Coconut Creme Roulade

As requested, my coconut desert recipe from the 4th of July beach party.  Some tips about roll cakes that I learned the hard way: Work fast!  Have the icing and chocolate ready to go when the cake comes out of the oven.  Also, don't over-bake the cake.  You want it to be as pliable as possible so it doesn't crack when you roll it.  But if it does crack, just fill the crack with icing- it'll still taste good!

I hope you all like it as much as the Kwaj folks did!

Coconut Crème Roulade

Cake

3 eggs

1 Cup granulated sugar

¾ Cup flour

1 Tsp baking powder

¼ Tsp salt

2 Tbsp cream of coconut

3 Tbsp hot water

1 Tsp vanilla

½ Cup chopped shaved coconut

½ Cup toasted coconut

½ Cup semi-sweet chocolate shavings

Confectioner’s sugar

Coconut Crème

8 oz evaporated milk

1 Cup granulated sugar

3 egg yolks

½ Cup unsalted butter

1Tsp vanilla extract

½ Cup chopped shaved coconut

To make crème:

  Combine milk, sugar and egg yolks in a cold sauce pan and whisk until blended. Add butter to pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Mixture will thicken after 12-13 minutes.  Once thickened, remove from heat and pour into mixing bowl.  Add vanilla and coconut and beat until cool.   Can be used immediately but will thicken more when refrigerated.

To make cake:

  Heat oven to 375°.  Line jelly roll pan with parchment paper or waxed paper and grease.  In a small bowl, beat eggs about 5 minutes or until very thick and lemon colored.  Pour eggs into larger mixing bowl and gradually beat in granulated sugar.  Add cream of coconut to hot water in a small bowl and mix until blended; add to egg and sugar mixture.  Mix in vanilla and chopped, shaved coconut.  Gradually add flour, baking powder and salt, beating just until batter is smooth.  Pour into pan, spreading batter evenly.

  Bake 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Loosen cake from the edges of the pan with a knife; invert onto a dishtowel sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar. While cake is still hot, spread coconut crème and sprinkle with chocolate shavings.  Roll cake tightly up from the narrow end.  Wrap in sugared towel and cool on a wire rack. 

  When cake is cool, frost with remaining crème and sprinkle with chopped coconut.  Serves 10.