A few weeks ago, my husband and I went out for my birthday. For dessert, we had this amazing coconut cake. When I had read the description on the menu for it, I just knew I HAD TO have it. Vanilla cake, coconut filling, coconut milk soak, and cream cheese icing. It sounded divine. I needed to find out what that was all about.
Once I tasted it, it was pure bliss. Absolutely amazing! That coconut milk soak made that cake everything. For weeks after, I found myself thinking about that cake. I knew I needed to make my own version of it.
So, me being me, I made a coconut cake. This recipe was a bit different from the kind of cakes I normally make. The method was similar to the one I use to make waffles. I whisked the egg yolks with sugar and after mixing all the other ingredients together, I whipped the egg whites separately, then folded them into the batter. Those whipped egg whites really made the cake rise to the occasion. It turned out nice and light, just perfect.
Next, I made a coconut soak with coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, and coconut rum. I decided to make this more fun and easier to share, I’d make mini bundt cakes. Once they were done baking, I poked them a few times all over with a skewer. Then I slowly poured my coconut soak all over the cakes while they were still warm. The trick is to not dump the soak all over them but rather watch them as they soak it all up like little tasty sponges before adding more of it.
Wow, were these great. I highly recommend soaking the cake to give it that next-level flavor, though the real star of the show was my coconut rum buttercream that propelled this cake into over-the-top-territory.
Do you dream in cakes? If so, you’ll be dreaming about this one, I can guarantee it!
Coconut Rum Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
1 cup melted butter
1 3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs separated
2 tsp coconut extract
2 cups cake flour
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 (13.5 oz can) of coconut milk divided
Directions for Coconut Cake
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine cake flour all purpose flour, baking powder baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
In another bowl combine egg yolks and sugar. Whisk until fluffy and pale yellow. Add melted butter and coconut extract.
Pour egg yolk mixture over flour mixture, and stir until just combined.
Whip egg whites in an electric stand mixer using a whisk attachment on high speed until stiff peaks form.
Combine buttermilk and 3/4 cup of coconut milk.
Slowly pour the milk mixture into the cake batter, and stir until well combined.
Fold egg whites into the cake batter.
Spoon batter into 12 lightly greased mini bunt pans.
Tres Leches Soak
Ingredients
1 (14 oz can) Sweetened Condensed Milk
Remaining Coconut Milk
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Coconut Rum
Directions
Combine sweetened condensed milk, heavy cram, remaining coconut milk and coconut rum.
Reserve 3 tablespoons of the Tres Leches Soak for the frosting
Pierce top of warm cake several times with skinny wooden skewer.
Gradually pour milk mixture over warm cake, about 1/2 cup at a time. Allow mixture to soak into cake completely before adding additional milk mixture. Cover and chill 4 hours.
Coconut Butter Cream
Ingredients
14 Tbsp butter at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp coconut extract
3 Tbsp Tres Leches Soak
1 Tbsp Coconut Rum
Directions
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream butter until pale and fluffy.
Add in powdered sugar, coconut extract and 3 Tbsp of Tres Leches Soak and mix until pale and fluffy.
Decorate your cakes with the frosting
