Let me tell you about this cake…it is finger-licking-good! This amazing cake is inspired by Raffaello candy. A soft coconut cake topped with white chocolate/coconut smooth cream and topped with whipped cream, coconut and almonds!
Oh please tell me that you know what a Raffaello candy is?!! I brought a few slices of this cake to school with me and when I told them that the cake was inspired by Raffaello, they all looked at me like I speaking another language. Neither my friends nor hubs have ever heard of this candy. So weird!
It’s been my favorite candy since I was a kid. In fact, I remember that I got a box of them on my birthday when I was turning six or seven. I got it in the morning, before the party, from my grandparents. While everyone was cooking and preparing for the party, I was missing. I heard them look for me but I was not coming out… I was sitting under the big dining room table, working my way through the box. By the time they actually found me…the box was gone. It was a happy birthday indeed!!
Anyway, whether you’ve heard of the candy or not, this is a cake that will make your taste buds sing a happy tune! This is a homemade, soft coconut white cake. It is topped with smooth white chocolate and coconut cream and freshly made whipped cream. To make it extra special, it is also topped with sweet coconut flakes and crunchy almonds. This Raffaello cake is a pleasure for your senses!
Raffaello Poke Cake: Coconut Cake with White Chocolate/Coconut Cream & Whipped Topping
Ingredients
- Cake:
- 1/2 cup of butter softened
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 4 egg whites
- 2 cups of flour
- 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- 1/3 cup of buttermilk
- Cream:
- 1 1/2 cups of white chocolate
- 3/4 cup of sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup coconut flakes
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp. butter
- Whipped cream:
- 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tbsp. sugar
- Topping:
- 2 cups of coconut flakes
- 1 cup of sliced almonds
Instructions
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Cake:
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Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 baking pan.
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In a bowl, beat butter for about thirty seconds and add sugar. Beat for about a minute, until light.
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Add egg whites one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and mix until combined.
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Sift flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder together.
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Lower the mixer speed to low.
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Alternating, add flour mixture and coconut milk then buttermilk in two parts, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
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Transfer the batter into the baking sheet, spread evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Cream:
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Combine butter, white chocolate, condensed milk, vanilla extract and coconut flakes in a small sauce pot, over medium heat. Whisk with a silicone covered whisk while heating though, until the chocolate melts and the mixture is nice and smooth. Take off the heat and cool to room temperature.
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Whipped Cream: Add the cold heavy whipping cream in the cold mixing bowl. Starting at low speed, start whisking, gradually raise to speed to high. Slowly pour in the sugar. Beat until stiff peaks appear (don't walk away far). Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.
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Poke holes all over the cake.
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Pour the white chocolate mixture over the cake.
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Make sure that the cake is completely cooled before you cover it in whipped cream.
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After the cake is covered in the whipped cream, spread the coconut in the even layer and sprinkle the almonds.
Recipe Notes
Recipe from Lyuba @ willcookforsmiles.com. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to share this recipe, please simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.
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More Amazing Cakes:
Tiramisu Poke Cake
Samoas Poke Cake
Yum, this cake sounds amazing! I love raffaello candies, though I don’t think they’re sold here anymore.
Thank you so much, Agos!!
This looks amazing! Pinned and shared!
Just one question, why you need to “Poke holes all over the cake”? I never made this one before. Is the white chocolate suppose to be poured inside the cake to be soaked up? So the top layer is just frosting?
It just happened one of my colleagues mentioned this one today and it sounds so delicious. 🙂
Hi Maggie!
Poke cake gets its name from being poked all over so that whatever frosting or topping you put on it, soaks through the whole cake evenly. If the holes aren’t there, the topping would just slide to the sides. The top layer is just homemade whipped cream that goes over the coconut/while chocolate topping.
Thank you!
Hi Lyuba! I´m here through MM. Saw your cake and found it stunning! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much, Viviana!
Good Morning, I see oil listed in the recipe but butter is not. In the directions, butter is referenced. Cake sounds wonderful but I don’t want to mess it up. Would be great for Easter. Thanks.
Thank you for catching it, Sue! It is supposed to be butter, I was originally thought about using oil but changed my mind at the last minutes. I still had it as oil in my notes and butter 🙂
Thank you!
I have no idea what that candy is but I want it!! Coconut and white chocolate is such a great combination!! Love this cake 🙂
I hope you try the candy one day, Zainab…or the cake 🙂
Thank you!
This cake is just lovely Lyuba! Totally need to make it for my coconut-loving Dad 🙂 Pinned!
Thank you so much, Trish! I hope you get a change to make it for him!
Never heard of these but you had me at coconut!!! Yum! I will be making this and pinning it, too!
Hehe, thank you!! Hope you get a chance to try it!
This cake looks so moist and delicious! The cream, white chocolate, and coconut are a wonderful combination of flavors. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Thank you so much, Shari!
I am one of those crazy people that has never heard of that candy Lyuba. Your cake looks amazing! 🙂
Haha, run and get some 😉
Thank you so much, Lisa!
I love those candies! This cake looks awesome and delicious, great job!
Thank you so much, Melissa!
This looks and sounds amazing, Lyuba! Like, really!!
Thank you, Kristi!
Um that looks like the tastiest thing on the planet!! The pictures are making my mouth water – yum!
Awww, thank you, Kristen!
I’ve never heard of this candy but it combines my love of almond and coconut I’m all for it! This cake is amazing!
You must try it when you see it! It’s so good!
Thank you, Julie!
This cake is calling my name. Yum! I think I found our Easter cake for this year. Pinned to try. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Thank you so much, Jill! I hope you let me know how you liked it!
Thanks so much for this recipe. Long time lover of Raffaelo but had never thought of recreating it at all, let alone in a masterpiece such as this!
Thank you so much, Lori! So sweet!
I love all of your recipes,especially the poke cakes Thanks Keep them coming you are wonderful !
Thank you so much, Sonya!
Raffaellos are my all time favourite chocolates! I am practically trying to lick my laptop screen here. Pinned and hoping to try this soon!
Haha, thank you, Cindy! I hope you try it soon too!
What kind of white chocolate is used? Will white chocolate chips work?
Hi Vicky! You can use the white chocolate baking bar or white chocolate chips.
Enjoy!
I’ve never heard of the candy….but now I NEED to try it! Such an amazing looking cake!
Thank you so much, Cathy!!
Oh my gosh this looks so good!! I’m putting it on the list to make when we go on vacation in a couple of weeks!! Thanks for a great recipe! 🙂
Awww, thank you! Happy vacation!
Excuse me can this cake be transformed into a layer cake?
Hello, Chris!
Yes, you can absolutely turn this into a two or three layer cake. Remember to adjust baking time for the cake accordingly and I would suggest doubling (or one and a half the) cream recipe for a three layer cake.
Hi was wondering . isn’t the cream to thick to be absorbed by cake?
Hi Zahra! The cream is not too thick and it will start sipping into the cake side you will pole holes in it. Now that is the cream you’re talking about, right, not the whipped topping?
Oh my yumminess! Pinning 🙂
I’m in the UK so when you say flour is that plain flour or self raising flour? Also the oven temperature is that in Farenheit as we use Celsuius? Can’t wait to make this for my husband as these are his favourite chocolates.
hi dear.. I have a question about the whipped cream..what kind of sugar to use granulated or powder sugar
Granulated white sugar 🙂