Coconut Cake with Ganache Filling

Coconut is a funny thing.  Some people either love it or hate it or some people just like coconut flavor without the actual pieces of coconut.  Well lucky for me and Nathan, we are both coconut lovers and so I decided to make us a coconut cake for lover’s day.  But rather than just your normal coconut cake, I decided to spruce it up with our most  favorite food – chocolate.

For the cake part you  will need:
1 boxed coconut (or white if you can’t find coconut) cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup oil
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup cream of coconut

Mix all of that together and divide the batter into parchment paper lined round cake pans to make 3 layers.  Bake at 350 until cake is done.  Remove from pans and allow to cool.  If cakes have a rounded top (mine almost always do), use a long serrated knife to cut off the top and make the layers nice and even. 

While the cake is cooling, in a microwavable bowl, place 2/3 cup whipping cream, 4 oz. high quality dark chocolate, and 1/2 cup powdered sugar.  Microwave for about 45 seconds, stir, then microwave for another 45 seconds.  The chocolate should be pretty melted at this point.  Use a whisk to combine it well with the cream.  Keep whisking until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.  Place in the refrigerator to cool and stiffen up a little.

Once the cake layers are cool, combine the rest of the can of cream of coconut with 1/3 cup evaporated milk.  If you did NOT have to cut off the tops of the layers to even them out, be sure to poke holes in the cake with a fork before putting on this mixture so that it will soak into the cake.  Place the first layer on a plate and spoon about 4 or 5 tablespoons of the coconut cream mixture over the layer. 


The idea is to add moisture and flavor the cake without  making it completely soggy.   Get your cooled chocolate ganache out of the frig.  You want the ganache to be completely cooled before putting it on the cake.  Poor half of the ganache onto the first layer. Spread evenly.


Top with the next layer and repeat the 4 to 5 tablespoons of cream of coconut over the layer and then spread the second half of the ganache over the second layer.  Top with the last layer.  Just like the other two, add 4 to 5 tablespoons of the cream of coconut mixture over the top. 

Now for the icing.  Nathan told me that he would have been happy just to have another layer of chocolate ganache over the top, so feel free to make extra ganache and go that route if you like.  Or, you can make the traditional egg white frosting used on coconut cakes.  I like it, so that’s what I did.  To make it you will need to bring 1 cup sugar, 1/3 cup water, and 1 pinch of salt to a boil.  It doesn’t need to boil long, just long enough for all of the sugar to dissolve.  Once it is ready, remove from the heat and add 1 tsp vanilla extract.

In a large mixing bowl, place 3 egg whites or 3 egg white equivalents.  For this, since you are just relying on the heat of the sugar mixture to cook the egg whites, I prefer to use dried egg whites and the required amount of water to create a 3 egg white equivalences. 

I really like this stuff.  It is pasteurized and safe and it always whips up really nicely.  Back to the frosting.  With a hand mixer or stand mixer, begin beating the eggs.  Very slowly, pour in the hot sugar mixture, while still beating the eggs.  Continue beating for several minutes until the mixture is nice and stiff.  Then just frost the cake with a nice thick layer of it.


If you like (and I do like), you can then top with cake with a little toasted flaked coconut.


This cake is rich and super moist and fantastically delicious.  We loved it!