Serve up a sporting treat with these realistic-looking tennis balls. Made from coconut sponge, filled with passionfruit and whipped cream, and coated in Italian meringue and coconut to look just like the real thing.
Makes:
5 x Tennis Balls
Difficulty:
Challenging
Hands-On Time:
45 mins
Baking Time:
15 mins
- Ingredients
- Method
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Method
Step 1
Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan/250°F/Gas 4.
Step 2
For the coconut sponge, combine all of the ingredients in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Alternatively, combine by hand using a wooden spoon or an element hand whisk. Divide the cake mixture equally between the silicone hemisphere moulds.
Step 3
Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes, until risen and golden.
Step 4
Once baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool a little before removing the cakes from the mould, turning out onto a wire rack and leaving to cool completely.
Step 5
For the passionfruit curd, soak the gelatine leaves in some cold water and leave to soften.
Step 6
Meanwhile, cut open the passionfruit and scrape all the pulp into a medium sized pan. Add the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour, then whisk together over a medium heat. Continue to heat until the sugar has melted, and the mixture has started to thicken.
Step 7
Slowly start adding the butter, whisking between each addition until all the butter is incorporated. Remove the gelatine from the water, squeezing to remove any excess liquid, then add to the pan and continue to cook for a few more minutes, before passing through a fine sieve. Transfer to a shallow tray and set aside in the fridge to chill.
Step 8
For the Italian meringue, whisk the egg whites in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until white and fluffy.
Step 9
At the same time, heat the water and the caster sugar in a small pan over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, and it has become a hot syrup. Boil for 2 minutes, or until the mixture reaches 118°C/244°F, before carefully pouring the hot syrup in a steady stream on to the egg white, whisking continuously in the stand mixer.
Step 10
Leave the mixer running for a few minutes to help cool the marshmallow.
Step 11
In a sandwich bag, add the desiccated coconut and yellow food colouring, then tub together to stain the coconut yellow. Transfer the coconut to a shallow tray.
Step 12
For the whipped cream, whip to soft peak in a large bowl with a hand whisk, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with no nozzle.
Step 13
To assemble, using a 3cm cutter, cut out a 3cm round from the bottom of each cake. You want to go about ¾ into the cake, do not push all the way through. Remove the piece of cake and reserve.
Step 14
Pipe a small blob of cream into each hole, then using the same cutter, cut out a 3cm disc of the set passionfruit curd and place the round of curd on top of the cream.
Step 15
Use the cut-out cake piece to plug the hole, and seal in the cream and the passionfruit curd. Repeat for the rest of the cakes, so all five are filled with the cream and curd.
Step 16
Cover each cake with a layer of the meringue, then drop the covered cakes onto the yellow desiccated coconut and roll around to cover the whole top in yellow coconut.
Step 17
Transfer the remaining marshmallow into a piping bag and snip off the end. Pipe tennis ball lines around the cakes, using the template to help you.
