Here's how this recipe comes together. Start with a lovely sponge cake base, add a crunchy coconut layer, then wrap it all up with coconut mousse and raspberry jelly. Easy peasy!
Preheat your oven to 320°F (160°C). Grease an 8-inch springform pan and line it with parchment paper.
Whisk together eggs, salt, sugar, and vanilla in a big bowl until thick and foamy (5 minutes).
Gently fold the coconut flakes and flour into the mix until well blended.
Pour this batter into your prepared pan. Bake it for 15 to 17 minutes until a small toothpick poked into the middle comes out with no wet crumbs. Let the cake cool completely.
Coconut Crunch
Toast almonds in your oven at 300°F (150°C) (15 minutes). Let them cool on the counter.
Throw those toasted almonds into a food processor. Add salt, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix until it forms quite a thick paste.
Pour the paste into a bowl and mix in melted chocolate. Gently fold in the pailleté feuilletine and coconut flakes. Optional: add extra coconut milk to moisten it.
Spread this crunch layer over your cake (leave a half-an-inch border around the edges). Refrigerate during the next steps.
Coconut Mousse
Mix gelatin powder with 3 tablespoons of coconut milk. Let it sit for 5 to 8 minutes.
In the meantime, pour some sugar, coconut cream, coconut milk, and a pinch of salt into a saucepan. Heat it gently until it's warm and the sugar melts. Don't let it boil like crazy.
Add the gelatin from Step 9 to the warm coconut mixture. Stir it well and let it chill at room temperature.
In a big bowl, whip the cream until solid peaks form. Gently fold in the coconut mixture until combined.
Cake Assembly
Wrap acetate sheets around your cake, then pour half of your coconut mousse on top.
Arrange raspberries atop the mousse, then cover them up with the rest of the coconut mousse.
Refrigerate for an hour while making raspberry jelly.
Raspberry Jelly
Dissolve gelatin powder in a tablespoon of cold water. Let it sit for about 4-5 minutes.
Grab a saucepan and toss in your sugar and raspberries. Heat it over medium heat until it starts to boil, then let it cook (2 minutes).
Take it off the heat and strain it through a sieve to filter the seeds. Gently warm the gelatin on low heat until it melts completely. Mix this into your raspberry sauce.
Spread this jelly mixture evenly over your cake, then refrigerate for 4 hours to a whole day.
Optional: Decorate with fresh fruits, whipped cream, coconut flakes, and coconut slices. Enjoy!
Notes
Replacing coconut milk and cream with neutral-flavored ones will help remove the coconut flavor. For a more tropical vibe, try mango puree instead of raspberries.