Coconut Cake with Berries & Cream

serves 12 to 14

(recipe slightly adapted from Martha Stewart Living)

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, melted & cooled, plus more for pan
  • 6 large eggs, separated
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, divided
  • 2 cups heavy cream, divided
  • 1 can (14 oz.) light unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
  • 3 cups mixed berries for serving

Preheat oven to 350F. Generously butter a 9×13 inch baking pan. Whisk together egg whites, baking soda & salt with a hand-mixer (or stand mixer) until soft peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add yolks to egg white mixture and whisk until completely combined. Gradually add sugar, and whisk until combined. Fold in the butter and coconut with a rubber spatula.

Sift 1/4 cup flour onto mixture, fold to combine. Repeat with remaining flour, folding in 1/4 cup flour at a time. Pour batter into pan; bake until golden and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 18-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together 1 cup heavy cream, the coconut milk and the condensed milk. As soon as cake is removed from the oven, pour cream mixture over cake. Let cake cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cover cake with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 5 hours and up to 8 hours.

Just before serving, wish remaining cup heaving whipping cream until soft peaks form, and spread over cake. Serve with mixed berries.