Coconut Cloud Cake
Coconut Cloud Cake is a delightfully spongy cake that’s filled and topped with a dreamy seven-minute frosting and coconut. It’s not heavy or overly sweet either. I think it’s a perfect springtime or Easter cake, and if you’re not a coconut fan, feel free to omit it. It will still be undeniably delicious!
If you’re looking for a light & airy dessert that’s not overly sweet, you’ve come to the right place. When you make a light and spongy angel food cake and pair it with a pillowy cloud-like meringue filling & topping you get the perfect cake. The addition of coconut just sends it over the top. I’ve really been in the mood for Spring to arrive and this dreamy cake reminds me of Spring & Easter. Not a fan of coconut? Don’t worry, it’s still delicious without it.
Let’s set aside thoughts of rich, dense, sugary, and buttery cakes today. Instead, let’s talk about a cake that has a light and spongy texture, is low-fat, and tastes like you’re biting into a soft cloud. This cake is made with 6 simple ingredients and each one plays an important role in the cake.
Simple Cake Ingredients
Egg Whites: Egg whites are the key ingredient in this cake. Egg whites take the place of leavening ingredients such as baking powder or baking soda. The egg whites get whipped until they’re tripled in volume, giving the cake all of its rise. It’s important to use room temperature egg whites in this cake. Room temperature egg whites expand a lot more than cold ones, creating more volume.
Cream of Tartar: Cream of tartar is a stabilizer. It’s used in whipped egg whites to keep them from deflating.
Salt: Believe it or not, salt enhances the flavors of sweets.
Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract adds so much flavor to all desserts.
Cake Flour: Cake flour is the essential flour for this cake. It’s low-protein and finer in texture than regular all-purpose flour. If you don’t have cake flour, you can make a homemade version but it’s best if you can use regular cake flour.
Granulated Sugar: The ideal sugar for angel food cake is superfine. I’ve had readers tell me they can’t find superfine sugar. No problem. Use regular granulated sugar. Add it to a food processor and pulse for 30 seconds. If you don’t have a food processor use your blender.
Tips
- Don’t under or over beat the egg whites. The egg white tip should stand up straight on its own without falling over. If it falls over, it’s under beat. It should look glossy. If it no longer looks glossy, it’s over beaten.
- When separating the egg yolks from the whites, make sure there is absolutely NO egg yolk mixed in with the egg whites. Separate the egg whites and yolks, one at a time, transferring each egg white to a small bowl before adding it to the large mixing bowl.
- Cold egg whites separate easier than room temperature. Separate them while they’re cold, then set the egg whites aside to come to room temperature.
- Use a serrated knife to slice angel food cake. It’s too spongy for a regular knife. Using a serrated knife will actually separate the cake as it’s cutting through it instead of pulling it down with the knife.
- This recipe calls for sifted cake flour. This means to sift some cake flour, then measure out what you need.
- Do not grease the cake pan. Egg whites need a very clean non-greasy cake pan so they can climb up the sides as the cake bakes.
Seven Minute Frosting
Seven Minute Frosting is a fluffy cloud-like delectable meringue frosting and simply melts on your tongue. Just like the cake above, egg whites are the star of the show in this frosting.
Seven Minute Frosting ingredients
Egg Whites: Egg whites at as the leavening agent here, just like in the cake recipe. However, they don’t need to be at room temperature here, because we’ll be heating them anyway.
Granulated Sugar: The granulated sugar doesn’t need to be pulsed to a fine texture here because we are heating it with water to dissolve it, which is called making a simple syrup.
Cream Of Tartar: Cream of tartar stabilized the egg whites, keeping them from deflating, just like in the cake.
Pure Vanilla: Adds flavor.
Why Is This Frosting Called Seven Minute Frosting?
Seven Minute Frosting is a meringue frosting that starts by making a simple syrup of sugar and water and combining it with egg whites. Once the simple syrup is made, the syrup gets transferred to a mixing bowl and beat with a whisk attachment for “seven” minutes, after which time the frosting has almost tripled in volume and it’s glossy and forms perfect peaks.
If you’re wondering what to do with all of those leftover egg yolks, save them for french toast or make some homemade lemon curd.
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PrintCoconut Cloud Cake
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 45 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 Servings 1x
- Category: Cake/Desserts
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Coconut Cloud Cake is a delightfully spongy cake that’s filled and topped with a dreamy seven-minute frosting and coconut. It’s not heavy or overly sweet either. I think it’s a perfect springtime or Easter cake, and if you’re not a coconut fan, feel free to omit it. It will still be undeniably delicious!
Ingredients
CAKE
- 1 cup sifted cake flour (sift the flour before measuring)
- 1 1/2 cups sugar divided
- 1 3/4 cups egg whites, room temperature (about 14 large)
- 1 tablespoon warm water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
SEVEN MINUTE FROSTING
- 3 large egg whites, cold or room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 5 tablespoons water
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sweetened flake coconut
TOPPING
- 3 cups sweetened flake coconut
Instructions
CAKE
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the sugar to a food processor or blender and pulse for about 30 seconds. Add 1 cup of the sugar and the sifted cake flour to a fine-mesh wire sieve, and sift together. Repeat 2 more times. Set aside.
- Add the egg whites and warm water to the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl. Using a whisk attachment, on low speed, whisk together the egg whites and water until foamy. Add the salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Increase the speed to medium-high and sprinkle in the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Keep whisking until the egg whites are stiff but not dry. Note: The tip of the egg white peak should stand up straight on its own without falling over and should still look glossy.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and add the sifted flour and sugar, by sprinkling the mixture over the egg whites in six additions, using a spatula to gently but quickly fold in.
- Pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan with a removable bottom. Smooth the top with an offset spatula. Run a knife through the batter to release any air bubbles. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top of the cake is golden brown and springs back when touched.
- Invert the cake pan on its legs, or if it doesn’t have legs invert it onto the neck of a glass bottle, and allow it to cool completely, about 1 hour. Carefully run a thin sharp knife around the outside edges of the cake and the inside tube to loosen it from the sides of the pan and invert it, bottom side up, onto a cake plate. Set aside and make the frosting.
SEVEN MINUTE FROSTING
- Place a heatproof bowl from a stand mixer over a saucepan of simmering water. (The water should have air bubbles around the edges but not be boiling).
- In the bowl, combine the egg whites, sugar, water, and cream of tartar. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
- Attach the bowl to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the mixture on high speed until it becomes glossy and voluminous. This could take up to 7 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla.
- Using a long serrated knife, carefully slice off the top 1 1/2 inches of the cake, making sure to not break it, and set it aside. Cut a channel, 1-inch wide and 1-inch deep halfway between the center and the edge of the cake. Fill the channel with the frosting and spread the frosting over the entire layer and sprinkle the coconut over the layer.
- Gently place the reserved cake layer on top of the bottom cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting over the sides and top of the cake.
TOPPING
- Sprinkle the coconut nut over the top and sides of the cake, gently patting the coconut into the frosting on the sides.
Notes
- Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart.
Love it
No oil or butter?
Hi Elba, No oil or butter. This is an egg white cake, basically an angel food cake. The egg whites are beaten and act as the leavening.
Can you use egg whites from a container?
Hi Heather, I have not used egg whites from a carton but I would recommend using fresh egg whites.
Storage? Does it need to be refrigerated once made or left at room temperature?
Hi Jenny, This cake can be left at room temperature or refrigerated. After 1 day, the egg whites in the frosting will begin to break down regardless of whether or not you refrigerate it. The frosting will slowly disintegrate and absorb into the cake. It’s best to serve this cake the day it’s made or the very next day.
If i only have 2 x 8 inch cake tins how long would i need to bake this cake for please?
Hi Pete, You would need four 2 x 8-inch cake pans to hold this filling.
How long should I bake it in a 9×13 pan?
Hi Patiricia, It will take less time in a 9 x 13 pan. Start checking it at 25 minutes.
Thank you so much!
You’re welcome! 🙂
This cake is so light it’s amazing !
I just love the texture and it’s not too sweet!!
Definitely will be making this quite often !
Love this recipe. I made it last week and everyone raved about it. I am making it again tomorrow because my daughter requested it. Winner recipe
Can I make this cake on a Saturday and not serve it until Sunday? Seven minute frosting can be tricky..
Thank you.
Hi Carole, You can bake the layers, but I wouldn’t make the icing until the next morning. It will soak into the cake and disappear by the next day. I’ve done it on regular coconut cake.
Hi there!
I love your recipe and saw another post about it on Etsy. Is this your Etsy shop selling your cake recipe? Just wanted to let you know because they’re using your recipe and photos. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1566465870/
Hi Isabelle, No, unfortunately that’s my recipe, but they still my recipes and sell them. Thanks for the F.Y.I.
Can I use a boxed Angel Food cake mix or a store bought one?
Hi Suzann, Yes, you sure can.