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Toto
Coconut cake
Dense, moist Jamaican coconut cake spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon, baked in a tray and cut into squares
JamaicanToto is an old-time Jamaican country cake, the kind baked in a 'dutchie' over coals in rural St Mary and St Ann and sold in squares at bakeries and school tuck shops. It's dense and moist rather than light, packed with grated coconut, darkened with brown sugar and fragrant with nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Lovely with a cup of tea, still slightly warm. Chef's tip: use fresh grated coconut if you can, or soak desiccated coconut in the warm coconut milk for 15 minutes first. Dry coconut steals moisture from the batter and leaves the cake crumbly instead of chewy.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 5 ½ oz freshly grated coconutor 110 g unsweetened desiccated coconut
- ¾ cup coconut milkwarm
- 9 oz plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 oz buttersoftened, plus extra for the tin
- 5 ½ oz dark brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Stir 5 ½ oz freshly grated coconut into ¾ cup coconut milk and leave for 15 minutes while you get on (essential with desiccated coconut). Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and butter and line a 20 cm square tin.
15 minStep 2: Whisk 9 oz plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg and ¼ tsp salt together.
Step 3: Beat 4 oz butter and 5 ½ oz dark brown sugar for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in 1 egg and 2 tsp vanilla extract.
3 minStep 4: Fold in the flour mixture and the coconut and milk, in two goes each, until just combined. The batter will be thick, like a soft dough; don't overmix.
Step 5: Spread it into the tin and level the top with a wet spatula.
Step 6: Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown, the edges pull away from the tin and a skewer in the middle comes out clean.
38 minStep 7: Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then lift out and cut into 12 squares. It keeps, wrapped, for 3 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 31 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does toto take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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