Coconut Cake with Mango Filling
One of our favorite Thai restaurants in Wilmington has the most incredible Coconut Cake that, if we have any room left after our many appetizers and entrees, we usually share… with multiple forks. Our second most favorite Thai dessert is Mango Sticky Rice. Rob usually orders this, but then the rest of us ‘help’ him out…whether he wants our help or not.
The combination of mango + coconut is one of those ‘kismet’ pairings that are just meant to be. It’s right up there with chocolate chip cookies paired with milk and dark chocolate paired with fruit. So, as I am wont to do, I started noodling on this delectable combination and came up with this oh-so-yummy Coconut Cake with Mango Filling.
Table of Contents
Rob’s birthday this month was the perfect opportunity to unveil my new recipe. Since I’m not one to recreate the wheel, I used Martha Stewart’s Coconut Cake recipe and slightly altered her 7-minute frosting recipe. I also whipped up a mango filling to alternate with the frosting, giving the coconut cake a perfect tang to balance the sweet coconut and frosting.
I received a Frieling Zenker Cake Slicing Kit in exchange for my reviews of the product in this post, however, all opinions are my own. Some of these links may be affiliate links and I may earn a small commission off of the sale of these products, but the price you are charged is not affected. You can see my full disclosure policy here.
Martha uses 2 9″ cake pans, making a 2 layer coconut cake with frosting between the 2 layers. However, I used 1 10″ springform and cut 5 layers with the Zenker Cake Slicing Kit so that I’d have more layers for all the filling goodness I had in mind.
Coconut Cake with Mango Filling
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups 3 sticks unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup packed shredded coconut (I used unsweetened)
- 2 2/3 cups sugar
- 4 large whole eggs
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 TB vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
Thick and Tangy Mango Filling
- 4 cups mango 8 cups frozen and then thawed
- 5 TB Clear Jel or 3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- 1-2 TB water
- Juice of 1 lemon or lime
7-Minute Frosting with Rum and Coconut
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 TB light corn syrup
- 6 egg whites from large eggs
- 1 1/2 TB dark rum I used Captain Morgan 100 proof Spiced Rum
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut I used unsweetened
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease one 10", 2.5-3" high, springform pan or two 9-by-9-by-2-inch cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper. Grease parchment. I use and really like Bak-Klene ZT Nonstick Baking Spray for all my baking.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Place shredded coconut in bowl of a food processor or blender and pulse until finely chopped. Stir chopped coconut into flour mixture until combined; set aside.
- Beat together butter and sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the side of bowl as needed. Add whole eggs, egg whites, and vanilla; beat until fluffy and combined. With the mixer on low, add flour mixture, alternating with coconut milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, mixing well after each addition.
- Pour batter into prepared pan or divide batter evenly between the prepared pans; smooth with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes.
- Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 30 minutes. Invert cakes onto rack; peel off parchment paper.
- Reinvert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up, then wrap individually in plastic wrap.
- If just using the 2 layers, then transfer to freezer for 15 to 20 minutes. If using the Frieling Cake Slicer, cut your cake into the 5-6 layers.
- Place one layer on a cake plate; spread top with 1/2 of the mango filling.
- Top with the next layer and spread 1 1/2 cup of frosting. Repeat these the layers. Place a final layer of cake and, using the offset spatula, spread remaining frosting over entire cake.
- Cake can be kept refrigerated, covered with a cake dome, up to 3 days.
Thick and Tangy Mango Filling
- Add mango to your blender or food processor
- If using clear jel, sprinkle it over the mango and process
- Once mango is pureed, place in a saucepan over low-medium heat.
- If using cornstarch, dissolve in water and whisk into mango once the mango is heated.
- Regardless of whether you used cornstarch or clear jel, continue to whisk your mango until it is thick and to prevent sticking/burning.
- Once thick, add the lime juice and remove from the heat.
- Let cool completely.
- I put mine in the refrigerator overnight, but I can't promise that the mixture with the cornstarch would remain nice and thick if refrigerated overnight.
7-Minute Frosting with Rum and Coconut
- In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine sugar, corn syrup, 1/4 cup of water and the egg whites.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the thermometer registers 160' on an instant-read thermometer...about 2 minutes.
- Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
- Beat the mixture on high speed until glossy and voluminous (about 5 minutes).
- Beat in the rum and coconut.
- Use immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
In general, I really try not to have a single-use kitchen gadget for every perceived kitchen need (you know you have them…and so do I …can you say ‘Mango Peeler, Slicer, and Pit Removing Tool’?), but if you’re after several thin layers of cake, I can’t imagine a better way to do it.
Thick and Tangy Mango Filling
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh mango 8 cups frozen and then thawed
- 5 TB Clear Jel or 3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
- 1-2 TB water
- Juice of 1 lime or lemon
Instructions
- Add mango to your blender or food processor
- If using clear jel, sprinkle it over the mango and process
- Once mango is pureed, place in a saucepan over low-medium heat.
- If using cornstarch, dissolve in water and whisk into mango once the mango is heated.
- Regardless of whether you used cornstarch or clear jel, continue to whisk your mango until it is thick and to prevent sticking/burning (1-2 minutes for the cook type clear gel)
- Once thick, add the lime juice and remove from the heat.
- Let cool completely.
- I put mine in the refrigerator overnight, but I can't promise that the mixture with the cornstarch would remain nice and thick if refrigerated overnight.
Nutrition
Cutting the thin layers was so easy with this device, as you merely slice through the guides. It comes with a long, serrated knife, which is very sharp and makes cutting through the layers so easy.
7-Minute Frosting with Rum and Coconut
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups of sugar
- 2 TB light corn syrup
- 6 large egg whites
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dark rum I used Captain Morgan 100 proof Spiced Rum
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut I used unsweetened
Instructions
- In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine sugar, corn syrup, 1/4 cup of water and the egg whites.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the thermometer registers 160' on an instant-read thermometer...about 2 minutes.
- Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
- Beat the mixture on high speed until glossy and voluminous (about 5 minutes).
- Beat in the rum and coconut.
- Use immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
I started cutting from the top and put each layer on a piece of parchment paper.
The Mango Filling was everything I had hoped it would be…tangy and thick. I didn’t add any sugar and did use Clear Jel to get a nice thick filling If you aren’t familiar with Clear Jel (Gel), try it…you’ll like it. It’s modified corn starch that is primarily used when canning pie fillings and by bakeries for those crystal clear, luscious fillings inside turnovers and the like. Some of the benefits of Clear Jel is that it doesn’t break down when canned or refrigerated, it is virtually tasteless and incorporates better with little clumping.
The one caveat to using Clear Jel is that you should mix it with a little sugar when adding to your fruit to prevent any clumping. However, since I wanted to stay away from any sugar in this filling, I blended my fresh mango and the Clear Jel in my Vita-Mix and avoided the dreaded clumping that way. Clear Jel is not available everywhere, I ordered mine on Amazon. But it is very economical and little goes a long way.
You probably know this, but if you don’t, tuck paper in under your cake before you start frosting it. When you’re done, remove the paper and your cake plate will not have frosting blobs all over it.
I think Heaven probably serves Coconut Cake with Mango Filling
If you’re looking for a luscious, but not too heavy, dessert for your next big event…then this coconut cake is it. I made the cake and mango filling the day before, and then sliced the cake, made the frosting and reconstructed the cake the next day.
Thanks again for spending a few minutes of your busy day with me today.
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Until next time…
Hugs,
Mango with sticky rice is my favorite Thai dessert! This sounds so delicious! I love all the layers, and the slicing kit looks like a cool new kitchen gadget that I need to have!
Oh Robin…I knew I liked you. The next time we get together, we’ll have to find a good Thai restaurant! And I know you are a baker, so you would really love that slicer. Here’s a little secret…I didn’t mention this in my post…but…somehow about half way through baking the cake the oven was turned off…I couldn’t figure out why it was cooking!!! Ugh!
Wishing you a great day.
Hugs, Lynn
I love the ingredients! Nice recipe♥♥
Thanks Summer!! And thanks for swinging by today. Hope your day is lovely.
Hugs, Lynn
I think there were some ingredients left out of the list for the cake. In the directions, item #4 calls for the addition of egg whites, vanilla and coconut milk but there is no mention of these on the list. How much of each of these needs to be added? Thank you!
Holy Cow Kathee! Thanks so much for pointing this out and I truly hope I haven’t caused you any frustration in the kitchen. Ugh! I did just go in and fix the recipe, so you’re good to go now. But once again, thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Many Hugs, Lynn
Mango filling?? That sounds delicious. Mmmmm pinning so I can try this out once I’m moved in and my kitchen isn’t filled with boxes 😀
Good luck with that move…not a fun thing. But each day you probably get closer to seeing the last box…and then you can bake! Have a great week Liz.
Hugs, Lynn