RECIPE

Ingredients for almond sponge:

315g egg, weighed without shell

18g sugar

94g ground almonds

156g flour

75g butter, melted

5g orange zest

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190 deg C. Grease and line a 40 by 30cm rectangular baking sheet.

2. Whip eggs and sugar in an electric mixed on high speed until pale and fluffy.

3. Fold in flour and ground almonds. Next, fold in the melted butter and orange zest.

4. Pour the batter onto the baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes, or when a skewer, inserted into the cake, comes out clean. Cook on wire racks. When cool, use a 15cm round cake ring to cut out a sponge layer. Set aside.

Ingredients for fruit compote:

120g pineapple puree

80g mandarin orange puree

150g diced segemented orange slices, about 1 to 1.5cm wide

100g diced 1cm cubes of fresh pineapple

20 to 30g grenadine syrup, to taste

30ml gin

50g sugar

8g pectin

Method:

1. In saucepan, warm the fruit purees until they soften, then add the diced fresh fruit, grenadine syrup and gin.

2. Stir in sugar and pectin and bring to a boil. Cook until the mixture has the consistency of jam. Pour into the same ring mould. Now, cut another layer of sponge cake and place this sponge layer on top of the fruit compote layer. Push down firmly. Place in refrigerator to set.

Ingredients for cremeux:

100g pineapple puree

40g egg yolks

25g sugar

4g gelatin sheets

20g Grenadine syrup

10ml gin

15ml Cointreau

5g orange zest

Method:

1. Soak gelatin sheets in iced water for 10 to 15 minutes, until well hydrated. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat the pineapple purée gently in saucepan until it comes to a simmer.

3. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until pale and fluffy. When the puree reaches 85 deg C, pour in the egg yolk mixture in a slow and steady stream. Mix well. The strain this puree and egg yolk mixture into a bowl.

4. Add the gelatin and grenadine syrup, gin, Cointreau and orange zest. Stir then strain the mixture through a fine-meshed sieve. Set aside to cool.

5. When cool, pour 180g or an 8mm layer of the cremeux into the same ring mould. Place it back in the refrigerator to set.

Ingredients for mousse:

75g soda water

90g sugar

63g egg yolk

7g gelatin

250g mascarpone

285ml whipped cream

40ml Cointreau

10g orange zest

Method:

1. Soak the gelatin sheets in iced water for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. Put the soda water and sugar in a pan and boil it until it reaches 121 deg C. Do not stir.

3. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolk in an electric mixer on high speed until it is pale and fluffy. When the syrup reaches 121 deg C, take it off the heat and, while the mixer is still on, gently pour the syrup into the egg yolk in a slow and steady stream.

4. Add the gelatin and when it dissolves, add mascarpone, whipped cream, Cointreau and orange zest. Whip until well combined

Assembly:

1. Take out the cake ring that has been setting in the fridge. 2. Add the final layer of mousse that you have just made. Level the top with a spatula. Then place in the freezer to set for two hours.

3. Remove cake ring to serve.

Makes one 15cm cake