Chocolate Coconut Cake (with Coconut Pastry Cream filling and Buttercream Frosting, topped with Chocolate Glaze and Toasted Shredded Coconut)

Today I bring to you my latest trophy - Chocolate Coconut Cake. This is by far the most complex and delectable cakes I have ever baked and I am so glad that I took this challenge to push myself and emerged victorious. Yes, it is a victory indeed when you can accomplish baking such a complex cake on your own without any professional training and believe me, if I can do it so can you! I learnt a lot of tips and tricks in the process and proudly presented Debarshi his birthday cake – a three layered Chocolate Coconut Cake with Coconut Pastry Cream filling and Buttercream Frosting, topped with Chocolate Glaze and Toasted Shredded Coconut.

As you know, I am a self taught baker and for me trying new recipes is a wonderful opportunity to learn new things and Debarshi’s birthday is the perfect time for me to do so. It gives me a chance not only to pamper the man I love but also to surprise him with something he loves – a homemade cake baked from scratch. I started the tradition three years back when I baked the Pecan cake with Rum frosting.

Then last year I baked the Chocolate Raspberry Cake with Chocolate Ganache for him. This was again an absolute hit amongst all our friends and Debarshi loved it.

This year I showed Debarshi several pictures of cakes and suggested many flavors and finally he saw a delicious Chocolate Coconut Cake’s photo and said this is it!

I started with the most important thing, selecting the right recipe. I wanted to bake a cake which could help me to learn different skills. The first year, I baked a single layer Pecan Cake and learned to prepare a homemade Frosting. Second year, I baked two layers of the Chocolate Cake and learned to prepare Ganache from scratch. This year it was time to up my game and hence I decided to bake a three layered Chocolate Coconut Cake. It was also the first time, I prepared Pastry Cream and Glaze and I am glad that all that effort paid off. Debarshi loved the cake and thankfully everyone who has had the cake has sung praises of it. I can’t express in words how ecstatic I felt after getting such positive reviews.

Now whenever you are baking a complicated cake like this one, patience is the key. If you are planning to bake the entire cake in a single day, not only will you get immensely tired but also make silly mistakes. The key is to do one step at a time and that is done by approaching your goal in small steps. 

For the convenience of everyone, I have uploaded the steps in separate links so that the images can easily load even on slower connections. I have uploaded tons of photos so hopefully you will have loads of help if you do decide to try this amazing recipe. 

Happy baking!

Follow the links to bake, frost and decorate the cake step by step:

• Bake the Cake
• Prepare the Coconut Pastry Cream filling
• Prepare the Buttercream Frosting
• Apply the Crumb Coat
• Apply the Final Coat
• Prepare the Chocolate Glaze
• Decorate the Cake

(Debarshi happily cutting his birthday cake)

Tips:

• You will need approximately two Ghirardelli Chocolate Bars for this recipe. You can find it in the baking aisle along with the Corn Starch and Corn Syrup.
• The Coconut Milk can be found in the Thai food section.
• Use aluminum foil pans to reduce overall cost of buying everything together.
• An offset spatula is one of the most useful tools in the kitchen. Use it to stir the melting chocolate and to apply frosting on the cake. You can also use it to lift the cake and place it on the plastic wrap. I also use it to spread mustard and mayo on my sandwich.
• When chopping Chocolate try not to use your hands but a sharp big knife and the offset spatula to scrape and pick up the chocolate, work in a cool kitchen because the chocolate will start melting. Keep it in a cool dry place until ready to use.
• The frosted cake can be frozen for at least a month (that’s the longest I have ever frozen any cake; we always finish it greedily). Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature just before serving.

Recommended Reading:

• Basic Kitchen Measurements
• Remember the characteristics of a good quality Cake
• Chocolate Raspberry Cake with Chocolate Ganache
• Pecan Cake with Rum Frosting
• Chocolate Sponge Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream (decorated with shaved chocolate and Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting)
• Black Forest Gateau
• Boozy Christmas Fruitcake
• Mary Berry’s Chocolate Apricot Cake (Homemade Sacher Torte)
• Martha Stewart’s Classic Pound Cake