RECIPE

Ingredients for calamansi sponge:

8 eggs

7 egg yolks

270g sugar

180g cake flour

75g corn flour

140g melted butter

200g calamansi juice

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Grease and line a rectangular tray that is 48cm long, 30cm wide and about 2.5cm deep.

2. With an electric mixer on high speed, whisk eggs, egg yolks and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.

3. Sift cake flour and corn flour into a clean bowl. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture in two batches.

4. Add the melted butter and calamansi juice the mixture and fold in.

5. Pour the batter into the tray. The batter should reach about 0.5cm in height. Bake for 12 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. The cake should rise to about 1cm in height.

Ingredients for crispy white chocolate layer:

200g white chocolate

25g cooking oil

50g fine biscuit crumbs

Method:

1. In a pot over low heat, melt white chocolates together with oil. Add in biscuit crumbs and mix well. Set aside.

Ingredients for coconut mousse:

20g gelatin sheets

500g whipping cream

100g sugar

500g coconut milk

Method:

1. Soak gelatin sheets in ice water for about 10 minutes.

2. With an electric mixer, whip the cream and sugar until it is stiff and fluffy. Set aside.

3. Drain gelatin sheets and place in a pot on low heat with 2 Tbs of the coconut milk. Heat until the gelatin sheets have dissolved. Remove from heat.

4. Mix the melted gelatin mixture into the remaining coconut milk.

5. Add the coconut milk mixture to into the whipped cream. Whip until well combined. Set aside.

Ingredients for pandan mousse:

20g gelatin sheets

20 pandan leaves

200ml water

50g coconut milk

150ml milk

4 egg yolks

120g sugar

500g whipping cream

Method:

1. Soak gelatin sheets in ice water for about 10 minutes.

2. Wash pandan leaves and place into a pot with water and simmer over low heat.

3. Meanwhile, drain gelatin sheets and place in a pot over low heat with 2 Tbs of the coconut milk. Heat until gelatin sheets dissolve. Set aside.

4. Remove the pandan leaves and mix the pandan-flavoured water with the coconut milk, milk and melted gelatin mixture. Stir well. Remove from heat. Set aside to cool.

5. With an electric mixer on high speed, beat egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Set aside.

6. In a clean mixing bowl, whip the whipping cream with an electric mixer until it is fluffy, then mix in the egg yolk and sugar mixture.

7. Add the pandan and coconut milk mixture to the whipping cream. Mix until well combined. Set aside.

Ingredients for calamansi glaze:

8g gelatin sheets

220g calamansi juice

Juice of three large limes

150g whipping cream

50g white chocolate

2 Tbs coconut milk

Method:

1. Soak gelatin sheets in ice water for about 10 minutes.

2. Pour calamansi juice, lime juice and whipping cream into a pot and set over moderate heat. When it is hot but not boiling, add white chocolate. Continue to simmer until white chocolate dissolves. Remove from the heat.

3. Drain gelatin sheets. Then, in a pot over low heat, melt the gelatin sheets with the coconut milk. Heat until the gelatin sheets dissolve. Remove from heat.

4. Add the melted gelatin into the white chocolate mixture. Set aside.

To assemble:

1. Cut the sponge to fit a 25cm by 11cm cake ring.

2. On top of this sponge layer, add a thin layer, about 1cm thick or a desired amount, of crispy white chocolate. Leave to set in the fridge for 10 minutes.

3. Next, evenly spread a 1cm-thick layer of coconut mousse over the crispy white chocolate. Set in the fridge for another 10 minutes.

4. Cut another piece of sponge cake to fit the cake ring, and place it on top of the coconut mousse layer. Add a 1cm-thick layer of pandan mousse. Leave to set in the freezer for a few hours.

5. When ready to glaze, melt the calamansi glaze over low heat. Remove from heat when it is smooth. Spread enough glaze over the cake so that it is evenly covered. Leave to set in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes one 700g cake.