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Bolo de coco gelado
Chilled coconut cake
Chilled Brazilian coconut cake soaked in coconut and condensed milk
Wrapped in squares of foil and kept in the fridge of Brazilian padarias and birthday parties, bolo de coco gelado ('cold coconut cake') is a soft white sheet cake drenched while warm in coconut milk sweetened with condensed milk, then buried under grated coconut. Eaten straight from the fridge it is cool, damp and milky, a little like a coconut tres leches but less sweet. It is a favourite for hot afternoons, children's parties and festas juninas, and it actually improves after a night's rest. Pouring the soak over a cold cake is the common mistake; it sits on top in a puddle, so poke the cake while it's still warm and add the soak a ladle at a time. Chef's tip: wrap each square in foil before chilling, the way bakeries do; the coconut stays moist and the squares travel well to a party.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 15
Ingredients
For the cake
- 3 ½ oz buttersoftened, plus a little for the tin
- 9 oz sugar
- 4 eggs
- 10 oz plain flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 cup milk
- 1 ¾ oz desiccated coconut
For the soak
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk1 tin
- ¾ cup milk
To finish
- 3 ½ oz grated coconutfresh, or desiccated moistened with 2 tbsp milk
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What you'll need
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Butter a 23 × 33 cm baking tin.
Step 3: Mix 10 oz plain flour with 1 tbsp baking powder. Fold it in alternately with 1 cup milk, starting and ending with flour, then stir in 1 ¾ oz desiccated coconut.
Step 4: Spread in the tin and bake for 30–35 minutes, until pale golden, springy when pressed and a skewer comes out clean.
32 minStep 5: While it bakes, stir ¾ cup coconut milk, 14 oz sweetened condensed milk and ¾ cup milk together in a jug.
Step 6: As soon as the cake comes out, prick it all over with a fork right down to the base.
Step 7: Pour the soak over the warm cake a ladleful at a time, waiting a moment between each so it sinks in. It will look very wet; that's right.
Step 8: Scatter 3 ½ oz grated coconut thickly over the top and leave to cool for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 9: Cut into squares, wrap each in foil and chill for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight. Serve cold. Keeps for 3 days in the fridge.
60 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bolo de coco gelado take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 85 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 15 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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