For the vanilla caramel:
- 3 cups of sugar
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of light corn syrup
- 2 tahitian vanilla beans - split and scraped
- 1 pound unsalted butter
- 3 cups heavy cream
For the yellow cake:
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2.5 tsp Tahitian vanilla extract
- 3 cups pre-sifted cake flower
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 12 tbsp cold unsalted butter
For the Marshmallow frosting:
- 4 egg whites
- 2 cups of sugar
- ½ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Components: yellow cake, vanilla caramel, marshmallow frosting, toasted coconut.
Before preparing the ingredients:
- Preheat convection oven to 325 degrees
- Spray a half sheet pan, cover with parchment and spray again
- Spread about 5 cups sweetened shredded coconut on a sheet tray and toast in the oven for 2 minutes. Allow the coconut to cool, then fluff it with your hands to mix the toasty pieces in with the whiter pieces.
Directions for the vanilla caramel:
- Have ready: a large stainless steel bowl filled with ice and cold water, and another empty , medium stainless steel bowl
- In a heavy bottomed stainless steel sauce pan, combine the sugar and corn syrup to wet sand consistency
- With a wet pastry brush, clean any stray sugar granules off the sides of the pot to prevent crystalization
- Cook the sugar on high heat without stirring until it caramelizes to a rich, dark burnished brown
- While still on high heat, add the butter and whisk it in, making sure it is thoroughly emulsified
- Lower the heat to medium high and whisk in the heavy cream
- Lower the heat and continue cooking the caramel for another minute or two - the caramel should be dark, but never burnt
- Place the empty bowl into the bowl of ice water, pour the caramel into the empty bowl and gently stir every few minutes until the caramel is completely cool
The caramel may be made in advance and stored, well-covered, in a cool room for up to one week. Do not refrigerate.
Directions for the yellow cake:
- Combine the egg yolks, milk and vanilla and set aside
- Sift together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder and place in the bowl of an electric mixer
- With the paddle attachment, paddle the dry ingredients on low to combine for 1 minute
- Cube the cold butter into ½" cubes and add to the bowl
- On low speed, paddle the ingredients together until the mixture forms dry crumbs about the size of peas. Do not allow the butter to become emulsified and do not allow the mixture to form a dough
- Add half the liquid to the mixing bowl and paddle the ingredients together on medium speed for one minute. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the remainder of the liquid in 3 batches, mixing for 20 seconds on medium speed in between batches, and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl each time.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared sheet tray. Bake for 8 minutes. Rotate the pan half way and bake for another 6 to 9 minutes, or until the cake is lightgolden brown throughout. Allow the cake to cool completely before proceeding. (baking time may vary depending on the oven you use, plese do not rely on the baking times listed here. Gauge by color)
While the cake is in the oven, prepare the frosting:
Directions for the marshmallow frosting:
- In a small sauce pan, combine the sugar and water. Clean the sides of the pot with a wet pastry brush to get rid of any stray sugar granules. Cook the sugar over high heat until it reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.
- Meanwhile, place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk on high heat until the eggs begin to froth. Add the salt and cream of tartar, then whisk on high until the egg whites form a glossy mass with a tight bubble structure. Do not overwhisk.
- As soon as the sugar is ready and with the mixer running on high speed, pour the sugar down the inside of the mixing bowl. Continue whisking until the marshmallow cools slightly to the touch. It should be thick and glossy, not goopy or soft. Stir in the vanilla extract.
To assemble the moguls:
- To release the cake from the pan: sprinkle the top of the yellow cake with a teaspoon of sugar. Cover the top of the cake with a sheet of parchment paper and flip the tray out on to a table top. Peel the other layer of parchment off of the bottom of the yellow cake.
- Cut the cake into rounds using a 2.5" round cookie cutter. Keep the cake rounds covered to prevent them from drying out. Arrange the cut outs on a sheet tray.
- Place the caramel sauce into a piping bag. Pipe a round of caramel sauce about the size of a silver dollar on to the top of half the cutouts, then top each with another cake round. Freeze the assembled little "sandwiches" for about 15 minutes to set up the caramel.
- Once ready, cover the outsides of each of the "sandwiches" with marshmallow frosting. As you do so, place each frosted cake on to a mound of coconut and coat the sides of the cake gently with your hands. Then gently cover the top of each cake with coconut and carefully lift the cake and shake it a little to release any excess coconut. Top each little cake with a pretty dusting of powdered sugar.
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