When you crave a truly honest, incredibly delicate, melt-in-your-mouth dessert that smells of coconut and real vanilla, ordinary sheet cakes just won’t do. Forget about dry pastries—this extra moist coconut cake with a fluffy egg white base soaked in cold milk, rich egg yolk and pudding cream, and a generous layer of shredded coconut is the absolute best, and it will disappear from the table in no time.
The secret to success lies in immediately poking and soaking the hot cake with milk, which gives it an incredible juiciness, and in a perfectly prepared butter cream.
What you’ll need for a small baking tray or pan:
For the coconut sponge:
- Egg whites: 4 pcs (for a fluffy meringue)
- Powdered sugar: 50 g
- Vanilla sugar: 1 packet
- Shredded coconut: 100 g
- Semi-coarse flour: 50 g
- Baking powder: 1/2 packet
- Lemon juice: from 1/2 lemon
- For soaking after baking: 200 ml cold milk
For the vanilla egg yolk cream:
- Milk: 500 ml
- Egg yolks: 4 pcs
- Granulated sugar: 100 g
- Vanilla sugar: 1 packet
- Vanilla pudding powder: 1 packet
- Plain flour: 2 tablespoons
- Butter: 150 g (must be at room temperature)
For finishing and topping:
- Shredded coconut: for generously sprinkling over the cream
Step-by-step preparation instructions:
1. Preparing the coconut sponge from egg whites: In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites with powdered and vanilla sugar until you get a stiff, glossy meringue. Then gently fold in the semi-coarse flour mixed with baking powder, shredded coconut, and fresh lemon juice. Evenly spread the batter onto a small greased and floured baking tray or pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C until golden (about 15 to 20 minutes).
2. The secret to extreme moistness: Immediately after removing the hot cake from the oven, poke it densely all over with a fork and pour 200 ml of cold milk evenly over it. Let the milk soak in completely and allow the cake to cool down fully.
3. Cooking the egg yolk cream: In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with a little cold milk, plain flour, and pudding powder until smooth. Bring the rest of the milk to a boil with the granulated and vanilla sugar. Once the milk is hot, pour in the egg yolk mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until you get a thick custard. Pour the finished pudding into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it cool completely to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
4. Finishing the cream and chilling: Whip the softened butter until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the cooled pudding mixture by spoonfuls until you get a smooth and delicate cream. Spread the finished cream evenly over the cooled coconut base. Generously sprinkle the top with shredded coconut and refrigerate the entire dessert for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight.
Practical kitchen tips for the best result:
- Magic of milk soaking: Pouring cold milk over the hot baked base is a proven trick that makes the cake incredibly moist and literally melt in your mouth.
- Using both egg whites and yolks: The recipe uses egg whites for the light coconut base and yolks for the rich vanilla cream, so you won’t have any leftovers in the kitchen.
- Patience with chilling: Let the cake rest in the fridge until the next day—the flavors will blend perfectly and the slices will hold their shape.
Enjoy!
