Cake with Cream-Cheese Frosting and Coconut Flakes
This cake has several names: “Coconut,” “Snowflake,” “Raffaello.” It’s convenient to split the work into two days, and you can make it ahead for a holiday. Active time is about 1.5 hours; the rest is chilling time for the dough and then the cake.
Updated : 20 January, 2026
Easy
More than 1 hour.
Ingredients
Batter
220 grams
Wheat flour
2
Chicken eggs
30 grams
Butter
1 teaspoon
Baking powder
120 grams
Sugar
to taste
Salt
Cream
300 milliliters
Heavy cream
200 grams
Cream cheese
160 grams
Sour cream
100 grams
White chocolate
40 grams
Coconut flakes
Topping
60 grams
Coconut flakes
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How to make a cake with coconut flakes? First, prepare the ingredients for the cream. All ingredients except the coconut flakes should be taken out of the fridge right before using. Choose soft cream cheese (curd-style). Use whipping cream with at least 33% fat. Sour cream can be any fat percentage (mine was 15%). Use white coconut flakes in sealed packets (they absorb odors easily).
Step 2
Make the white cream. Chop the white chocolate and put it into a small saucepan. Add 2 tbsp of cream from the total amount and melt it over a water bath, stirring.
Step 3
The melted chocolate should become smooth. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
Step 4
In a separate bowl, combine the cream cheese and sour cream. Beat with a mixer on low speed until smooth.
Step 5
Add the cooled, soft chocolate and the coconut flakes to the mixture. Stir with a spatula.
Step 6
In another (tall and well-chilled) bowl, whip the cold cream until fluffy. If the cheese was slightly salty, you can add 2 tbsp sugar to the cream - taste and adjust. Start whipping on low, then increase speed. Fold the whipped cream into the base, gently mixing with a spatula in one direction.
Step 7
The finished cream will be white and smooth, with coconut bits. The texture is like thin sour cream - easy to pour and spread. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate; it will thicken slightly when chilled.
Step 8
Prepare the ingredients for the dough. Take the eggs out of the fridge ahead of time. Use slightly sweet butter; flour should be premium or 1st grade.
Step 9
Start the dough for the cake layers. Crack the eggs into a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and sugar, and whisk just until combined (don’t overbeat).
Step 10
Mix the flour with baking powder and sift it into the egg mixture. Knead a smooth dough by hand. Go by texture, not exact flour volume - you may need a bit more or less.
Step 11
The dough should be not too stiff and very sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours. If you’re short on time, you can leave the dough at this stage overnight in the fridge (along with the cream).
Step 12
After 3 hours, melt the butter and let it cool slightly. Add the melted butter to the dough. Knead well by hand in the bowl - now the dough will hardly stick.
Step 13
I got a small amount of dough - 463 g (about 16.3 oz). I divided it into 8 pieces of 57-58 g each (about 2.0 oz). You can divide into 6 pieces if you want fewer layers. Set 2 pieces aside; cover the rest and keep chilled for now.
Step 14
Lightly dust parchment (or a baking mat) with flour; dust the dough piece and rolling pin too. Roll the dough very thin - 1-2 mm (about 1/16 in), almost translucent. If it’s tricky, gather it into a ball and try again; the dough is very pliable.
Step 15
Transfer the layer (right on the parchment) to a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C / 356°F for 3-5 minutes. Remove as soon as the edges barely turn golden - the layer itself should stay pale. Immediately trim to your desired size; I used the base of a 23 cm (9 in) springform pan. The layer becomes crisp quickly (like a wafer); let it cool where you trimmed it, and roll/bake the next ones.
Step 16
Bake one layer at a time, top/bottom heat, on the middle rack - adjust to your oven. You’ll also get scraps. Crush them and use as an extra layer (best in the middle), mix into the cream, or sprinkle on top - your choice. I used the scraps in the center.
Step 17
Assemble the cake. Spread a little cream on the plate to anchor the first layer. Spread cream on each layer, and coat the top and sides too. Usually, the cake is finished by covering it all over with coconut flakes, then chilled to soak for 5-6 hours or overnight (covered).
Step 18
The layers soften without becoming wet and soak evenly. The cream pairs very harmoniously with the layers; the coconut is delicate, the aroma light and slightly creamy. The recipe is very successful, and this cream can be used not only for cakes.
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