Tropical cake
- Average
- 2 h
Tropical tart built on a crumbly shortcrust base turns familiar crostata territory into something genuinely festive. A velvety coconut milk cream fills the shell, and mango, pineapple, papaya, and fresh coconut land on top in enough color to make the whole thing look like a celebration before anyone cuts into it. The layered structure is part of the appeal — each element is distinct, and together they add up to a dessert that earns its place at the end of a dinner with friends or as the centerpiece of a relaxed Sunday afternoon spread. The contrast is what makes it work.
The fragrant, tender pastry pushes back against cool, juicy fruit in a way that keeps every forkful interesting rather than one-note. The coconut milk cream ties the two layers together — it gives the fruit something to settle into and stops the base and topping from feeling like two separate things that happen to share a plate. Visually it hits hard too: the cascade of tropical fruit across a pale cream surface is the kind of thing that gets noticed the moment it arrives at the table. If you enjoy building desserts that are as enjoyable to look at as they are to eat, this tropical fruit tart is a reliable place to start.
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To prepare the tropical tart, start with the Shortcrust pastry: in a food processor fitted with blades combine the flour with cold butter cut into cubes 1 and the grated lime zest 2, then pulse until you obtain a sandy mixture 3.
Add the powdered sugar and the eggs 4 and pulse the processor for a few more moments 5. Transfer the mixture to the work surface and quickly knead by hand 6, just long enough to form a dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for one hour.
Move on to the coconut cream: soak the gelatin in cold water 7. Mix the rice flour and sugar in a saucepan 8, then pour in the coconut milk while whisking to prevent lumps 9.
Place over the heat and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly 10; if it begins to boil, remove it from the heat. When the cream has thickened 11, turn off the heat and add the gelatin 12.
Pour the cream into a bowl 13, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and let cool in the refrigerator for at least one hour 14. After the pastry's resting time, roll it out to about 3/16 inch (0.20 in) thickness on a lightly floured surface 15.
Transfer the dough to a removable-base tart pan with a 10 5/8-inch (27 cm) diameter, buttered and floured 16, then prick the base with a fork 17. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper, add dried legumes (or ceramic pie weights) and How to do blind baking at 338°F for 20 minutes 18.
After the baking time, remove the parchment with the weights 19 and continue baking for another 10 minutes at 356°F 20. Remove from the oven and let the base cool 21.
Move on to decorating: clean the fruit, then cut: the pineapple into triangles, the papaya into cubes, the coconut into thin slices with a vegetable peeler and the mango into thin strips 22. Cut the tip of a piping bag on the diagonal 23 and fill it with the cold coconut cream. Then fill the tart base with the cream, creating a decorative pattern 34.
Arrange the fruit pieces on top, including the raspberries and a few mint leaves 25, then give the cream a little movement with the back of a teaspoon 26. Your tropical tart is ready to be served 27!