Mini Robin's Egg Cake
Light, fluffy, and moist coconut vanilla 6-inch cake topped with a vanilla cream cheese buttercream.
Ingredients
Coconut Vanilla Cake
- 270 g all purpose flour (2 ¼ c.)
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- ¾ tsp. salt
- 300 g granulated sugar (1 ½ c.)
- 45 g sweetened coconut flakes (¼ c. + 2 tbsp.)
- 127 g unsalted butter cubed, room temperature (9 tbsp.)
- 100 g vegetable oil (½ c.)
- 3 egg whites room temperature
- 1 tbsp. vanilla bean paste
- 1 tbsp. coconut extract
- 135 g sour cream room temperature (½ c. + 1 tbsp.)
- 165 g canned unsweetened coconut milk room temperature (¾ c.)
Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Buttercream
- 170 g cream cheese room temperature (¾ c.)
- 170 g unsalted butter room temperature (¾ c.)
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 400 g powdered sugar (3 ⅓ c.)
- 1 tbsp. vanilla bean paste
- blue food coloring
For decorating
- 90 g sweetened coconut flakes toasted (¾ c.)
- Robin Eggs Candy
Instructions
Coconut Vanilla Cake.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Generously butter three 6-inch cake pans and coat them with sugar.
- To a medium sized mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, sweetened coconut flakes, and cubed butter. Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to beat the mixture together until the butter has completely combined with the dry ingredients and no lumps remain.
- Add in the oil, egg whites, vanilla bean paste, coconut extract, sour cream, and coconut milk.* Whisk the ingredients together just until a cohesive batter has formed.
- Distribute the batter evenly between the three cake pans (~415g per pan.) Bake for 28-33 min., or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for at least 20 minutes, then flip them out on to a wire rack to finish cooling to room temperature. At this point, you could let the cakes cool to room temperature, wrap them tightly with plastic wrap, and finish the cake the next day.
Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Buttercream
- (Save this step until you're ready to frost the cake.)
- Optional: toast the coconut for the cake. Add the coconut to a small saucepan set over medium heat and occasionally stir until the coconut is toasted. Set aside.
- Add the cream cheese, butter, and salt to a medium sized mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to beat the ingredients together for 3-4 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Slowly beat in the powdered sugar until all of it has been used.
- Add in the vanilla bean paste and a little bit of blue food coloring. Mix until well combined, adding in more blue food coloring as desired.
- Frost the cake: If the cakes are not flat on top, level off 2 of them. Place a small amount of frosting down on a cake platter, then place a leveled-off cake on top of it.
- Top the layer with ~½ c. of frosting and spread it to the edges. Add on another leveled-off cake on top, then top it with another ½ c. of frosting. Add on the last cake layer.
- If your frosting is super soft and the cake seems to be wobbly, stick the cake in the freezer for at least 10 minutes, or until it firms up, before frosting the top and sides.
- Frost the top and sides of the cake, then coat around the bottom with some of the toasted coconut flakes.
- Add a circle of toasted coconut flakes on top of the cake, then place some Robin Eggs candy in the center. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Tools (Affiliate Links): Kitchen Scale (my favorite) | Kitchen scale (great starter option) | Oven Thermometer | Cornflower Blue Food Coloring | 6-Inch Cake Pans
*Make sure you are using canned coconut milk and not the coconut milk that comes in a carton. Once you open the can, you may need to give it a little whisk if the milk has separated.
Store extra cake in an airtight container in the fridge.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 1046kcalCarbohydrates: 122gProtein: 7gFat: 60gSaturated Fat: 33gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 551mgPotassium: 192mgFiber: 2gSugar: 93gVitamin A: 1319IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 166mgIron: 2mg