Pineapple Coconut Cream Cake (Printable)
Tropical coconut and pineapple cream dessert on a crunchy cookie base. No baking required, just chill and serve.
# What You'll Need:
→ Crust
01 - 7 oz graham crackers or digestive biscuits, finely crushed
02 - 2.6 oz unsalted butter, melted
→ Pineapple Coconut Filling
03 - 1 ¾ cups full-fat coconut milk
04 - 8.8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
05 - 3.5 oz powdered sugar
06 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
07 - 10.6 oz pineapple tidbits, drained and finely chopped (fresh or canned)
08 - 2.1 oz desiccated coconut
09 - 1 cup heavy whipping cream, kept cold
→ Garnish
10 - 1.8 oz toasted coconut flakes
11 - 3.5 oz pineapple slices or tidbits
# Directions:
01 - Line the base of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, ensuring it sits flat against the bottom.
02 - Combine the crushed graham crackers and melted butter in a medium bowl until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan, creating an even, compact layer. Place in the refrigerator to chill while preparing the filling.
03 - Beat the softened cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl using an electric mixer until completely smooth and free of lumps.
04 - Pour in the full-fat coconut milk and continue beating until the mixture is uniform and well blended.
05 - Gently fold the chopped pineapple tidbits and desiccated coconut into the cream cheese mixture using a rubber spatula.
06 - In a separate chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks hold their shape. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the pineapple coconut mixture in two additions, maintaining as much air as possible.
07 - Pour the filling over the chilled crust, spreading it into an even layer. Smooth the surface with a spatula.
08 - Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, preferably overnight, until the filling is fully set and firm.
09 - Just before serving, remove the springform ring and decorate the top with toasted coconut flakes and fresh pineapple slices or tidbits.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Zero oven time means you can make this in a sweltering kitchen a dorm room or honestly a decently stocked hotel room.
- The contrast between that buttery cookie base and the cloud soft coconut pineapple filling is the kind of thing people assume took you all day.
02 -
- Under draining the pineapple is the number one reason the filling stays soupy instead of setting so press those tidbits in a sieve and be ruthless about it.
- The cake needs the full four hours minimum and skipping this step will leave you with a delicious but structurally wobbly situation.
03 -
- Chill your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for ten minutes before whipping the cream because cold equipment makes the cream whip faster and hold its shape better.
- Dip your knife in hot water and wipe it dry between each slice for edges so clean people will think you used a ruler.