I first posted this Coconut Cream Cake recipe 6 years ago and have made it several times since. It is always a crowd pleaser, partly because of the meringue topping, all done up like curls that remind me of Phyllis Diller and because it is just delicious.
Decadent pastry cream full of coconut layered between coconut cream cake. It just seems to have the right balance of whimsy and sophistication. Liz Banfield is a photographer I have long admired on Instagram and she came over to capture the making and baking of the coconut cream cake. I have the honor of using Liz’s gorgeous photos for this post. I first became familiar with her work when I did a wedding cake she photographed for Martha Stewart. Her work is stunning and she is a delight.
How to Make Coconut Cream Cake with Toasted Meringue Frosting
You can see me make the coconut pastry cream, Swiss meringue and assemble the cake below and find the recipe at the end of the blog post. The updated recipe is from my book, Zoë Bakes Cakes.
To Make the Coconut Pastry Cream
Heat the coconut milk, sugar, salt and vanilla bean in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.
In a bowl whisk together the egg yolks and corn starch.
Once the cream is hot, remove the vanilla bean, scraping out any remaining seeds and returning them to the cream. Add a 1/2 cup of the hot cream slowing to the yolks, whisking as you add.
Pour the yolk mixture into the pot of hot cream and whisk. Continue to whisk with heat on medium-high for 3 more minutes. The mixture will turn thick and bubble. You need to continue to whisk for the full 3 minutes or the pastry cream will separate once it is cool. After the 3 minutes whisk in the butter. Add the coconut flakes.
Pour into a shallow dish to cool. Cover with plastic wrap pressed right against the pastry cream. This will prevent a thick skin from forming on the surface. Refrigerate for at least an hour or freeze for 30 minutes.
Once it is cool. Stir the pastry cream to loosen. Whip the 1/2 cup cream to medium peaks.
Stir in 1/3 to the pastry cream to lighten. Fold in the remaining cream until the pastry cream is nice and light.
Spread some of the pastry cream over the first layer.
and repeat with another layer and then top with the third. You may have extra pastry cream, which you can eat with a spoon. Make sure the layers are straight before you cover with the meringue.
To make the Swiss Meringue
Whisk together the egg whites, sugar and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer. Rest the bowl over a pot of simmering water to form a double boiler. Scrape down the sides of the bowl so that all the sugar is off the sides of the bowl. Continue to stir the mixture until all the sugar is melted into the eggs and you no longer feel any graininess when rubbed between your fingers, about 3-5 minutes.
Place the bowl onto your mixer and whisk on high speed until the meringue is thick and glossy and the bowl is just warmer than room temperature, about 8 minutes.
Using a Spatula spread a nice thick layer of the meringue over the cake, make sure you have at least a cup of meringue left. Don’t worry about how it looks, you will be making spikes over the surface in a minute.
Take a glob, yes glob, of the meringue in your hand and press it against the meringue on the cake. (see my hand in the upper right hand corner of this picture.)
Pull that glob away from the cake…and it will break off in a wispy curl. The more of a glob you lay down as a foundation on the cake, the bigger your curls will be. This may take a few times to get the hang of it, but then you’ll be off and running.
Once you have the coconut cream cake fully set with curls you will need a Torch 
The burnt tips are lovely contrast and add a wonderful flavor.
This coconut cream cake is amazing all on its own or served with coffee ice cream.
Thank you Liz for the beautiful photos and a lovely afternoon of baking!
Ingredients
Coconut Cake
- 2 cups 200g loosely packed sweetened shredded coconut
- 8 Tablespoons 112g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 1/4 cups 450g granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup 80ml mild-flavored oil (such as vegetable oil)
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 5 egg yolks at room temperature
- 2 1/3 cups 280g all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup 240ml unsweetened coconut milk, at room temperature
Coconut Pastry Cream
- 1 cup 100g loosely packed sweetened coconut flakes
- One 13.5-oz. 400ml can unsweetened coconut milk
- 1/2 cup 100g granulated sugar, divided
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- Seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon coconut or almond extract
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 egg yolks at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup 80ml heavy whipping cream, whipped to stiff peaks
Fluffy Swiss Meringue Topping
- 1 1/2 cups 360ml egg whites (about 7 eggs), at room temperature
- 3 cups 600g granulated sugar
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F / 175 degrees C. Generously grease three 8-inch / 20cm cake pans, then line them with greased parchment paper.
- In a food processor, break up the long strands of shredded coconut by pulsing for about 30 seconds.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute.
- Turn the mixer speed to medium; add the sugar, oil, vanilla, and coconut extract; and beat for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is light in color and about double in volume.
- Turn the speed to medium-low and add the eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, mixing each until incorporated before adding the next. Scrape the bowl after each addition.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
- Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix just until combined. Add half of the coconut milk, mixing until incorporated. Repeat with another one-third flour, the remaining coconut milk, and then finish with the final one-third flour, scraping the bowl and paddle after each addition. Fold in shredded coconut.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans and spread evening using a small offset spatula. Gently tap the pans on the counter several times to release excess air bubbles.
- Bake until a tester comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let the cakes cool completely before removing from the pans. Remove the parchment paper and place one cake layer on a serving plate.
For the Coconut Pastry Cream
- In a food processor, pulse the coconut flakes 10 times to slightly break up the strands. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the coconut milk, 1/4 cup (50g) of the sugar, salt, vanilla, and coconut extract and cook, stirring, nutil it simmers.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup (50g) sugar. Add the egg yolks and whisk into a smooth paste.
- Whisk enough of the hot milk, a little at a time, into the egg mixture until it is warm to the touch. Once the eggs are tempered, pour the mixture back into the remaining milk in the pan.
- Return the saucepan to medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil; continuously whisk for 3 minutes more or the pastry cream will separate once it cools. After 3 minutes, whisk in the butter and coconut flakes.
- Pour the pastry cream into a shallow container and cover with plastic wrap, pressed directly onto the surface, to prevent a skin from forming.
- In a large bowl, add enough ince cubes and cold water to create a bath for the container to sit in without the water breaching the sides.
- Set the container in the ice bath or place in the freezer until chilled, about 15 minutes before using. Or transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Stir the pastry cream to loosen, then mix in one-third of the whipped cream to lighten. Fold in the remaining whipped cream.
- Using an offset spatula, spread half of the pastry cream over the cake; making sure not to go quite to the edge. Top with the next cake layer. Gently press down on the cake to make sure it is sitting snugly on the pastry cream. Spread with the remaining pastry cream and top with the final cake layer. If the pastry cream goes beyond the edge, clean it up with a metal decorating spatula. Make sure the layers are straight. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour to to set the pastry cream.
For the Fluffy Swiss Meringue Topping
- In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, bring 1 inch / 2.5 cm of water to a simmer.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg whites, sugar and salt; place over the simmering water; and stir with a rubber spatula until the mixture is hot and all of the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and place onto the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, then beat on high speed until very thick and glossy and stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. If the meringue is not stiff enough, your spikes will slouch and lose the drama. Add the vanilla and mix well. Use immediately.
Assemble the Rest of the Cake
- Reserve 1 cup / 60g of the meringue topping. Use a metal spatula to spread a thick layer of the remaining meringue evenly over the cake.
- Take a blob—yes, a blob—of the reserved meringue between your fingers and press it against the meringue on the cake. Pull the blob away from the cake, it will break off in a wispy curl. The thicker the blob you lay down as a foundation on the cake, the bigger the curls will be. It may take a few times to get the hang of it, but then you’ll be off and running. Plus, it’s fun.
- Once you have the cake fully set with the curls, hold a kitchen blowtorch about 3 inches / 7.5cm from the cake, so just the tip of the flame is hovering over the cake. Keep the torch moving so it doesn’t burn the meringue. The tip of the curls will set fire, blow them out as you go. The burnt tips are a lovely contrast and add a wonderful flavor.
- Serve the cake immediately or store in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 48 hours.
OMGOSH!!! I have found my next cake recipe for sure. This looks delicious and I looove coconut! Hopefully I can make the cake batter gluten free and it will still hold.
Can’t wait to try it!!!
Hi Nutella Love Affair,
Please let me know how it comes out as a g-f version.
Thanks, Zoë
this meringue is so easy to do, but so impressive when served .. it looks great!!! I love it
Thanks for the inspiration! I used this idea with a white butter cake with lemon curd filling. It was a beautiful lemon meringue cake.
Dear Zoe,
If one does not possess a torch is it possible to put in the oven for the meringue to brown? If yes at what temperature and for how long?
Thanks
Gauri
Hi Gauri,
You can, but be very careful not to leave it in too long or it will compromise the structure of the cake! Try it for 30 seconds and turn the cake. If it is taking more than a minute or two you may want to give it a rest.
Thanks! Zoë
I plan to use this recipe for my niece wedding cake, how long can i keep the cake out, i ‘m making a 3 teir
Hi Carmen,
How exciting about the wedding! How long you leave the cake out will depend on the weather and where the wedding is. If it has to be outside on a hot day it will not last as long. Inside it should last quite a while. Be sure to have lots of support under each layer. http://zoebakescom.bigscoots-staging.com/?p=800
Thanks, Zoë
Thank you so much!!!! I saw something similar on foodnetwork and have been trying to figure out how to do the meringue frosting and brulee it. 🙂 beautiful pictures!
Hi Zoe – I’m going to make this for my daughter’s birthday on Tuesday. How much can I make ahead? I’m hoping I can do the cakes on Sunday (which I would, presumably, freeze), and maybe even the pastry cream. Any suggestions? I’m excited and nervous! Amy
Hi Amy,
You can certainly make the cake ahead and freeze the layers after cooling and wrapping very well. The pastry cream you can do a day or two ahead and keep it well chilled. The meringue is the only thing you have to do the day of the party, but it goes together very quickly. The assembled cake can sit for a few hours, so you don’t have to do it immediately before serving.
Have fun! She will love the cake! Zoë
Just made your BEAUTIFUL cake. It tastes as good as it looks. It was a success in every way. Thanks so much for the recipe and inspiration.
This is a fantastic cake. My meringue held up in the Darwin humidity. I have posted on my blog a photo. Thanks for sharing a great recipe that does indeed kick ass!
Zoe, is a frosting that can be refrigerated? Covered? I was thinking the meringue would slide etc.
Advice? I have not much experience with swiss meringue.
Hi Ann,
I kept one of these cakes in the refrigerator for a few days and it held up really well!
Enjoy, Zoë
I think that is one of the most beautiful cakes I have EVER seen. Wow. I just made chocolate cupcakes with a meringue frosting – it is an inspired combination. I love your books. Just made bialys tonight – incredible!
I just wanted to let you know, I made this very cake for my Grans 75th birthday last weekend. It was my first time making meringue frosting, and when it worked I was over joyed! Everyone at my Grans party loved the cake. It was divine! One gentleman said it was the best cake he’d ever eaten and in 70 odd years, I’d say he’d definitely had his fair share. Thank you for posting such a gorgeous recipe. PS – This weekend I’m doing your Devils food cupcakes with the meringue frosting again to take to work to because the boys there love it when I bake.
Hi Chrystal,
So thrilled that you made the cake and it was such a smashing success!
Enjoy all the cupcakes! Zoë
Hi Zoe~ ~Love the look of this amazing cake and can’t wait to taste it. Is there a way to print this recipe out without all the pictures? Thanks for sharing.
~ ~Ahrisha~ ~
Hi Ahrisha,
Unfortunately we have not figured out how to print without all the pictures.
Thanks for trying the recipes! Zoë
those curls look absolutely gorgeous… what a beautiful cake!
WOw! I love coconut and that cake is a work of art. The blowtorch really does look a little scary, tho – not to be tried with kids in the kitchen, methinks.
All posted 🙂 I affectionately dubbed my version “Ugly as Sin Coconut Cake,” but linked to your lovely version for an example of what it was *supposed* to look like!
Next time I’ll lug my mother’s KitchenAid over here to give it a try. We’ll definitely be making the cake again.
Thanks Zoe! I’m posting about it right now. It was DELICIOUS!
The meringue DID get glossy and thickER, but never thick enough to stand in curls. My mom thinks it’s because I was using a hand mixer. I beat for longer than the 8 minutes, but she still thinks this might be it. You think?
I also thought it might be the humidity — I made the first batch above my steamy dishwasher — but I tried again yesterday with no steam and still didn’t get the right texture. I’m betting on the mixer.
Thanks for your response! We loved the cake despite my admittedly less amazing presentation 🙂 Must master the meringue!
Hi Zoe-
I made this yesterday for dinner with my best friends, and it was great. It didn’t look quite as spectacular as yours, but was still stunning. On issue I had, though, was that the cake fell shortly after I took it out of the oven. It still tasted good, but the texture was denser than I wanted. Any idea what I might have done wrong?
I’ve had the same problem each time I make it. Bought fresh baking powder. Not that. Checked oven temp for calibration. Not that. Could it be the pans? Dark non-stick Oneida. They look great coming out of the oven, test done, but within 10 minutes they’ve fallen and the cake is too dense. Help, please? The coconut custard is always perfect! And my meringue comes out well, nicer each time. But the cake… oy vey! I make cakes for fundraiser auctions, and this one always brings a good number of pennies for the kids. I just hate knowing that when they cut into it, they will be disappointed.
Hi Julie,
What a mystery. Does the meringue ever get fluffy when you are whisking it in the mixer? Or does it just stay runny?
If it never gets fluffy and glossy it could be that there is some oil on your bowl or yolks in the whites when you start. Any kind of fat will prevent the whites from foaming.
Let me know and we can take it from there.
Thanks, Zoë
Zoe,
I’ve made the meringue twice now with no luck — it’s too liquidy each time to support the blobbing. Just runs down the side of the cake. Any ideas what might be wrong?
WOW! What a spectacular frosting! I would not dare to eat it! So beautiful!
That cake is a stunner! Wish I went to your post before making the meringue on my key lime pie. I had a hard time making it look decent with the peaks.
Just wondering, if you make the chocolate version do you still do the coconut pastry cream, or just a plain version? Sorry if I missed that!
WOW!! What a beautiful and creative cake!! I will have to make one soon–and I love that you can use different flavors of cake with this idea! 🙂
Definitely a “kick ass” cake! Gorgeous. I actually have a sponge cake layered with lemon curd (the result of dropping my grocery bag full of eggs and having to think of something quick) in my refrigerator. Tomorrow it will be covered in meringue and torched. Can’t wait!