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Bounty Cake with Coconut Flakes
The Bounty Cake with coconut flakes is a homemade tribute to the famous chocolate-coated coconut bar of the same name and arguably outshines its packaged inspiration in almost every way. Layers of dark chocolate sponge sandwich a generous filling of sweet coconut cream, the whole thing finished with a glossy chocolate glaze that crackles slightly when sliced. Children adore it on sight, adults rediscover their inner sweet tooth at the very first bite, and birthday parties featuring this cake never run short of willing volunteers for second slices.
The recipe takes a little patience to assemble, since each component (sponge, coconut filling, chocolate glaze) requires its own brief time on the stove or in the oven. The total active work, however, runs to well under an hour, with the rest of the time given over to cooling, soaking and chilling. Plan to make this cake the day before you need it, since the long overnight rest in the refrigerator allows the cream to soak into the sponge and the chocolate glaze to set firmly for the cleanest possible slice when serving.
Preparation time: 95 minutes.
Ingredients
Show ingredients
For the biscuit:
- flour - 80 g;
- sugar - 100 g;
- baking powder - 1/2 tsp;
- eggs - 3 pcs;
- cocoa powder - 20 g.
For soaking the biscuit:
- cream (for soaking) - 150 ml.
For the filling:
- coconut flakes - 90 g;
- milk - 200 ml;
- sugar - 80 g;
- butter - 100 g.
For the chocolate glaze:
- cocoa powder - 4 tbsp;
- butter - 50 g;
- sugar - 4 tbsp;
- milk - 100 ml.
Preparation
- Crack three eggs into a deep mixing bowl. Choose a bowl that is at least three times the volume of the eggs themselves, since the mixture will increase dramatically in size during the whisking process that follows in the next steps and needs plenty of room to expand fully.
- Gradually add the 100 grams of sugar to the eggs while whisking with an electric mixer. Pouring the sugar in slowly rather than all at once helps it dissolve evenly into the egg mixture without forming gritty clumps that could spoil the smooth texture of the finished sponge layer.
- Whisk the eggs and sugar together for about five minutes on high speed until the mixture has tripled in volume and forms a thick pale foam. The mixture should fall from the whisk in a thick ribbon that holds its shape briefly on the surface before slowly sinking back in.
- Now prepare the dry ingredients for the biscuit. Pour the 80 grams of flour into a separate deep container and have a sieve ready for the next step, since sifting all the dry ingredients together prevents lumps and helps the sponge rise more evenly during baking.
- Add the 20 grams of cocoa powder and the half teaspoon of baking powder to the flour. Cocoa powder lumps very easily, so always measure carefully and add to the flour rather than the wet ingredients to avoid forming dry pockets in the finished cake batter.
- Stir the flour, cocoa and baking powder together until completely homogeneous in colour. The mixture should look uniformly dark brown with no visible streaks of either white flour or pure cocoa powder remaining anywhere in the bowl after thorough mixing.
- Sift the dry mixture directly into the whisked egg foam through a fine sieve. Sifting at this stage adds extra air to the batter and helps the sponge rise to its maximum height during baking, while also catching any small lumps before they can disappear into the wet mixture.
- Fold everything together gently with a spatula until you have a uniform consistency. Use a folding motion rather than vigorous stirring to keep as much air as possible in the batter, which is what gives the finished sponge its characteristically light fluffy texture in the cake.
- Prepare a 16-centimetre detachable springform cake tin. Line the bottom with baking paper and grease both the base and the sides of the tin generously with sunflower oil. Proper greasing prevents the delicate sponge from sticking and ensures clean release after baking.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface gently. Transfer to a preheated oven at 190 degrees Celsius and bake for twenty-five to thirty minutes. Test for doneness with a wooden skewer, which should come out clean from the centre when the sponge is fully baked.
- Let the finished sponge cool completely in the tin before unmoulding. Trying to lift the sponge out while warm will likely tear the delicate structure, so be patient and wait for full cooling. The sponge should release from the springform cleanly once cool.
- Now prepare the coconut filling. Pour 100 millilitres of milk into a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. The remaining 100 millilitres goes into the chocolate glaze later, so set those aside in a separate small jug for the moment.
- Add the 80 grams of sugar and the 100 grams of butter to the milk in the saucepan. Use room-temperature butter cut into small cubes, since cold butter takes much longer to melt evenly and risks scorching the milk if the heat is too high.
- Heat the saucepan gently over medium heat until both the sugar and the butter have completely dissolved into the warm milk. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent any sugar from sticking to the bottom and burning during this brief warming step.
- Add the 90 grams of coconut flakes to the warm sugar and butter mixture in the saucepan. Stir thoroughly to coat every flake of coconut with the sweet warm liquid before continuing to the next cooking step on the stove.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir constantly for five to ten minutes until the mixture thickens noticeably. The coconut flakes should absorb almost all of the liquid, leaving you with a thick rich coconut paste. Set the filling aside to cool completely before using on the cake.
- While the coconut filling cools, prepare the chocolate glaze. Add the four tablespoons of sugar and the four tablespoons of cocoa powder to a separate small saucepan and stir together with a wooden spoon until the dry ingredients are evenly mixed.
- Pour in the 100 millilitres of milk reserved earlier and stir everything together until smooth. Whisk vigorously to break up any small cocoa lumps that may form when the dry powder first meets the wet milk in the saucepan.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the chocolate mixture slowly to a gentle boil while stirring constantly. The mixture will thicken slightly as it heats up, which is exactly what you want for a glossy pourable glaze that holds its shape on top of the cake.
- Add the 50 grams of butter cut into small pieces and stir constantly over very low heat for a few more minutes until the butter has completely melted into the chocolate mixture. The added butter gives the glaze its characteristic glossy shine.
- Remove the glaze from the heat and let it cool to room temperature in the saucepan. Pouring the glaze over the cake while still hot would melt the cream filling underneath and ruin the carefully constructed structure, so patience really matters here.
- Begin assembling the Bounty Cake with coconut flakes. Cut the cooled chocolate sponge horizontally into two equal layers using a long serrated bread knife. A turntable cake stand makes this job much easier if you happen to own one.
- Spread the cream evenly across the inner cut sides of both sponge layers. The cream soaks into the sponge during the long resting time, so use it generously rather than sparingly for the moistest possible final cake at serving time.
- Place the cooled coconut filling on top of the bottom sponge layer and spread it evenly with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Cover with the second sponge layer, cream side facing down, and press very gently to settle everything into place.
- Pour the cooled chocolate glaze generously over the top of the assembled cake and spread it evenly across the top and down the sides with a spatula. Transfer the dessert to the refrigerator and let it set for five to eight hours, ideally overnight, for the cleanest possible slice.
- The Bounty Cake with coconut flakes is now ready to serve. Cut into wedges with a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between each cut for the cleanest professional-looking slices on the dessert plate. Bon appétit!
Cooking video
Tips and Tricks
Tip 1. Whisk the eggs and sugar for the full five minutes recommended in the recipe, since fully aerated eggs are the only thing standing between a tall fluffy sponge and a flat dense disappointment in the cake tin. The mixture should triple in volume and form a pale thick foam that holds a brief ribbon when the whisk is lifted out of the bowl during the testing stage.
Tip 2. Use unsweetened cocoa powder of the highest quality you can afford for the deepest darkest chocolate flavour in both the sponge and the glaze. To pair this beautiful homemade cake with another classic Italian dessert that requires no oven, try our beautifully creamy eggless tiramisu with cream and mascarpone for a special celebration spread.
Tip 3. Toast the coconut flakes briefly in a dry frying pan over medium heat before adding to the warm milk and butter mixture for a deeper nuttier flavour in the finished filling. Watch them carefully and stir constantly during toasting, since coconut burns very quickly and the bitter flavour of scorched flakes will completely spoil the entire filling.
Tip 4. The cake genuinely improves after a full overnight rest in the refrigerator, so plan ahead and assemble it the day before any celebration where you intend to serve it. For another no-bake dessert that benefits from the same kind of advance planning, try our beautifully tender cookie fish cake with sour cream and bananas, which uses simple pantry ingredients.
FAQ
Can I use desiccated coconut instead of coconut flakes?
Yes, desiccated coconut works perfectly well in this recipe and produces a slightly finer smoother filling than larger flakes do. Use the same total weight as the recipe calls for and consider adding an extra tablespoon of milk if the filling looks too dry, since desiccated coconut absorbs more liquid than larger flakes do during the cooking step on the stove. The flavour stays just as rich and properly authentic.
Why did my sponge turn out flat?
Flat dense sponges almost always come from underwhipped eggs at the start of the recipe. The eggs and sugar mixture should triple in volume and form a thick pale ribbon that holds its shape briefly when the whisk is lifted from the bowl. Too vigorous folding when adding the dry ingredients can also knock all the air out of the batter, so always fold gently with a spatula rather than stirring vigorously.
How long does the assembled cake keep?
Store the assembled cake covered loosely with cling film in the refrigerator for up to four full days for best results. The flavours actually improve significantly during the first day or two as the cream soaks deeper into the sponge and the chocolate glaze sets firmly on top. Avoid freezing the assembled cake, since the texture of the coconut filling can become unpleasantly grainy after thawing in the fridge later.
Can I substitute white chocolate for the dark chocolate glaze?
Absolutely. Replace the cocoa powder with the same weight of melted white chocolate and reduce the sugar slightly to compensate for the natural sweetness of the white chocolate. The resulting cake will be sweeter and lighter in colour than the original dark version, and the flavour will lean more toward classic vanilla and cream than the bittersweet chocolate of the traditional Bounty bar inspiration.
