorations.
Difficulty: Moderate
Yield: 14 servingsUdstyr
- Baking strips
- Extra tall adjustable cake ring
- Cake acetate
- Cake scraper
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake Layers:
- 4 eggs (room temperature, important!)
- 350 g sugar
- 110 g butter
- 2 ½ dl milk
- 250 g flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp vanilla
Passion Fruit Curd:
- 1½ dl passion fruit juice*
- 100 g sugar
- 125 g butter
- 100 g egg yolks
Mango Mousse:
- 4 dl mango purée
- ½ dl water
- 5 sheets gelatin
- 50-75 g sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 200 ml heavy cream
Buttercream:
- 450 g butter (room temperature)
- 1000 g powdered sugar
- 120 ml heavy cream (approx.)
- 5 tsp vanilla
- 4-5 tbsp cocoa powder
Dark Chocolate Ganache:
- 100 g quality dark chocolate
- 100 ml heavy cream
Decoration:
- Chocolate macarons
- Bonbons with caramel ganache
- Gold chocolate pearls
- Chocolate buttercream**
- Pansies
Instructions
Vanilla Cake Layers:
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C (356 °F).
- In a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer), beat the eggs with an electric mixer. Gradually add sugar while continuing to beat. Once all the sugar is added, beat for 5 minutes until the mixture becomes thick and creamy (important!).4 eggs, 350 g sugar
- Meanwhile, heat butter and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts (do not boil). Remove from heat and let cool slightly.110 g butter, 2 ½ dl milk
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture while mixing slowly. Add the melted butter mixture and vanilla, and stir until combined. The batter will be very runny.250 g flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp vanilla
- Pour the batter into a 22 cm (9 inch) round pan lined with parchment paper at the bottom. Do not grease the pan. For a perfectly flat cake, wrap wet baking strips around the pan. Alternatively, you can trim the cake top after baking.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when gently pressed.
- Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
- Run a sharp knife along the edges and remove the cake from the pan. Slice into four even layers using a serrated knife or a cake leveler. Store the cake layers with parchment paper between them in 1-2 freezer bags until assembling.
Passion Fruit Curd:
- Scoop out the passion fruit pulp and strain it through a sieve to remove the seeds. You’ll need 1½ dl passion fruit juice*.1½ dl passion fruit juice*
- In a small saucepan, combine passion fruit juice, sugar, butter, and egg yolks. Heat over low heat while stirring continuously until the mixture thickens (about 10-15 minutes). The curd is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and leaves a trail when you run your finger through it.100 g sugar, 125 g butter, 100 g egg yolks
- Transfer the curd to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Mango Mousse:
- Cut mango into small cubes and blend with water until smooth.4 dl mango purée, ½ dl water
- Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for 10 minutes.5 sheets gelatin
- In a small saucepan, heat mango purée, sugar, and lemon juice until just about to boil. Remove from heat, squeeze excess water from the gelatin, and stir it into the warm mango purée until dissolved. Let cool to room temperature.50-75 g sugar, 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Whip heavy cream to soft peaks. Gradually fold in the cooled mango purée without deflating the whipped cream.200 ml heavy cream
Assembling the Cake:
- Place the bottom cake layer on a serving platter that fits in your fridge. Wrap an adjustable cake ring or springform ring lined with acetate tightly around it.
- Spread half of the passion fruit curd evenly over the cake layer. Place the second cake layer on top and gently press down.
- Spread the mango mousse evenly over the layer (max 2 cm / 3/4 inch thick; you may have leftover mousse). Place the third cake layer on top and gently press down.
- Spread the remaining passion fruit curd evenly over it. Add the final cake layer and gently press down.
- Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight) to allow the mousse to set.
Buttercream:
- Cut butter into pieces and place in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Beat until creamy and fluffy.450 g butter
- Gradually add powdered sugar in three additions while mixing.1000 g powdered sugar
- Add heavy cream and vanilla. Adjust consistency and flavor by adding more cream if needed.120 ml heavy cream, 5 tsp vanilla
- Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag with a wide flat nozzle or spread it directly with an offset spatula.
- Remove the cake from the fridge. Carefully remove the cake ring and acetate. Place the cake on a turntable. Spread a thin crumb coat of buttercream over the cake. Use an offset spatula or scraper to smooth the sides and top.
- Chill the cake until the buttercream firms up. Apply another thin layer if needed for a smoother finish.
- Mix cocoa powder into the leftover buttercream for decorating later.4-5 tbsp cocoa powder
Dark Chocolate Ganache and Decoration:
- Chop the dark chocolate and place it in a microwave-safe bowl with heavy cream. Heat in 15-20 second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth.100 g quality dark chocolate, 100 ml heavy cream
- Remove the cake from the fridge and pour the ganache onto the center, letting it run towards the edges of the cake. Use a spoon to push some ganache over the sides to create drips. The cold cake will set the ganache quickly.
- Decorate the cake before the ganache fully sets. Refrigerate the cake afterward, covered with plastic wrap. Fresh flowers should only be added just before serving.Chocolate macarons, Bonbons with caramel ganache, Gold chocolate pearls, Chocolate buttercream**, Pansies
Notes
Remove the cake from the fridge at least 1 hour before serving for the best taste and texture.
*15-17 passion fruits yield about 1 ½ dl (3/4 cup) juice.
- 400 g (14 oz) mango + ½ dl (1/4 cup) water = approx. 4 dl (1 3/4 cup) mango purée.