Passionfruit, Raspberry Brownie Bavarois

 

I have no idea what to call this, it's not a tart, and definitely not a cake. There's a fudgey brownie disc, heaped with raspberries, hidden beneath a light and tangy passionfruit bavarois. It's simple, elegant, and tastes amazing; passion fruit, raspberry and chocolate are so good together, sweet and tart, rich and mellow. If setting a layer of brownie and berries inside a mousse sounds extra, just chop the brownie into cubes, then layer in a dish with the berries and bavarois, a trifle of sorts, go for individual glasses if you're feeling fancy. 

 

passion fruit, raspberry brownie bavarois 

 

chocolate brownie, recipe below 

passionfruit bavarois, recipe below 

250g raspberries 

 

  • grease and line the sides of an 8 inch (20cm) springform cake pan with baking paper or acetate
  • place the brownie disc in the centre of the cake pan, there will be an approximately 1cm gap between the brownie and the side of the pan
  • the brownie should have slightly raised edges forming a shallow bowl, fill the hollow with a layer of raspberries, keeping the leftover berries for serving
  • carefully pour the bavarois over the raspberry heaped brownie, it should level itself, give it a gentle shake to help it along 
  • cover and return to the fridge to set, approximately 6 hours
  • take the bavarois brownie out of the fridge half an hour before you want to serve it; unclip the side of the cake pan, carefully peel away the paper or acetate, leave the bavarois on the base of the cake pan and place it on a serving plate, top with the reserved raspberries and enjoy!
  • to cut a neat slice, fill a tall glass with very hot water, dip a sharp knife in the hot water, wipe dry then slice away, wiping and dipping between each cut
  • cover any leftovers and store in the fridge for up to 5 days

 

brownie disc 

 

30g butter 

115g semi sweet chocolate, chopped 

1 extra large egg 

70g caster sugar 

1/4 tsp vanilla paste 

pinch espresso powder (optional) 

25g plain flour 

1/8 tsp baking powder 

pinch salt 

60g chocolate chips, milk or dark 

 

  • grease a 7 inch (18cm) round, shallow cake tin, line the base with baking paper
  • preheat the oven to 170ºC
  • tip the chocolate and butter into a small pan, stir occasionally until melted and combined, set aside to cool
  • beat the egg, sugar, and vanilla together until light and fluffy, add the melted butter/chocolate, and fold gently to combine
  • sift together the espresso powder, flour, baking powder and salt, toss the chocolate chips in the floury mixture, then add to the batter and fold through
  • tip the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely
  • the brownie should have slightly raised edges, forming a shallow bowl to fill with raspberries

 

 

passion fruit bavarois 

 

100ml milk 

5 jumbo egg yolks 

200g caster sugar 

150 ml passion fruit juice (approximately 12 passion fruit)* 

3 titanium gelatine leaves 

300ml thick cream, whipped to soft peaks 

 

  • pop the milk in a medium pan and bring to a simmer, meanwhile whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale and creamy, add the passion fruit juice, then slowly stream in the hot milk, whisking as you go. Return to the pan, over a low heat, stir continually until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon, this can take up to 10 minutes, depending how brave/reckless you are with the heat, take off the heat
  • soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes, squeeze out the excess water, then add to the hot custard and stir to dissolve. Pour through a sieve into a clean bowl, and pop into the fridge for a hour, give it a quick whisk every 10 minutes to prevent it setting around the edges
  • after an hour the custard will have almost set, take it out of the fridge, whisk to smooth it out, then using your whisk, fold in the whipped cream

 

* quick tip for juicing passion fruit; half the passion fruit and scrape the pulp into a food processor, give it a few quick pulses then strain through a sieve. Take care not to over process or you will find gritty seed fragments in the juice. 

 

 Sally aka Simmer and Boyle is a recipe developer, food stylist, photographer, and somewhat infrequent blogger. Originally from the UK, she now lives in Sydney with her family, her beautiful wheaten terrier, and far too many houseplants! Sally loves to cook and share images of her efforts on Instagram @simmerandboyle and recipes on her blog at www.simmerandboyle.com, be prepared for cake, there’s lots of cake…