Description
All the vibes of coconut cream pie in an easy single-layer cake: a tender coconut cake topped with silky coconut custard, stabilized whipped cream and a crunchy graham crumble.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¼ cup butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup unrefined coconut oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 egg whites (save the yolks for the custard)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon pure coconut extract (optional)
- ½ cup plain full-fat yogurt (or sour cream)
- ¼ tsp almond extract (optional)
- ½ cup whole milk
Coconut Custard
- 2 egg yolks (left over from the cake)
- 15g (2 tbsp) cornstarch
- 7 oz full-fat coconut milk
- 120 ml half and half
- 65g white sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp butter
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp coconut extract (optional)
Crumble Topping
- 5 sheets graham crackers, lightly crushed into small pieces (not powder)
- 3 tbsp unrefined coconut oil, melted
- 1 ½ tbsp brown sugar
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp shredded coconut
Stabilized Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ tsp powdered gelatin
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch round or square pan.
- In a large bowl, beat the sugar, coconut oil and butter with a hand mixer for about 1 minute. Add the egg whites and extracts and mix until incorporated.
- In a smaller bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add half the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix well.
- Add the milk and yogurt and mix until just incorporated.
- Fold in the rest of the flour mixture until no dry streaks remain.
- Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top into an even layer.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely before turning out onto a plate.
Coconut Custard
- In a medium bowl, mix the egg yolks and cornstarch until combined.
- In a saucepan, bring the coconut milk, half and half, sugar and salt to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.
- Pour ½ cup of the hot mixture into the yolks in a thin stream, stirring constantly.
- Pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1–2 minutes until thick and pudding-like.
- Take off the heat and stir in the butter and extracts.
- Transfer to a glass dish, let cool completely, then refrigerate until cold.
Crumble Topping
- Mix the crumble ingredients together until they form wet clumps.
- When the cake comes out of the oven, spread the crumble on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 10–12 minutes. Let cool.
Stabilized Whipped Cream
- Put 1 tablespoon of the heavy cream in a small microwave-safe dish and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Let it bloom for 5 minutes.
- Microwave for 45 seconds and stir until the gelatin dissolves. Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, whip the remaining cream with the vanilla and salt to soft peaks, adding powdered sugar to taste.
- With the mixer running, drizzle in the cooled gelatin and whip until the cream holds firm peaks.
Assemble
- Pipe or spread a ring of whipped cream around the edge of the cake to hold in the custard.
- Spread the custard in the middle to cover the cake.
- Top with the crumble and serve.
Notes
Make ahead: the custard can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept in the fridge.
Let the cake and custard cool completely before assembling, or the whipped cream will melt.
This makes a single 9-inch layer. Double everything for a layered cake.
Refrigerate leftovers for up to a week.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American