Go Back
–+ servings

Malted Coconut Cake with Mango Yuzu Curd

This was one of my wedding cakes, and while it is a labor of love, it is SO GOOD. Tender coconut cake is layered with a crunchy salty-sweet coconut crumble and a tangy mango yuzu curd. The cake finishes with a well-balanced vanilla frosting with just a touch of cream cheese in it. The whole cake is over-the-top, but in the best, most delicious way. Treat yourself to a four layer cake any day, and I vote it be this one.
Servings: 18 to 24 people

Equipment

Ingredients

For the coconut crumble
  • 300 grams rice flour, 2 cups
  • 150 grams granulated sugar, 3/4 cup
  • 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 50 grams unsweetened coconut flakes , 1/4 cup
  • 120 grams coconut oil, melted, 1/2 cup
For the mango yuzu curd
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 330 grams very ripe mango, about 1 1/2 cups, blended
  • 48 grams yuzu juice, 3 tablespoons
  • 200 grams granulated sugar, 1 cup
For the coconut cake layers
  • 120 grams malted milk powder , about 1 cup
  • 60 grams unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 474 grams boiling water, 2 cups
  • 660 grams granulated sugar , 3 cups
  • 240 grams cake flour or pastry flour, sifted after measuring, 2 cups
  • 240 grams all-purpose flour, sifted after measuring, 2 cups
  • 120 grams unsweetened coconut flakes, 1 cup
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 452 grams unsalted butter, softened, 2 cups
  • 4 large eggs
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 120 grams crème fraîche, 1/2 cup
For the vanilla frosting
  • 452 grams salted butter, at room temperature, 2 cups
  • 452 grams cream cheese, at room temperature, 2 cups
  • 904 grams powdered sugar , 7 1/2 cups
  • 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For decorating
  • 240 grams unsweetened coconut flakes, 2 cups

Instructions 

For the coconut crumble (see suggested timeline in Notes)
  1. Position a rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the 300 grams of rice flour, 150 grams of granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt and 50 grams of coconut flakes. Drizzle in the 120 grams of coconut oil and mix together until it has the texture of wet sand and has formed a few clumps.
  3. Transfer this to a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes, stirring halfway through and removing when the mixture is very lightly golden.
  4. Let this cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
For the mango yuzu curd
  1. In a large heat-proof bowl, whisk together the 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks. Set this to the side.
  2. Use a blender to blend up 330 grams of mango into a purée. Add this to a pot with 2 tablespoons of yuzu juice and 200 grams of sugar. Whisk together and put this over medium heat. Allow the mixture to come to a gentle bubble.
  3. Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature of the mango, and when it reads 200 degrees, scoop a spoonful (about 1/4 cup) of the mango mixture into the eggs.
  4. Whisk vigorously to temper the eggs. Repeat this step, adding spoonfuls at a time and whisking, until two thirds of the mixture is in with the eggs. Pour the egg mixture back into the pan, reduce the heat to low, and cook, whisking constantly to ensure no curdling occurs.
  5. Whisk constantly for 8-10 minutes, allowing the mixture to thicken until it can coat the back of a spoon. It should read between 170°F-180°F on the thermometer.
  6. Remove the curd from the heat, whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon of yuzu juice, then transfer to a container and store in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
For the coconut cake
  1. First, use either a blender or food processor to blend 60 grams of coconut flakes into a powder. (Don't blend too much or you risk making coconut butter!)
  2. In a medium heat-proof bowl, combine the 120 grams of malted milk powder, 60 grams of blended coconut flakes and 474 grams of boiling water. Stir until everything has melted together and set to the side to cool.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Equally stagger two racks (we’re making a lot of cakes!).
  4. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the 660 grams of sugar, sift in the 240 grams of cake flour and 240 grams of all-purpose flour. Blend up and add 120 grams of coconut flakes, then 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.
  5. With the mixer on low, add your 452 grams of softened butter one piece at a time. The mixture will start to resemble a cookie dough. Turn off the mixer.
  6. In another bowl whisk together the 4 eggs, 4 egg yolks and 120 grams of crème fraîche until smooth. Turn the mixer to low and gradually pour this in.
  7. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes or until the batter is fluffy and light.
  8. Turn the mixer to low and slowly pour in the cooled malted mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. The batter will be on the thinner side, but don't worry, it will thicken up.
  9. Line four 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Evenly distribute the cake batter among them. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the cakes are golden on top.
  10. Let the cakes cool at room temperature, they will collapse into flat pieces, which is good for cake layering. If assembling the next day, wrap them with cling wrap and store them at room temperature. If you are assembling later than one day, wrap them and freeze them.
For the vanilla frosting
  1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (or in a bowl using an electric hand mixer), beat 452 grams of softened salted butter on medium-high speed until light, fluffy, and very spreadable, 5–7 minutes.
  2. Add the 452 grams of cream cheese a chunk at a time, continue to beat until this looks like buttercream, another 2–3 minutes.
  3. Add the powdered sugar in a bowl to the side. Whisk it to break up any clumps. With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar one spoonful at a time, only adding the next once the first has mixed in. This helps avoid any sugar clumps.
  4. Add the salt and vanilla extract and continue to beat until very fluffy and smooth. Taste and season with more salt as desired.
To assemble the cakes
  1. Use one springform cake pan as your assembly zone. Line it with cling wrap, forming a big "x" with two pieces across the pan.
  2. Place the first coconut cake layer down in the lined pan. Layer it with a thin layer of the frosting. Use a piping bag to pipe a ring around the edge. Fill the center with 1/2 cup of curd. Sprinkle over 1/2 cup of the coconut crumble, or enough to seal in the curd. Layer another cake layer on top and repeat until all the cakes are layered.
  3. Use the cling wrap hanging over the edges to seal up the cake. Store this in the fridge in the 9-inch springform pan and let it set for 12-24 hours. You can speed this up, but the cake will slice a little softer, where a longer set time will give you a cake with nice, clean slices.
  4. The next day, flip the cake onto the surface you plan to decorate on. This can be a cardboard cake platform or the surface you plan to serve on.
  5. Crumb coat the cake by first "sealing" up the exposed icing layers with frosting. Then add a generous dollop of frosting to the top and use an angled spatula to smooth it out. A hack here is to dip the spatula in hot water for your final smoothing, it will make a razor-sharp edge.
  6. Move this to the fridge to chill while you prepare the coconut. The longer it chills, the easier it will be to decorate, but try not to let it sit more than 24 hours.
  7. Toast your remaining 240 grams of coconut flakes until just a bit golden on the edges. Set these aside to cool. Assess how much frosting you have. If you'd like more to top the cake, make another batch of the vanilla frosting listed above.
  8. Use the angled spatula to evenly spread out the remaining frosting. While it is still pliable, gently press the coconut flakes all over the cake. From there it is ready to slice and serve!

Notes

DO IT AHEAD: The coconut crumble and mango yuzu curd can be made days ahead of assembly. My suggested timeline for baking this cake is as follows:
 
Day 1 (or whenever): Make the coconut crumble and mango yuzu curd. Store for up to 5 days before you need to use them. 
Day 2: Bake the coconut cake layers and let them cool while you prepare the frosting. Assemble the cake then move it to the fridge to chill.
Day 3: Do the crumb coat in the morning, then the final decoration at night.