Coconut cake facts for kids
A coconut cake garnished with Peeps candy
|
|
| Type | Cake |
|---|---|
| Course | Dessert |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | Southern states |
| Main ingredients | white or yellow cake, icing, coconut flakes |
| Variations | Coconut poke cake |
A Coconut cake is a yummy cake that's super popular in the southern United States. It's often made with layers of butter cake that taste like coconut. These layers are usually put together with a creamy filling, sometimes even lemon curd. Most coconut cakes are also covered in a sweet frosting, making them extra special.
Contents
What Makes Coconut Cake Taste Like Coconut?
The delicious coconut flavor in these cakes comes from a few places. Often, there's a special coconut cream between the cake layers. This cream is made from the thick liquid found on top of coconut milk. To make it even more coconut-y, shredded coconut is usually sprinkled all over the cake as a final touch. This shredded coconut can be sweetened or even toasted for a different flavor!
Different Kinds of Coconut Cake
Coconut cakes come in a few exciting varieties!
Cake Flavors and Fillings
The cake itself is usually a white or yellow cake. Sometimes, the cake layers are brushed with a simple syrup to make them extra moist and soft.
The layers are often filled with a white frosting or a creamy coconut pastry cream. For the outside, a light and fluffy 7-minute frosting is traditional. But you might also see cakes with creamy cream cheese icings or rich buttercreams. Even if the frosting doesn't have coconut flavor, the cake is always covered in shredded coconut. This coconut can be toasted or sweetened, adding a lovely texture and taste.
Coconut Poke Cake
One fun type of coconut cake is called a coconut poke cake. Unlike the traditional round, layered coconut cake, this one is usually a single, rectangular cake. What makes it "poke" cake? After baking, small holes are poked all over the cake. These holes then soak up a special coconut liquid mixture, making the cake super moist and flavorful. After that, it's usually topped with a light whipped topping.
Other Fun Flavor Combinations
People in the South also love to get creative with coconut cake! Sometimes, they add other flavors to the mix. A popular choice is to fill the cake with a tart lemon curd. This adds a zesty, sour taste that balances out the cake's sweetness. You might even see Red velvet cake, another Southern favorite, covered with shredded coconut!
Images for kids
-
A slice of a layered coconut cake
