Torta De Coco (Coconut Cake)

Submitted by Chef Kate

"A really amazing, very rich cake from Colombia--a sort of bread pudding except instead of using bread, it uses pound cake (I have posted the recipe for the traditional Colombian pound cake). It's worth making just for the aromas of the cooking syrup and then the torta baking--but you will love eating it as well."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 30mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Serves: 10-12

ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups sherry wine (a drinkable not too dry sherry(NOT cooking sherry)
• 8 ounces raisins
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 cups water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 7 ounces shredded unsweetened coconut (dessicated is fine)
• 1 poundcake (the recipe I use provides a 10-inch cake)
• 10 eggs, separated
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• butter, for the pan

directions

1. Soak the raisins in the sherry.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
3. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, the water and the cinnamon sticks and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it forms a thick syrup.
4. Add the coconut, stir well, and cook another three minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool; when cooled, remove and discard cinnamon sticks.
6. Grate the poundcake into a large bowl.
7. Beat the egg yolks and add them to the pound cake along with the coconut mixture, the raisins and sherry and the ground cinnamon.
8. Butter a ten inch springform pan.
9. Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.
10. Fold them, using a rubber spatula, into the cake mixture, blending well but gently.
11. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for an hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
12. Cool on a rack before opening the springform pan.
13. Note: Even the best springform pans leak sometimes, so wrap the bottom with some foil and place a cookie sheet on the oven shelf beneath the shelf on which you bake the cake.

Reviews

[Mom2Rose]

ZWT4: Hands down - this cake is awesome!! This cake is a delightful combination of flavors and textures!

 

[evelynathens]

Holy Cow is this good! I made this for a cookout and it was gone before a lot of the mains were! Kind of like a super-rich bread pudding - but using cake instead of bread. Beating the egg whites and then folding them in gave the final dessert a lighter texture. Delicious. We served this with marinated strawberries on the side.