COCONUT CAKE

Desserts & PastriesModern and Fusion
Written By Chef Gabriel G.

⏲ Prep time ⏲ Cooking time Difficulty level Portions

25 min Cook time: 35 min ★★★☆☆ 12

Cooling + frosting: 45 minutes

Ingredients

Cake Batter

•             Plain flour — 360 g

•             Baking powder — 12 g

•             Salt — 3 g

•             Unsalted butter, softened — 200 g

•             Caster sugar — 300 g

•             Eggs — 4 large (≈ 220 g without shell)

•             Coconut milk (full‑fat) — 250 g

•             Desiccated coconut — 80 g

•             Vanilla extract — 5 g

•             Coconut extract (optional but excellent) — 2 g

Coconut Frosting

•             Unsalted butter, softened — 180 g

•             Cream cheese — 200 g

•             Icing sugar — 350 g

•             Coconut milk — 20 g

•             Vanilla extract — 3 g

•             Desiccated or shredded coconut for coating — 80–100 g

Cooking instructions

1. Make the cake

  • Preheat oven to 170°C (fan 160°C). Line two 20 cm cake tins.

  • Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.

  • Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

  • Add eggs one at a time.

  • Mix in coconut milk, vanilla, and coconut extract.

  • Fold in dry ingredients and desiccated coconut.

  • Divide between tins and bake 30–35 minutes until golden and springy.

  • Cool completely.

2. Make the frosting

  • Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth.

  • Add icing sugar gradually.

  • Add coconut milk and vanilla until creamy.

3. Assemble

  • Spread frosting between the layers and over the cake.

  • Press desiccated or shredded coconut onto the sides and top.

Chef ’s Notes

The key to a standout coconut cake is layered flavour. Coconut milk provides richness, but desiccated coconut adds texture and helps the crumb stay moist. Creaming the butter and sugar thoroughly is essential for lift—under‑creaming leads to a dense cake. Coconut extract is optional but gives a clean, unmistakable coconut aroma that coconut milk alone can’t achieve. For the frosting, a small amount of coconut milk loosens the texture and ties the flavour together without making it runny.

Chef Gabriel G.

Chef Gabriel G. is a culinary professional with over 25 years of experience in professional kitchens, bringing deep expertise from restaurants, hotels, and culinary training environments. Throughout his career, he has dedicated himself not only to cooking but also to sharing knowledge, developing menus, and mentoring the next generation of culinary professionals. His approach combines classical culinary foundations with modern techniques, focusing on precision, quality ingredients, and efficient kitchen practices.

Over the past two and a half decades, Chef Gabriel G. has worked in a variety of demanding culinary environments, including restaurants, hotel kitchens, and professional culinary operations. These experiences have given him a strong understanding of kitchen management, workflow optimization, and high-level food production.

He has been involved in menu creation and implementation, ensuring that dishes are not only flavorful but also operationally efficient and consistent in quality. His work has helped kitchens improve organization, maintain high standards, and deliver memorable dining experiences.

Previous

THE BEST CREMA CATALANA RECIPE
Next

CHICKEN SHAWARMA BOWL