Almond Coconut Cake

Creamy, crunchy, chewy. Creamy from the velvety custard whipped cream frosting. Crunchy from the bits of toffee sprinkled atop the cake and chewy from the addition of shredded coconut in the meringue cake, almost reminiscent of a coconut macaroon. Definitely a fun cake to switch things up :)

Almond Coconut Cake

This cake is topped with vanilla cream, dulce de leche sauce and Daim (toffee). I find the crunchy sweet texture of toffee a nice addition to an overall soft cake. Daim can be found at Ikea if it's not common in your neck of the woods or feel free to use any toffee of your liking but then again, the toffee is completely optional.

4 Egg Whites

¼ tsp Salt

150g Sugar

1 ½ tsp Vanilla Extract

75g Almond Flour

75g Desiccated Coconut

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C)

2. Prepare an 8 inch (20cm) springform cake pan, lined with parchment paper and grease the sides.

3. In small mixing bowl combine almond flour and coconut. Set aside.

4. Clean your stand mixer and whisk attachment with a paper towel lightly soaked in vinegar. If your equipment is not perfectly clean the egg whites will not stiffen. (hand beaters work as well)

5. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, on medium speed, whisk the eggs and salt until they start to thicken.

6. Once they begin to thicken slowly add powdered sugar, about a tablespoon at a time.

7. Once combined, add the vanilla and continue whisking until you reach stiff peaks.

8. Add the almonds and coconut to the meringue mixture. Use a spatula to gently fold and incorporate the ingredients.

9. Pour evenly into your prepared pan and use the back of a spoon to smooth the top.

10. Place in the center of the oven and cook for 30 minutes.

11. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

12. Top with vanilla cream and enjoy!

Vanilla custard whipped cream

I recommend making the custard portion the night before. This will give you less work the day you assemble the cake and ensure you have very cold custard when adding to the whipped cream.

1 Vanilla Bean

1 Cup (250g) Whole Milk

2.5 Egg Yolks

⅓ Cup (67g) Sugar

1 Tbs Cornstarch

1 ¼ Cup (300g) Heavy Cream

2 Tbsp Powdered Sugar

1. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and with the back of the knife, scrape out the seeds. Place the seeds and bean in a medium saucepan with the milk and whisk to remove any clumps. Bring to a simmer, just until you see the top begin to move and steam rise.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the yolk, sugar and cornstarch.

3. Slowly add the hot milk to the eggs whisking simultaneously. You can always place the bowl on top of a silicone mat to prevent the bowl from moving or ask for another hand in the kitchen.

4. Once the hot milk has been added to the eggs, return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. The custard is ready when it becomes thick and leaves the back of the spoon clean when with run your finger over it.

5. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Place plastic wrap over the top of the custard, making sure it lays directly on the custard. Set in the refrigerator and allow to cool completely before adding to the whipped cream.

6. In a medium mixing bowl. Beat the heavy cream and powdered sugar until you form stiff peaks.

7. Add the cold custard to the whipped cream and beat an additional minute.

8. Frost your cake when it has completely cooled.

Dulce De Leche

You can always use store bought but here is my version on how to make a small amount, about 1/4 c. This can always be made while your cake is baking.

1 Cup (245g) Whole Milk

3 Tbsp (37.5g) Sugar

1/8 tsp Baking Soda

Pinch of Salt

1/4 tsp Vanilla

1.5 tsp Light Syrup/Corn Syrup

1. Add all of the ingredients to a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

2. Immediately reduce the heat to about medium, maintaining a gentle rolling boil the entire time. Adjust the heat as needed.

3. Stir constantly, with a heatproof spatula, for approximately 30 minutes or until the sauce has become thick and dark caramel brown in color. If you want to achieve the drizzle effect, you need to make sure not to cook the sauce to a paste like consistency. It should be a thick, yet flow in a stream when scooped up with a spoon.

4. If this does happen, no fear. Just warm up a little milk and add a small amount to the sauce until you achieve your desired viscosity.

5. Allow to cool slightly before drizzling over your frosting.