This Coconut Cake with Berries and Cream is an incredibly moist and decadent recipe, which is made with coconut milk and fresh berries. It’s the perfect dessert for any occasion, ready in about an hour, plus chilling time.
Coconut Cake with Berries and Cream Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for pan
- 6 large eggs, separated
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅓ cup flaked unsweetened coconut, toasted and finely ground
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 cups heavy cream, divided
- 1 can (13.75 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
- 3 cups mixed fresh berries (about 12 ounces), for serving
How To Make Coconut Cake with Berries and Cream
- Prep oven and whip egg whites: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 9×13-inch glass baking pan. In a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites, baking soda, and salt on medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until soft peaks form.
- Make the batter: Add the egg yolks to the egg whites and whisk until combined. Gradually add the sugar and whisk again. Using a spatula, gently fold in the melted butter and the ground toasted coconut.
- Fold in flour and bake: Sift the flour over the batter in four ¼-cup additions, folding gently after each one until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Make the coconut soak: While the cake bakes, whisk together 1 cup of the heavy cream, the coconut milk, and the sweetened condensed milk.
- Soak and chill the cake: As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, pour the cream mixture evenly over the hot cake. Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once cool, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 5 hours, or up to 8 hours.
- Top and serve: Just before serving, whip the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream until soft peaks form. Spread the whipped cream over the chilled cake and serve topped with fresh mixed berries.
Recipe Tips
- How to get a light and airy cake? Whipping the egg whites to soft peaks first is a crucial step. Be very gentle when folding in the other ingredients to avoid knocking out the air you’ve incorporated.
- Can I make this ahead of time? This is the perfect make-ahead dessert. It needs to chill for at least 5 hours for the soak to be fully absorbed, so making it the day before you plan to serve it is ideal.
- How to toast coconut? Spread the shredded coconut on a dry baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it’s fragrant and lightly golden. Watch it carefully as it can burn quickly.
- Why pour the liquid over the hot cake? Pouring the three-milk soak over the cake while it’s still hot allows it to absorb all of the liquid much more effectively, resulting in an incredibly moist, tres-leches-style cake.
What To Serve With Coconut Cake with Berries and Cream
This decadent, creamy cake is a complete dessert that needs very little accompaniment.
- A cup of hot black coffee or tea
- A light, fruity dessert wine
How To Store Coconut Cake with Berries and Cream
- Refrigerate: This cake must be stored in the refrigerator due to the cream and milk soak. Keep it covered in the pan with plastic wrap for up to 4 days.
Coconut Cake with Berries and Cream Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Fat: 32g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Protein: 9g
Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.
FAQs
Is this cake supposed to be very wet?
Yes. This is a “poke cake” or “tres leches” style cake. The sponge is designed to soak up the rich coconut milk mixture, resulting in a very moist, almost pudding-like texture.
Can I use a different kind of pan?
A 9×13-inch glass baking pan is recommended. A metal pan will work, but you may need to check for doneness a few minutes earlier as metal conducts heat more quickly.
Can I use sweetened shredded coconut in the batter?
It’s best to use unsweetened coconut in the batter, as the cake and the soak are already quite sweet. Sweetened coconut is perfect for the topping if you want to add extra.
Try More Recipes:
Coconut Cake with Berries and Cream Recipe
Description
A light and airy sponge cake is soaked in a rich three-milk mixture of coconut milk, heavy cream, and condensed milk, then topped with fresh whipped cream and berries.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×13-inch pan.
- Whip egg whites, baking soda, and salt to soft peaks. Whisk in egg yolks, then sugar. Fold in melted butter and ground coconut.
- Gently fold in the flour in four additions. Pour into the pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- While the cake bakes, whisk together the 1 cup of heavy cream, coconut milk, and condensed milk for the soak.
- Pour the cream mixture evenly over the hot cake as soon as it comes out of the oven.
- Cool completely, then cover and chill for at least 5 hours.
- Before serving, whip the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream and spread it over the cake. Top with fresh berries.
Notes
- Be very gentle when folding the flour into the whipped egg mixture to keep the batter light and airy.
- Pouring the soak over the cake while it is hot is the most important step for an ultra-moist result.
- This cake must be chilled for at least 5 hours, so it’s a perfect make-ahead dessert for a dinner party.
- The fresh berries on top provide a lovely tart contrast to the sweet, creamy cake.
Coconut Cake with Berries and Cream Recipe