Brazilian Coconut Cake {Bolo de Coco}
This Brazilian Coconut Cake, or Bolo de Coco in Portuguese, is easy to make and so moist and delicious! It's like a cross between a tres leches and a coconut cake. In fact, it actually is a Dois Leites (Two Milks) cake, with evaporated milk and coconut milk. The cake itself is spongy and moist. But then, the 2-milk glaze flows over top and soaks into it in an absolutely perfect way. The shredded coconut is the perfect finish for flavor and texture.
Servings 12 servings
Equipment
- 1 Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer Optional, but easier for beating the egg whites. You can also do this by hand with a whisk.
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 4 Eggs, large (separate the whites from the yolks)
- ¾ cup Granulated White sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¾ cup All purpose Flour, unbleached
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ cup Coconut Milk, unsweetened (regular milk is fine too)
Glaze Ingredients
- ¾ cup Sweetened Condensed milk
- ⅓ cup Coconut milk, unsweetened
- ¾ cup Shredded coconut, or enough to cover the cake (I used sweetened,but unsweetened coconut is fine since the glaze is so sweet)
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees.
- In a medium bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder. Next you will separate the egg whites from the yolks. Add the yolks to a small bowl for adding later. Add the whites into a large mixing bowl or stand mixer.4 Eggs, large (separate the whites from the yolks), ¾ cup All purpose Flour, unbleached, 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium high, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Next, continuing to use the mixer on a low setting, add the 4 egg yolks and sugar, alternating 1 egg yolk and a ¼ of the sugar, then another yolk and ¼ of the sugar, and so on. For the last egg yolk and sugar addition, also add the vanilla extract.4 Eggs, large (separate the whites from the yolks), ¾ cup Granulated White sugar, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- Once the cake batter is fully combined and smooth add the sifted flour and baking powder a little at a time, mixing each bit in as you go to ensure that the flour is incorporated smoothly without lumps.¾ cup All purpose Flour, unbleached, 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- Finally, mix in the milk. Pour the batter into an oiled 9x9 (or similar sized) cake pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.½ cup Coconut Milk, unsweetened
Make the Glaze
- In a medium bowl, mix together the sweetened condensed milk and the coconut milk.¾ cup Sweetened Condensed milk, ⅓ cup Coconut milk, unsweetened
- Using a skewer or toothpick, poke holes around the cake so that the glaze can soak into the cake. You can poke as many or as little holes as you like, knowing that the more holes you poke, the wetter the cake will be as more of the glaze will soak into the cake. You can let the cake rest to soak for 10 minutes at room temperature or longer in the refrigerator.
- Sprinkle the cake with shredded coconut. Serve and enjoy!¾ cup Shredded coconut, or enough to cover the cake