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Coconut Cake with Mango Curd Filling
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
45 mins
 
A sweet coconut cake base combined with a smooth tart mango curd will have you dreaming about the tropics and trying to do the hula!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: mango coconut cake recipe, the best coconut cake
Servings: 12 servings
Author: Jackie
Ingredients
  • Mango Curd
  • 1 large mango peeled, pitted, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • Pinch of salt
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • Coconut Cake Layers-
  • 2 cups cake flour
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • cups unsweetened coconut milk
  • tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
  • 8 oz unsalted butter room temperature
  • cups granulated white sugar
  • 2 eggs , extra-large
  • 1 cup egg whites (about 7 to 8 extra-large eggs)
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tarter
  • cups granulated white sugar
  • Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting-
  • 8 ounces unsalted butter , softened
  • 8 ounces cream cheese , softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 teaspoon coconut extract
  • 2 cups toasted coconut for garnish
Instructions
  1. To make the curd, puree mango, sugar, lime juice and salt in processor or blender.
  2. Add yolks; puree 15 seconds longer.
  3. Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly.
  4. The curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer.
  5. Whisk in butter 1 piece at a time.
  6. Remove from heat, carefully transfer to a glass bowl or jar and cover and refrigerate overnight.
  7. For the Coconut Cake Layers-
  8. Preheat oven to 350°F.

  9. Butter three 8-inch pans or two 9-inch round cake pans. Line with round parchment paper; butter parchment, dust lightly with flour and shake off excess.

  10. Sift together cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
  11. In a separate bowl, combine unsweetened coconut milk and vanilla; whisk to blend, add coconut and stir to blend.
  12. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and 1½ cups sugar for 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
  13. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until incorporated; transfer batter to a large bowl.
  14. Alternately add flour mixture and coconut mixture to batter in 3 batches, until blended.
  15. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a wire whip, beat egg whites with cream of tartar and 1½ cups sugar to form medium stiff peaks; add to batter, stirring slowly with a balloon whisk until incorporated.
  16. Spread batter evenly in pans; tap pans on counter to eliminate air bubbles.
  17. Bake for 30- 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; cool on cooling racks for 5 minutes. Run a knife around outer edges of pans and invert cakes onto racks.

  18. To make the Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting, cream cream cheese and butter together until fluffy.
  19. Turn mixer to low and beat in powdered sugar, add coconut extract.
  20. Beat on high for 5 minutes.
  21. To assemble the cake, place cooled cake layer on cake plate.
  22. Pipe a thick ring of frosting along the edge of the cake, then fill with about ½ cup of mango curd.
  23. Top with next layer and repeat. Once middle layers have curd, place cake in fridge for 1 hour.
  24. Once set, frost the outside of the cake and garnish with toasted coconut shavings.
Recipe Notes

You'll notice in the cake recipe that there is sugar added twice. It will be added once to the butter mixture and once to the egg whites. The egg white mixture will be folded into the butter mixture resulting in a very light cake.