Best Dark Chocolate Coconut Cake Recipes

DARK CHOCOLATE, COCONUT & PASSION FRUIT MOUSSE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line two 20cm cake tins with baking parchment - if your cake tins are quite shallow, line the sides to a depth of at least 5cm. Put the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and 1 tsp salt in a bowl and mix well. If there are any lumps in the sugar, squeeze these through your fingers to break them up.
• Measure the buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla in a jug. Add the egg and whisk until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until well combined. Pour the cake mixture evenly into the two tins, and bake for 25-30 mins until risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack, peel off the baking parchment and leave to cool. These sponges can be made up to three days ahead and will stay moist if wrapped in cling film, or you can wrap well and freeze for up to two months.
• To make the mousse, put the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water, one at a time, so they don't stick together. Set aside for 5 mins to soften. Scoop the pulp and seeds from the passion fruit into a sieve suspended over a bowl, and push through the juice - you should have about 100ml. Put 1 tbsp of the seeds in a small bowl and set aside. Save 2 small empty passion fruit halves and discard the rest.
• Pour the coconut cream, passion fruit juice and sugar into a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Remove from the heat and stir in the coconut rum liqueur. Add the gelatine to the hot liquid, a leaf at a time, squeezing out the water before you add them. Stir until the gelatine has dissolved. Fill each reserved passion fruit half with some of the mixture, place in a small dish and chill until needed. Leave the remaining mixture to cool to room temperature. Pour the double cream into a large bowl and whip until it's holding its shape. Add half the passion fruit mixture, fold together, then add the remaining mixture and fold through again.
• Line a deep 20cm cake tin with a double layer of cling film. Slice each sponge in half through the middle and drizzle each layer with 1 tbsp coconut rum liqueur. Place one of the layers into the tin, flat-side down, and spread with a third of the passion fruit mousse - don't worry if a little trickles down the sides. Layer the remaining sponges and mousse on top, finishing with a layer of cake. Cover the top of the cake with cling film and chill for at least 4 hrs, or preferably overnight.
• When the cake has chilled and the mousse is set, turn out onto a cake stand, so the base now becomes the top, and remove the cling film. Using a palette knife, scrape any passion fruit mousse off the edges of the cake, to give it a smooth surface. Place the cake back in the fridge while you prepare the ganache.
• Put the chocolate and cream in a pan and gently heat, stirring now and then, to make a runny chocolate sauce. Leave to firm up at room temperature until it reaches a spreadable consistency.
• Remove the cake from the fridge. Spread the ganache over the top and sides of the cake with a palette knife until completely covered. Decorate with a ring of toasted coconut shavings, if you like. Remove the filled passion fruit shells from the fridge and place these on top too, topped with the reserved passion fruit seeds. Chill until ready to serve, but bring out of the fridge 1 hr before slicing (don't forget to serve the passion fruit jellies to your favourite guests too). Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 2 days.

DARK GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH TOASTED ALMOND-COCONUT GOO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Spread the coconut and almonds on separate baking sheets and toast, stirring occasionally, just until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Line the bottom and sides of a 14 by 17-inch baking sheet (with sides) with parchment or waxed paper. Sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Transfer to a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or use a hand mixer) and blend briefly.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla extract. Add to the dry ingredients and mix at low speed for 5 minutes. Gradually add the hot water, mixing at low speed just until combined. The batter will be quite thin. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay), 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan.
• Caramel: Pour the sugar into the center of a deep saucepan. Carefully pour the water around the sugar, trying not to splash any sugar onto the sides of the pan. Do not stir; gently draw your finger through the center of the sugar to moisten it. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil without stirring. Reduce the heat to a fast simmer and cook without stirring until amber-caramel in color, 10 to 20 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat. Using a wooden spoon, slowly and carefully stir in the cream (it will bubble up and may splatter). Stir in the toasted coconut and almonds. Set aside.
• When ready to serve, cut the room-temperature cake in the pan into 6 even strips, each 3 inches wide. Using diagonal strokes of the knife, cut each strip into 4 triangles. If the sauce has stiffened, rewarm it over low heat (or in a microwave) until softened. Place a triangle on each plate, drizzle with sauce, and rest another triangle on top at a different angle. Drizzle with more sauce and serve.

DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH COCONUT-PEANUT BUTTER ITALIAN BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix to combine. Mix in the sugar.
• With the mixer on low speed, add the butter, a couple cubes at a time, and mix until completely combined. Slowly add the buttermilk and vanilla extract; mix until well combined.
• Add the eggs and mix until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides bowl as needed.
• Divide the batter among three 8-inch cake pans. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the cakes at room temperature for 1 hour, then freeze for at least another hour.
• For the buttercream: Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Heat over medium-high heat until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F (see Cook's Note).
• Meanwhile, place the egg whites in a clean mixer bowl and beat until bubbles form. Add the sugar and beat on high speed until fluffy. Turn off the mixer.
• When the sugar syrup reaches the target temperature, slowly pour it into the egg whites. Mix on high speed until thick and fluffy.
• Gradually mix in the butter cubes until the mixture comes together and is fluffy and smooth.
• Add peanut butter, vanilla and coconut extract and mix until well combined. (Makes 4 cups.)
• To assemble: Trim the cake layers to level them; this will help you frost the cakes and ensure the layers are even. Spread the first cake layer with buttercream. Stack the second layer on top and spread with buttercream. Stack the third cake layer. Add the buttercream to a piping bag and pipe onto the top and sides of the cake. Smooth the frosting, using an offset or flat spatula. At this point, you can leave the frosting smooth or add some texture with the spatula.
• Refrigerate the frosted cake for 30 minutes before slicing.

WALNUT OVERLOAD, DARK CHOCOLATE & COCONUT CAKE

Steps:

• Cake Directions:.
• Cream butter and oil. Add sugar, beat until mixture is smooth. Add egg yolks and beat.
• Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda: add to creamed mixture, alternately with buttermilk. Stir in vanilla, coconut, and walnuts.
• Add 1 cup boiling water ( stir).
• Then Stiffly beat egg whites in separate bowl and immediately fold into cake batter.
• Pour batter into four(4) well-greased 9 inch round baking pans and pat chunky mixture to where it is thicker toward the edges of the pans.
• Bake at 300°F (149°C) until toothpick comes out clean (for around 50-55 minutes).
• Cream Cheese Icing Directions:.
• Beat cream cheese until smooth.
• In separate bowl, combine sugar, very soft butter and vanilla,cocoa, whole milk ; mix well. Add whipping topping mix well.
• Add to cream cheese and beat until smooth. ( If icing is too soft, add a bit more cocoa and sugar powder. If icing is too hard, add more whipped topping. Be careful when adding whipped topping. ).
• Cool each layer on cake racks. Put a dollop of icing on a large (12") plate before the first layer. Top each layer first with an ample amount of icing and then sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Frost sides with ample icing and then make a 1 inch icing skirt with remainder. (If icing is too thin to stay on the sided of the layers, cool both cake and icing in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes and try again.) Pat small amounts of the coconut into the sides and a little will naturally fall onto the skirt. Sprinkle the skirt with 1/4 cup chopped walnuts.
• Store in refrigerator. With all the walnuts, it cuts easiest with a bread knife. Enjoy.

DARK CHOCOLATE COCONUT CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Prepare cake mix according to package directions--use 9" cake pans.
• 2. Cool thouroughly; then cut each layer in half horizontally (you want 4 layers)
• 3. In a heavy saucepan, mix evaporated milk (regular sized can--not the mini can!),sugar, and butter and bring to a boil; turn heat down to simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
• 4. Remove from heat and add marshmallows; stir until melted.
• 5. Add coconut and pecans and mix well; spread venly between three layers.
• 6. To make frosting, melt the butter and stir in cocoa.
• 7. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk (add additional milk a teaspoon at a time if necessary to get the mixture to a spreadable consistency).
• 8. Stir in vanilla.
• 9. Frost top and sides with frosting; refridgerate.