If you love starting the day with a soft and exotic-tasting cake, the soft coconut cake is the perfect recipe for you! It’s simple and quick to prepare, but the result is surprisingly delicious: a cake that captivates at first bite thanks to its unique texture and enveloping coconut aroma. This cake is a variation of the cakes with ricotta in the batter – such as the lemon and ricotta cake or the chocolate and ricotta cake – that I have experimented with several times over the years. The cow’s milk ricotta gives the cake an irresistible softness without altering its flavor: the true star remains the coconut, which emerges with a decisive and intense taste. If you are looking for breakfast desserts that combine simplicity and flavor, the soft coconut cake is the ideal choice. Prepare it today and let yourself be conquered by its tropical scent and surprising softness: it will make your breakfast or snack moments even more delicious and special!
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 8 People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 310.17 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 37.19 (g) of which sugars 24.25 (g)
- Proteins 6.60 (g)
- Fat 16.25 (g) of which saturated 5.54 (g)of which unsaturated 10.16 (g)
- Fibers 0.61 (g)
- Sodium 59.02 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 118 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for a Soft Coconut Cake 8 inches in diameter
To prepare the gluten-free coconut cake, I used finely ground rice flour instead of all-purpose flour, in equal quantity. If you are celiac, remember that the following ingredients must have the label “gluten-free”: rice flour, shredded coconut, baking powder, vanillin, powdered sugar.
- 1 cup oz cow's milk ricotta
- 3/4 cup oz sugar
- 3 eggs (medium)
- 1 cup oz all-purpose flour (or finely ground rice flour, gluten-free)
- 1/2 cup oz shredded coconut
- 1/3 cup oz vegetable oil (or 1/2 cup melted butter)
- 1 packet baking powder (16 g)
- 1 packet vanillin
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- Electric Whisks
- 1 Cake Pan 8 inches in diameter
- 1 Spatula
- Parchment Paper
How to Prepare the Soft Coconut Cake
To prepare the soft coconut cake, start by placing the ricotta and sugar in a bowl (1). Work the mixture with electric whisks until it is creamy (2). At this point, add the first egg (3).
Incorporate it carefully into the ricotta, always using the electric whisks. Only when it is perfectly mixed, add the second egg (4). Mix carefully and, after incorporating it, add the third and work everything again with the electric whisks until you get a smooth and fairly fluid mixture (5). Now add the powdered ingredients, i.e., all-purpose flour (or finely ground rice flour), shredded coconut, baking powder, and vanillin (6).
Incorporate them into the rest of the ingredients using the electric whisks: you will get a fairly solid batter (7). Finally, add the melted butter or vegetable oil (8).
Continue to work everything with the whisks until the butter or oil is perfectly mixed with the rest (9). Line a 8-inch diameter cake pan with parchment paper. If you don’t have one of this size, you can consult this guide, which will help you recalculate the doses based on the size of your cake pan. Pour the batter in and smooth it well with a spatula (10). Bake the coconut cake in the preheated oven at 356°F (static) for 40-45 minutes, doing the toothpick test just before taking it out to check that it’s cooked inside. Take it out and let it cool (11).
Serve the soft coconut cake lightly dusted with some powdered sugar, for breakfast or a snack.
Storage
This coconut dessert stays soft for 4-5 days if stored at room temperature in a cake container.
Tips and Variations
Slight variations in cooking times may depend on the oven’s power and the initial consistency of the ricotta, whether more moist or drier; it is therefore advisable to always check the cake at the end of cooking before removing it from the oven. If you wish, you can enrich the dessert with 100 g of dark chocolate chips.
