Six-Layer Coconut-Mango Cake

This is our latest cake for Cake and a Movie night.

Took a ton of time to make and I’m just hoping it turns out to be worth all the effort.  Six layers, each with a layer of mango filling between the next, stacking up to a 10x10x10 inch cake.

It’s massive.  It’s 1,000 cubic inches and it’s got company in the form of Coconut-Mango Ice Cream.

Cake and a movie continued to grow this week, some of the regulars and some new people.

@akikooda @radzack @madmax69 @brooding_soul @fotofobe @kaleb1983 @ok2baprincess @ericcox @BigRed77 @babyfishie @jeffreybee @kjneverlies @jamescarr @thansom @savannahbrooke @aurablush

There were about four people who are not on the Twitter just yet that also came.

I used a recipe from Food and Wine magazine and essentially just doubled it so I could cook it in three 10x10x2 pans instead of the three 8×2 inch round pans called for in the recipe.  Also, since passion fruit is hard to come by out here, I opted for mango nectar.  They have similar tastes and it worked out great.

Click the link back there to get the smaller version.  Having around twenty to thirty people saying they were planning on joining Cake and a Movie, I felt the need to double the recipe. We ended up with about 1/3 of the cake left and half of that went home with a few of the tweeps.

Oh, and before I go, if you make this with the Coconut-Mango Ice Cream, you will use a total of 12 eggs. That’s including when you need egg whites versus when you need egg yolks. Works out just perfectly!

With no further adieu, the cake.

Six-Layer Coconut-Mango Cake
Coconut Cake Base
Makes 5 qts

• 8 1/2 cups flour
• 4 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 4 sticks unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 cups coconut
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 12 egg whites

Preheat your oven to 350°F.  Spray the pans with Baker’s Joy non-stick spray with flour. Line the bottom of the 10×10 square cake pans with parchment paper and spray again.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt at low speed. This will fill a 5qt Kitchenaid mixer, so mix slowly. Pour coconut milk, water and vanilla until combined. Scrape down the bowl and beat at until very smooth, ~5 minutes.

In another bowl, using an electic hand mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter until well incorporated. Divide the batter among the cake pans. Bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean.  baking for too long will make the edges difficult to cut later. Cool the cakes in the pans on a rack for 15 minutes, then invert them and let cool completely, about 2 hours.

Mango Filling

• 1 1/2 cups Sugar
• 1/2 cup Cornstarch
• 2 cups Passion fruit/Mango Nectar
• 8 Egg Yolks
• 2 Vanilla Bean Scraped
• 2 sticks Unsalted Butter

In a medium saucepan, whisk the sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in the passion fruit nectar, egg yolks and vanilla seeds and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until thick, about ten minutes.

Remove from the heat; whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until incorporated. Scrape the filling into a glass bowl, press a sheet of plastic wrap on the surface and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.

Using a serrated knife or measured cake divider, cut each cake in half, horizontally to create 6 layers. Set one layer on a cake plate. Spread with layer of the filling.  Be mindful of how much filling you’re using. Repeat with the remaining 5 cake layers and filling, ending with a layer of cake. Refrigerate until firm, 1 hour.

Coconut-Whipped Cream Topping
Makes 5 qts

I ended up having a little extra whipped topping when I was done, but it’s so delicious I saved it for use later, maybe on some brownies or Angel Food Cake?!

• 6 cups heavy cream
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 7 oz. bag sweetened coconut flakes
• 1 bag of Melissa’s large, unsweetened dried coconut flakes

In your 5qt stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, chilled (or a large bowl with an electric hand mixer) whisk together the heavy cream while slowly adding the sugar.  As soon as the cream starts to hold peaks, add the 7 oz. bag of sweetened coconut flakes.  Whisk just until well mixed.  Chill for one hour in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, toast the unsweetened dried coconut flakes in an oven, on a baking sheet, for about five minutes, stirring regularly until they are golden brown.

Finally, using an offset spatula, coat the cake with the whipped topping, spreading evenly.  The extra topping will help conceal the sides of the cake which, unless you trimmed them, will be uneven. Until they make a cake that rises square, these are the only options!

Once it’s evenly covered with the topping, add the toasted coconut flakes.  I simply threw them onto the sides of the cake, catching the misses on tin foil. It’s easier, and much more fun, that you’d think!

Chill again for 1 hour before serving!

Check out the slideshow below for the whole process.