Passionfruit sponge cake with lime meringue fingers, mickey and minnie and with lots of love...

To Y and our parents





Since 4 years ago, this day took a very special place in my heart. I remembered reading a Christian book on the subject of love and relationships many years ago, and one quote particularly struck me: 'If that person is your true love, he/she makes you a better person.' Until I met Y, I couldn't comprehend its true meaning . If I can make a lame analogy, true love to me is like having a duvet surrounding you: it is not something fancy, but it's comfy and warm (without suffocating you). You can live without a duvet; but if you have it, it feels so right and you feel better off with it...

So thank you Y for the many many happy days we have had and are going to have (and cookbooks and bakewares and handbags and clothes and skincare...). I realise I also have to thank our parents for accomodating and sacrificing a lot for us just because they love us. Thank you, parents! We love you!

This cake is again tailor-made. Y loves sponge, hence the sponge; he loves passionfruit, hence the passionfruit curd sandwiched in the middle; he loves meringues and lime, so I improvised and made lime meringue fingers to surround the cake. And lastly, mickey mouse and minnie mouse because we both love them!

P.S. We ate the cake just now and it was gorgeous. This is by far the most satisfied cake I have created so far. The combination of the slightly tangy but fragrant passionfruit pairs very well with the aromatic and crunchy lime meringue. I love it!

Serves 6

For passionfruit filling: (adapted from the passionfruit curd from How to be a domestic goddess by Nigella Lawson)

1. 5 passionfruit
2. 1 egg + 1 yolk
3. 75g caster sugar
4. 50g unsalted butter

• Scoop out the flesh of 5 passionfruit and blitz in a food processor. Then use a sieve to filter away the seeds. Keep the juice.
• Beat the egg, the yolk and the sugar together.
• Melt the butter in a heavy based pan using a low heat, and when fully melted, stir in the juice and sugar-egg mixture. Keep stirring and keep an eye on the heat. If you think it's going to curdle, take the pan off the heat for a while. You will see the mixture thickens, keep stirring until the mixture is as thick as hollandaise.
• If you want the curd to have some seeds in it, scoop in an extra passionfruit (both pulp and seeds) into the curd and mix lightly.
• Pour into a sterilised jar and cool. Can keep in the fridge for a few days, so you can do this in advance.

For sponge: (this is a typical victoria sponge recipe: feel free to use any sponge batter)

1. 175g self-raising flour
2. 1 rounded teaspoon baking powder
3. 3 eggs
4. 175g margarine
5. 150g sugar (I used vanilla sugar)
6. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Pre-heat oven to 180c.
• Sift the flour and baking powder together.
• Add all other ingredients and use a whisk to combine the ingredients together. It should be a rather stiff batter.
• Divide the batter evenly between 2 8inch round tins (lined with baking parchment), and use a spatula to level it out.
• Bake in oven for 30 mins.
• Take out the tins from oven and left to cool in their tins for 5 mins. Then peel off the parchment and let it cool for a further 15 minutes.
• If the sponge is slightly domed (i.e. not level top), use a cake leveller or serrated knife to even it out. You now have 2 sponge layers ready to be sandwiched.

For lime meringue fingers:

1. 2 egg whites
2. 100g caster sugar
3. zest of a lime
4. green colouring

• Preheat oven to 150c.
• Place the whites in a large bowl. Use an electric whisk on a low speed to whisk the whites until they are foamy.
• Switch to medium speed and continue whisking for about 1 minute.
• Turn to high speed and add sugar gradually to the whites. Stop when you have a stiff and glossy mixture.
• Gently fold in the food colouring and lime zest.
• Use a piping bag with a round tip, to pipe strips of meringue on a lined baking sheet. Allow about 2 cm gap between each each strip. I piped about 25 strips. The length of the strip really depends on the height of the sponge (ideally it should be 1-2 cm higher than the sponge), and in my case, the strips are about 8 cm tall.
• Pop them in the oven and turn the heat down to 140c immediately and bake for 20 mins.
• Take it out to cool thoroughly. When they are cool, separate them from the baking sheet carefully.

For buttercream icing: (adapted from Wilton's buttercream icing)

1. 110g solid vegetable shortening (I used Cookeen)
2. 110g butter, softened
3. 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract (you can use any flavour extract, but make sure it's clear in colour, otherwise the icing will be tainted)
4. 500g icing sugar
5. 2 tablespoons milk
6. Colourings

• Cut the shortening and butter into smallish cubes, and use an electric mixer to beat thoroughly.
• Add in the almond extract and a little bit of the milk and continue beating.
• Add in the icing sugar, a little at a time, and scrape the sides of the bowl.
• If it is too dry, add in a little of the milk. If it is too wet, add icing sugar. You should beat until the icing is mixed thoroughly.
• Once you make the buttercream icing, cover it with a moist cloth/kitchen paper and store in the fridge for a few days until you need them. If you do make them in advance, make sure you beat it again before you want to use it.
• To use the buttercream to draw/write: I used a method called 'frozen buttercream transfer'. First, use a pencil to trace the drawing on a parchment paper. E.g. the mickey and minnie were from our tee-shirts, so I used a pencil to trace out the patterns on the tee-shirts over a parchment paper. Second, you don't want to eat the pencil marks so you will have to ice on the other side of the paper. In fact, since the icing will be flipped over onto the cake, the image will be reversed. So apply icing on the un-penciled side of the parchment paper will also help preventing this. Third, get ready the different colour icing and use black buttercream (remember to use a very small tip) to trace out the outline first. Then fill the rest with different colours of buttercream. Fourth, place the parchment into the freezer for about 45 minutes. Don't put it for over an hour though. Fifth, carefully place the parchment (with icing side down) onto the cake and cafefully peel away the parchment. There is now a picture on the cake!
  

Logistics and assembly:

1. This is a cake involving many various things but in fact many things can be prepared in advance: the passionfruit curd can keep easily for 1 week in a sterilised jar; the meringue can keep for a week if placed in an airtight container; even the sponge you can make ahead and put in the freezer and thaw when you need them. The buttercream icing can be made in advance too, but the colours and the frozen butter cream transfer method should be done on the day.
2. To assemble, place one layer of sponge on a cake stand/plate, then spread the passionfruit curd generously on it. Put the second layer of sponge on top. Then spread a thin layer of whipped cream on the top of the cake and dot whipped cream to the sides of the cake (this act as a glue to the meringue fingers). Take out the frozen buttercream icing from the freezer and carefully flip it over on the cake. Lastly, arrange the meringue fingers around the cake.