Coconut Poke Cake
Calling all coconut-lovers. If you’re a looking for a special dessert for this weekend’s festivities, this coconut poke cake won’t let you down. With a coconut cake base, homemade coconut pudding (featuring homemade coconut cream.) and shredded coconut over a layer of fluffy white frosting, it’s coconut sweetness through and through. It’s also the perfect make-ahead dessert, as the cake really needs plenty of time for the pudding to permeate, flavour and tenderize the cake - a good 24 hours is ideal. So make this today and tomorrow you’ll be cutting squares of tender coconut cake.
Cake:
cooking spray
2¾ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
2 cups granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sea salt
2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces, at room temperature
1⅓ cups canned coconut milk
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Pudding:
2 cups canned coconut milk, divided
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 large egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
1 pinch sea salt
1½ cups cream of coconut
3 Tbsp. coconut rum, such as Malibu
Toppings:
2 cups heavy cream, cold
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1-1½ cups sweetened, flaked coconut, toasted
To Serve:
Maraschino cherries
Make the Cake:
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Coat a 9x13” baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together on low speed. Add the butter and continue to beat on low speed until the mixture looks crumbled and sandy.
Place the coconut milk, egg whites and vanilla in a medium bowl and stir together with a fork. With the mixer on low speed, add ½ of the coconut milk mixture to the flour mixture and beat just until blended. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and continue beating for 1-2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Return the mixer speed to medium-low, add ½ of the remaining coconut milk mixture and beat until fully blended, about 10 seconds. Add the rest of the coconut milk mixture and beat until thick and smooth, 10-15 seconds more. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool.
Make the Pudding:
Place ¼ cup of the coconut milk and cornstarch in a medium bowl and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the egg yolks and whisk until smooth; set aside.
Place the remaining 1¾ cups coconut milk, sugar and salt in a 3 qt saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil.
Remove the pan from the heat and whisk the hot coconut milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture ¼ cup at a time until combined (adding the hot milk to the eggs gradually will prevent the eggs from curdling). When the milk is completely whisked into the yolks, return the entire mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the pudding comes to a gentle boil and starts to thicken. Continue whisking and cook for 1-2 minutes, but no longer. Remove from the heat and stir in cream of coconut and the coconut rum.
Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke deep holes all over the cake. Pour the warm pudding evenly over the surface of the cake, spreading it smoothly with an offset spatula.
Let the cake cool to room temperature, allowing the pudding to start soaking into the cake. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (for the best flavour and texture, refrigerate for at least 24 hours).
Make the whipped cream: Chill a large bowl and the beaters of an electric hand mixer (or clean stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment) for 15 minutes. Place the cream, sugar and vanilla in the chilled bowl and beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
Spread the whipped cream evenly over the cake and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Cut into squares and serve. Go completely retro and top each serving with a maraschino cherry, if you like.
Makes 12-15 servings.
Cook’s Notes:
- Storage: To store, cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Toasting Coconut: Toast the coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until golden-brown, 3-4 minutes. Pour immediately onto a small plate to cool.
- Pudding Alternative: For a richer pudding, substitute 1 cup coconut milk plus 1 cup heavy cream for the 2 cups coconut milk.