Coconut Cream Snack Cake
 
Prep time
Total time
 
If you love coconut cake and coconut cream pie, this dessert is a match made in heaven for you! It's creamy, dreamy, and DELICIOUS.
Author:
Serves: 9-12
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons cake flour
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
Coconut Cream Filling Ingredients:
  • 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
  • 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4cups white sugar
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cup flaked coconut
  • 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping Ingredients:
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 5 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • about 1 cup of coconut for toasting
Instructions
  1. Toast coconut for the topping: Spread about 1 cup of coconut flakes out on a baking sheet and bake in the oven 5-8 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes or so, until the coconut is golden brown. Spread it out on a plate to cool completely.
  2. Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease an 8-inch square baking pan (I line the pan with a foil sling and then grease that for easy cake removal). In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the butter and water to a boil. In the meantime, in a separate large bowl, whisk together the cake flour and sugar before adding the egg, sour cream, almond extract, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt. Mix to combine. While mixing, slowly pour in the boiling butter and water mixture. Mix to combine completely. Your batter will be very runny. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 17-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in several places comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely (I stick mine in the fridge and it was cool in about an hour).
  3. Make coconut cream filling: Combine the half-and-half, coconut milk, eggs, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until it’s thick and bubbling (this can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes. Just do it. It’s worth it. Mine took exactly 30 minutes and didn't seem like it was doing a darn thing until 27 minutes in, so patience and faith are key.) Add coconut and vanilla extracts and the 1 1/2 cups of untoasted coconut and stir. Pour this filling over your cooled cake and the whole thing in the fridge to chill until firm, about 2 to 4 hours.
  4. Assemble: Combine the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip to stiff peaks. Lift the cream cake out of its pan and top with whipped cream and toasted coconut. Cut into squares and serve.
Recipe by Willow Bird Baking at http://willowbirdbaking.com/2015/08/09/coconut-cream-snack-cake/