How To Cook: |
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THE CAKE:
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1. Preheat the oven to 350°. With a pastry brush, coat the bottom and sides of a shallow 8-by-12-inch baking dish or cake pan with 1 tablespoon soft butter. Set aside.
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2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with a wire whisk or a rotary or electric beater until they form soft peaks, then add ½ cup of sugar, 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time, beating continuously until the meringue is stiff and glossy.
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3. In a separate bowl, beat 5 egg yolks and the wine with a whisk until the mixture is light and thick. Then pour the yolks over the meringue and, with a rubber spatula, fold together lightly but thoroughly, using an over-under cutting motion rather than a stirring motion.
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4. Sprinkle the flour on top and continue to fold until no trace of flour shows. (Do not overmix or the cake will be heavy instead of light.)
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5. Gently pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, smooth the top with the spatula, and bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven, and turn it out on a cake rack to cool.
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THE COCONUT CREAM:
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1. In a heavy 3- to 4-quart saucepan, combine 1¼ cups of the coconut milk and 1 cup of sugar, and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until the syrup reaches a temperature of 230° on a candy thermometer, or a small amount dropped into ice water hardens immediately into a thread. Remove the pan from the heat.
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2. In a large bowl, beat the 5 remaining egg yolks with a whisk or a rotary or electric beater until they are thick and lemon-colored. Beat in the remaining ¾ cup of coconut milk and then 2 tablespoons of the hot coconut-milk syrup.
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3. Gradually stir the egg-yolk mixture into the pan of syrup, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes, or until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. Under no circumstance allow the mixture to bail or the eggs will curdle.
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TO ASSEMBLE:
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1. Cut the cooled cake into 2-inch squares and arrange them on a large serving platter.
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2. Sprinkle the cake evenly with the cinnamon and wine mixture and, when the cake has absorbed the wine, pour the coconut cream over it.
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3. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and serve chilled.
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