Pavlova with Passion Fruit Curd and Berries

An exquisite recipe for pavlova filled with passion fruit curd, lightly sweet homemade whipped cream, and fresh seasonal berries.

– Why do you need to make this dessert?

Because it is super easy, so beautiful and, extremely delicious…seriously…I have made this pavlova many times and trust me, people that tried it will remember you forever.

– What can you make in advance?

For this recipe you can make in advance the meringue shell and keep in an air-tight container and the passion fruit curd.

On the day you are serving the pavlova you will need to whip the cream, wash the berries and assemble…which is a lot of fun, since all the “hard” part has been prepared.

– Can I use other fruits?

Absolutely, I have made the same recipe using kiwi, mango, grapes, pineapple, dragon fruit…you name it. Use whatever fruit is in season.

– What to do if not serving the pavlova at home?

I did it many times…I pack all the components of the pavlova separately and place in an insulated container and assemble when it is almost time to serve. Trust me, you will be surrounded by all the guests while you are assembling the dessert which make it even more remarkable. Moreover, you will hear lots of “oh”, “uh”, “wow”, and everyone will want to sink their fork in it.

– Did I convince you to make this dessert?

Ingredients:

5 egg whites
220 g sugar
2 ½ teaspoon corn starch
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

1 pint heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Passion Fruit Curd from HERE.

Fresh blueberry and strawberries

Method:

Preheat oven to 275^oF or convection oven at 250^oF

In a bowl, whisk the eggs whites with vinegar.

Once the egg whites are foamy add vanilla extract and the sugar in thirds.

Whisk until stiff peaks.

Sprinkle the corn starch on the meringue and mix gently.

Mold the meringue according to your like.

Bake for 2 hours. Lower the temperature to 200^oF and bake for another 45 minutes or until the meringue is crispy.

Let it cool completely.

At this point you can assembly the meringue or store in an air-tight container for later use.

How to assembly

Place the meringue shell on the serving plate. Add a layer of passion fruit curd, then whipped cream and topped with fruits. If wish dust with powdered sugar on top.

– If you enjoy this recipe you might want to take a look at these…

Thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!

Passion Fruit Curd Layer Cake

This cake is layered with homemade passion fruit curd, super light, fluffy with a creamy rich and fragrant curd…perfect for any occasion.

I already make 3 batches of passion fruit curd…and twice this layered cake. The cake just disappears…it is true I share with friends and family, but I can guarantee that the cake will not stay long in the refrigerator.

– What is a better way to serve the fragrant passion fruit curd?

In between layers of light and fluffy vanilla chiffon cake

– Why is this cake so delicious?

Imagine a bite of super light cake loaded with fragrant, tangy and slightly sweet passion fruit curd…do I need to say more? If you believe in magic…this cake is magical…

– Did I convince you to try this cake?

Ingredients:

5 jumbo/large eggs separated
65 g vegetable oil
65 g milk
110 g cake flour, shifted
1 pinch salt
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
85 g sugar
10 g vinegar

Homemade Passion Fruit Curd (recipe HERE)

Method:

Preheat oven at 275^oF. Line a 14 x 9 inch (36 cm x 23 cm) jelly pan with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, mix cake flour with salt, and set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together egg yolks, milk, oil and vanilla extract. Add the sifted mix of cake flour and salt to the egg yolk mixture. Mix well until smooth and all the flour is well incorporated, resembling a pancake mix batter.

In a large bowl of a hand-held mixer or stand mixer whisk the egg white with the vinegar until large bubbles form. Add the sugar slowly into thirds. Whisk until medium/firm peaks form. Do not over beat, the meringue should be shiny and form soft but firm peaks.

Add about ⅓ of the meringue to the egg yolk mixture and mix gently until all the egg white is incorporated to the batter.

Pour the egg yolk mix to the remaining meringue and fold gently until all the egg white is combined to the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet and spread evenly. Gently tap the pan against the counter to remove excess of air bubbles. Lower the temperature to 275^oC and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Remove cake from the oven and transfer it with its parchment paper onto a wire rack and let it cool.

Flip the cake to another piece of parchment paper of silicone mat.

Peel the parchment paper from the cake and cut into 3 equal sections.

Roll the cake gently, then unroll it spread a layer of lemon curd and roll it back. Wrap tightly with a plastic wrap. Repeat the same procedure with the other half piece of cake.

Place the cake roll in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving.

– If you like this Swiss cake roll, you might want to look at these dessert recipes…

Thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!

Taiwanese Cream Cheese Castella Cake

This is very soft cake, light cottony and fluffy with a hint of cream cheese in it…delicious just as it is or if you prefer with fresh cream, fruits or jams.

Due to the lock down to keep my mind out of this unreal situation I have been baking lots of cake…and so far this cake is one of the best I have ever baked…even my husband gave 11 out of 10…he liked so much that I already made 3 batches and have send a few cakes to our neighbors/friends.

– What is Taiwanese Castella Cake?

According to the internet Taiwanese Castella cake was originated from Japan, it is the simplest cake made with just a handful of ingredients.

My mom tells me that when castella cake reached Taiwan it was considered a delicacy since most of the sweets/desserts at the time was made using rice flour and sugar, therefore desserts made egg and flour was a real treat.

– Why Taiwanese Castella Cake is different?

Now, Castella cake is a staple in Taiwan, we find people lining up to buy freshly baked cake just out of the oven and cut in front of you…how much fresher can it be?

This cake in spite of just a few ingredients is super light, soft and fluffy…resembling a sponge cake. This cake does not use any rising agent such as baking powder…only the foam produced by the egg white.

– Is it hard to bake Castella cake?

Not at all, once you have the right ratio of ingredients, there is no room for mistake. It is true that you will need a few bowls and more gadgets to wash, but all the efforts are well worth it. Once you get to bake this cake you will be hooked, and many versions can be made using the basic ingredients…any citrus, chocolate, coffee, cheese, carrot, sweet potato and so on…

– Cream cheese in the cake batter?

Yes, the small amount of cream cheese in the cake batter will give this cake a creamier texture with a lightly hint of cheese…

– Did I convince you to try baking Castella cake?

Ingredients:

6 large eggs (total weight of approximately 300g) separated, (make sure the bowl with egg white does not contain any trace of grease)
120 g cream cheese
70 g vegetable oil (I used sunflower)
70 g milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
90 g cake flour
1 pinch salt
10 g white vinegar
95 to 115 g white sugar (depending on your taste)

Method:

Preheat oven at 285^oF

In a small bowl melt together the cream cheese and milk over a double boiler. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Place the vegetable oil in a small pan, heat (low) the oil until approximately 85^oC to 90^oC (185^oF to 194^oF). Remove the pan from the heat and pour into the sifted cake flour, mix well to form a thick paste.

Add the cream cheese/milk mixture into the flour mixture and stir, then add the egg yolks 3 at the time, mixing well into the batter each time.

Add the vanilla extract and the salt, the mixture will resemble a pancake batter.

In a large bowl of a hand-held mixer or stand mixer whisk the egg white with the vinegar until large bubbles form.

Add the sugar slowly into thirds. Whisk until soft peaks form (very important that the egg whites are SOFT PEAKS). Do not over beat, the meringue should be shiny and form soft peaks.

Add about ⅓ of the meringue to the egg yolk mixture and mix gently until all the egg white is incorporated to the batter.

Pour the egg yolk mix to the remaining meringue and fold gently until all the egg white is combined to the batter. Do not over mix.

Pour the batter into 2 loaf pans (20 cm x 7 cm or 7 ¾ x 2 ¾ inch) lined with parchment paper. Tap gently the pan to remove excess of air bubbles.

Place the pan into a tray and fill with approximately 2 cm or ¾ inch of room temperature water and place into the oven.

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes and increase the temperature to 300^oF and bake for another 5 minutes.

Remove the pans from the oven and the cake from the pans. Let is sit on a wire rack.

Gently remove the parchment paper and let it cool completely on the wire rack.

Serve at room temperature or cold.

Keep the cake at room temperature for about 3 days and in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, but I guarantee you that it will be gone way before the 3 days.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do…

– Looking for more light desserts? Check these out…

Thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!

Taro Swiss Cake Roll

This simple Swiss roll cake loaded with creamy, sweet and nutty taro filling is amazingly delicious. The soft and cottony cake layer with the purple cream is just heaven…

As mentioned on my previous post…here I am with another taro post, this time taro was made into a creamy and rich filling for Swiss roll cake.

If you are interested in learning more about taro root, please check my previous post…

– Why this cake is different?

Yes, you read it right, the filling of this cake is made with taro…taro can be used in savory or sweet dish, it is super versatile and packed with healthy elements in it.

– Can I find this kind of cake in Asian bakeries?

Yes, again, you can find taro filled cake (birthday cake) with layers of taro cream in between cake. They even decorate the cake in purple so you are aware of its flavor.

– Ready to try this unique taro filling?

Ingredients:

Taro filling

500 g taro cut into small cubes of approximately ½ in
1 can low fat coconut milk
60 g sugar or more if you prefer a bit sweeter

Cake Roll

3 eggs
35 g vegetable oil (I used sunflower)
30 g milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
60 g cake flour
1 pinch salt
6 g white vinegar
60 g sugar

Method:

Taro filling

In a medium pot add the taro and the coconut milk. Cook under medium heat for approximately 10 minutes.

Add the sugar and stir gently. Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes. At this point the taro will be soft and breaking/melting into the coconut milk.

If you like with little pieces of taro, remove from the heat and let it cool. If you like creamier, let it cook a couple more minutes and mashed the remaining pieces of taro into the cream.

Let the taro cream cool completely and store in the refrigerator.

Cake Roll

Preheat oven at 275^oF. Line a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) jelly pan with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, mix cake flour with salt., and set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together egg yolks, oil, milk, vanilla extract. Add the sifted mix of cake flour and salt to the egg yolk mixture. Mix well until smooth and all the flour is well incorporated, resembling a pancake mix batter.

Add about ⅓ of the meringue to the egg yolk mixture and mix gently until all the egg white is incorporated to the batter.

Pour the egg yolk mix to the remaining meringue and fold gently until all the egg white is combined to the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet and spread evenly. Gently tap the pan against the counter to remove excess of air bubbles. Bake at for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Remove cake from the oven and transfer it with its parchment paper onto a wire rack and let it cool.

Flip the cake to another piece of parchment paper of silicone mat.

Peel the parchment paper from the cake and roll it. Let the cake cool.

Unroll the cake and spread a thin layer of the cooled taro filling. Roll back and wrap tightly with a plastic wrap.

Place the cake roll in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving.

– If you like this Swiss cake roll, you might want to look at these dessert recipes…

Thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!

Mocha Chiffon Cake

Light and airy cake made with chocolate and a hint of coffee…perfect for the afternoon tea or make it elegant by decorating as you like.

I have been baking lots of cake lately and chiffon cake still one of my favorites…it is so easy and stays fresh and moist for days…depending on my mood I serve the cake with fresh fruit, some confectionary sugar or when needed I dress the cake with fresh whipped cream or layers of ganache.

The combination of flavors is unlimited, chocolate, coffee, orange, lemon, strawberry, vanilla… just to give some examples.

– What is chiffon cake?

Chiffon cake is very light, airy and fluffy cake made mainly with vegetable oil, eggs, sugar, cake flour and any liquid from milk to juices.

– What is the method used for chiffon cake?

Chiffon cake does not use any baking agent or butter, only vegetable oil and egg whites beaten into meringue as a leavening agent.

– Why should you make chiffon cake?

Because the texture is super soft, light and moist and almost melts in your mouth. Moreover, you can make it with all kind of flavors and serve plain or with any kind of frosting you desire.

– Why you should not be intimidated by chiffon cake?

There is really no secret…just mix the egg yolk portion with all the liquids and flour, set aside and beat the egg white to meringue until the soft-stiff peaks forms…fold gently and bake…

In my opinion the trick is to beat the meringue to the right stage and fold correctly…other than these two steps, there is really nothing scary about the baking the perfect chiffon cake or any kind of foam cake.

– Should we look at the recipe?

Ingredients:

4 large eggs separated (make sure the bowl with egg white does not contain any trace of grease)
60 g vegetable oil (I used sunflower)
60 g milk
1 teaspoon instant coffee
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
65 g cake flour
15 g cocoa powder
1 pinch salt
6 g white vinegar
80 g sugar

Method:

Place a tray with water in the oven and preheat oven at 325^oF.

In a small bowl, mix cake flour, cocoa powder and salt, set aside.

Add the instant coffee into the milk, stir until all the coffee granules are dissolved.

In a medium bowl, stir together egg yolks, oil, milk with coffee, vanilla extract. Add the sift the mix of cake flour, cocoa and salt to the egg yolk mixture. Mix well until smooth and all the flour is well incorporated, resembling a pancake mix batter.

Add about ⅓ of the meringue to the egg yolk mixture and mix gently until all the egg white is incorporated to the batter.

Pour the egg yolk mix to the remaining meringue and fold gently until all the egg white is combined to the batter.

Pour the batter into a 7 x 4 ½ inch angel cake pan and spread evenly. Gently tap the pan against the counter to remove excess of air bubbles. Bake at 325^oF for 30 minutes and lower the temperature to 300^oF and bake for another 15 minutes.

Remove cake from the oven and invert the pan (turn the cake upside down) and place on a cup or any surface so the cake is suspended. Let it cool completely before removing the cake from the pan.

Remove the cake by gently running a thin spatula around the pan releasing the cake. Run the spatula along the base to remove the cake completely from the pan.

Decorate as desired.

– Looking for more cake recipe? Please check the recipes below…

Did you know that chiffon cake is a kind of foam cake? Foam cakes are basically made with eggs, sugar flour and very little oil. These cakes are light and airy due to the egg whites which are beaten separated from the egg yolks.

Thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!

Calamansi Souffle Cake

This Asian inspired cake is super light and melt in your mouth, it is easy to make and require just a few ingredients. The citrus flavor from calamansi gives this cake a very unique touch.

I got this dwarf calamansi tree a while ago and since then it has been given us loads and loads of little citrus fruits which according to Wikipedia it is a hybrid between mandarin orange and kumquat. . In spite of the seeds in it I love how easy is to squeeze the fragrant juice out of it. Often I add to water or use as a lemon in salad and cooking, in another words, anywhere you use lemon I sometimes substitute for calamansi.

Now you can see how the idea of making calamansi cake was born…the recipe is based on Orange Lemon Sponge Cake from Jeannetay’s Blog, which by the way has amazing recipes for cake and bread.

Oh! Before I forget, the batter is baked in a water bath (bain-marie), therefore the light and moist texture of the cake resembling cotton…so plan and make sure you have all the necessary tools ready.

Since I love everything mini I used 2 mini angel food cake pans and one 4” round pan.

Ingredients:

3 large eggs, separated
45 g cake flour
⅛ teaspoon salt
25 canola oil
35 g calamansi juice (or lemon juice)
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
40 g sugar (10 g + 30 g)

Method:

Sift flour and salt together and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350F

In a large bowl whisk the egg yolk together with the sugar (10g), oil until creamy and the yolk turns light yellow. Add the calamansi juice and whisk well. Add the sifted mixture of flour and combine well without over mixing. Set aside.

Whisk egg white in a medium bowl until foamy then add cream of tartar, slowly add the remaining 30g of sugar. Whisk until firm peaks form.

Add approximately ⅓ of the egg white meringue to the bowl containing the egg yolk mixture with flour and mix gently until the egg white are totally blend in. Add another ⅓, and fold into the batter. Finally add the last ⅓ portion of the egg white to the cake batter folding gently to not deflate the air in the meringue.

Pour the batter into a prepared 6”pan (round or square, lined with a parchment paper on the bottom) or a 2 mini angel pan (4.5”) plus a round 4” pan.

Bake for 20 minutes at 350F. Remove from the oven and unmold the cake by flipping on a plate or wire rack and let it cool.

If you enjoy this Asian inspired cake recipe, please take a look at Cotton Soft Cheesecake or Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cake recipes.

Did you know that calamansi is packed with vitamin C? Like all the other citrus fruit, calamansi contains high levels of vitamin C and antioxidants. It is very popular in Phlippines combined with soy sauce and used as marinade or dipping sauce.