This Raffaello Cake is a coconut lover’s dream! Layers of moist and tender almond cake, coconut custard, and coconut Swiss meringue buttercream.
Ever do something a million times over, without issue, and then suddenly fail at it consecutively? It’s happened to me before, with macarons (I’ve yet to go back to making them) and now suddenly with the meringue for this Raffaello Cake. I had to make the meringue three times, and it still wasn’t perfect. Like, what is going onnnnn?! Infuriating.
For some reason, my meringue kept turning out grainy and not completely stiff. The graininess speaks to the sugar granules not being totally dissolved during the double-boiler cooking process. I’ll admit that the first time, it was my fault. I thought it was almost there and went with it. It wasn’t there. The meringue was super hot (maybe hotter than it should have been), and I assumed the remaining few granules would dissolve while whipping. They did not. I had to scrap it all and start again.
The second time, I swore the sugar was dissolved, but it clearly wasn’t. Basically, a repeat of the above.
The third time, I switched to using a larger pot, thinking that would help. The meringue was hot, and I didn’t feel a single granule when I tested it three times, but sure enough, my meringue still had a bit of grit to it. WTH.
I don’t understand. Is it the humidity? It was raining at the time, but that’s not unusual for Vancouver. The only difference between this recipe and the ones I’ve been using recently is scale. I usually work with a larger batch of meringue, but this time I went back to a small batch (though one I’ve used countless times in the past, without issue). The only thing I can think is that there wasn’t enough egg whites to sugar to dissolve it properly, or something. Though the recipe works completely fine if doubled, and has worked in the past. Anyhow, if you have any insight, I’m all ears.
Coincidentally, I ran out of buttercream (lol). No joke. So I should have made a bigger batch to begin with. Recipe has been adjusted accordingly.
Okay enough ranting, on to this Raffaello Cake!
What is a Raffaello?
If you’re a coconut fan and have never had a Raffaello in your life, you need to run (not walk) to the nearest store and get yourself some. You will not regret it. They are pure heaven!!
Raffaello is a coconut almond confection made by the Ferrero company. You may be familiar with its cousin, the Ferrero Rocher. The Raffaello contains no chocolate. It consists of a whole blanched almond surrounded by coconut cream in a crisp wafer shell, all covered in shredded coconut. Delicious right?
I’m not going to lie to you that I tried my first Raffaello only after I decided to make this cake. They’re not as common as Ferrero Rocher’s around here, and I had to track them down in one specific store. But I found them! And they’re delicious. You have to be a coconut fan to truly appreciate them though, as that is the dominant flavor.
How do you make this Raffaello Cake?
My interpretation of a Raffaello in cake form is this:
- Almond cake layers – made with almond flour and almond extract
- Coconut custard – a pastry cream made with coconut milk (canned) instead of regular milk
- Coconut almond Swiss meringue buttercream – made with coconut milk powder and a touch of almond extract
- Sliced almonds for some crunch
The almond cake layers are one of my favorites. I lightly adapted my Almond Amaretto Cake to swap out the liqueur and use almond extract instead. You guys know I don’t love to use extracts at all (outside of vanilla). They can taste strong and artificial, and that’s often the case with almond extract. The key is to use a little bit. Like a fraction of what you’d use normally. That way, you get a hint of the flavor without being overpowering.
If you prefer to skip the extract, you can use amaretto liqueur instead (see Almond Amaretto Cake recipe for proportions), or skip it altogether and just use the almond flour.
The coconut custard is simple to make. If you’ve made a pastry cream or pudding, then you know the process. The key here is to use canned coconut milk, not the stuff in the carton. The canned milk is much more flavorful. You’ll need to shake the can well or give the milk a good whip if it’s chunky though (mine was this time).
The coconut Swiss meringue buttercream is a favorite that I’ve used a couple times before. This time I added just a drop or two of almond extract to it for some additional flavor.
When assembling the cake, I chose to use natural sliced almonds rather than blanched, as I wanted a bit of contrast. Either works though.
If you’re a coconut fan, you will LOVE this cake. If you’re a Raffaello fan, you need this cake in your life!!
Looking for more Coconut desserts?
Tips for making this Coconut Almond Cake
- The recipe as-is will also work in two 8″ pans. For three 8″ pans 1.5x the recipe.
- To make cupcakes, all you need to do is reduce the baking time — start checking at 15mins or so.
- If you don’t have almond flour and can’t be bothered to buy it, you can just leave it out and increase the flour to 2 1/4 cups.
- Be sure to use canned coconut milk for the custard, not the stuff in the carton. Either shake the can well or whisk the milk to get rid of any chunks first, before measuring.
- The custard does not freeze well. You can store it in the fridge for a couple days, but do not attempt to freeze it or slices of the cake.
- Go easy on the almond extract. It is very strong and can be very overpowering. In most cases, you need less than 1/4 tsp.
- Be sure to check my Swiss Meringue Buttercream post for tips and troubleshooting.
- Learn how to keep your cakes moist using Simple Syrup.
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, check out my Flat Top Cakes post!
Raffaello Cake
Ingredients
Almond Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 drops almond extract about 1/8 tsp
- 3/4 cup milk room temperature
Coconut Custard (make in advance):
- 1 cups coconut milk canned, well shaken or whisked smooth
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
Coconut Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- 5 large egg whites
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 3-4 Tbsp coconut milk powder to taste
- 1-2 drops almond extract to taste
Assembly:
- simple syrup optional
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds optional
- shredded coconut
- raffaellos
Instructions
Almond Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 6″ cake rounds and line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, almond flour, baking powder,and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on med-high until pale and fluffy (approx 3mins). Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla and almond extract.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
- Bake for approx. 35mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack. Allow cakes to cool completely.
Coconut Custard (make in advance):
- Place 3/4 cup coconut milk and vanilla into a medium saucepan. Cook over high heat, stirring often until it just starts to simmer. Remove from heat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk remaining 1/4 cup coconut milk, egg yolk, sugar, and cornstarch.
- While whisking vigorously, slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture.
- Return mixture to saucepan and cook over high heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and comes to a boil.
- Pass through a strainer and into a small bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on top of custard to prevent a skin from forming. Cool to room temperature then place in refrigerator a couple hours to set.
Coconut Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*
- Place bowl over a pot with 1-2" of simmering water and stir constantly with a whisk until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch or reads 160F on a candy thermometer (approx. 3mins)
- Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
- Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.** Add coconut milk powder, almond extract and mix until smooth and fluffy.
Assembly:
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Drizzle or brush with simple syrup (optional).
- Do a thin coat of buttercream on the layer and pipe a dam around the edge using a large round tip to hold in the custard. Fill center with half of the custard (about 1/2 cup) and spread evenly. Sprinkle with about 2 Tbsp sliced almonds (more if you like). Repeat with next layer.
- Top with final layer of cake. Frost and smooth the outside with a thin crumb coat. Chill for 20mins.
- Frost the top and sides of the cake and pipe dollops on top using an Ateco or Wilton 1M tip, top each with a Raffaello if desired.
- Gently press shredded coconut into the sides of the cake.
Notes
** The buttercream may look like it’s curdled at some point. Keep mixing until it is completely smooth.
Jude says
I’m a bit worried about the sugar not dissolving since you had trouble too, did you ever try the fruit sugar suggestion that Brian made and how did that go? Also how many days once assembled could the cake last – I have no room in the fridge usually and wanted to make it for my sister, cover it then transport it the next day, would it be ok?
Olivia says
Hi Jude! You can totally use fruit sugar (we call it caster sugar here). It’s finer and should dissolve better. That being said, I adjusted my recipe to reflect different amounts that should not cause issue with undissolved sugar. With most cakes, they will be ok on the counter for 2-3 days, but because this one has a custard, I would recommend refrigerating it. You could make all of the components in advance though, refrigerate, and then bring everything to room temp for assembly. I’m worried though that the cake would not be stable enough to transport (especially with the custard filling too). The frosting is quite soft at room temperature too. How far are you transporting? Ideally if you could find a way to chill it for 2-3 hours that would be best.
Jude says
Hi, I’m from the UK and not sure what a double boiler is nor have one, what could I use? Also my mixing bowl would not be able to sit in the water as it has a central piece where whisk attaches which has a hole (would let in water). I would like to make this type of buttercream but it is getting round everything. Any ideas?
Olivia says
Hi Jude! I clarified my post/recipe. Basically all you do is place the bowl over a pot with 1-2″ of simmering water. That creates a double boiler. You could use a different bowl to warm the egg whites first and then transfer that mixture to your mixer bowl. That being said, it should not it *in* the water. It should be above the water and only get heated by the steam from the simmering water below it. I think your bowl with the hole still would not work though.
Brasta says
It looks womderful! Just a suggestion you should tpast the coconut and put sweeteneded coconut on it. It will add a ton to the finished cake!
Olivia says
Hi Brasta! Thanks for your tip. If I toasted the coconut though it wouldn’t look the same as the Raffaellos! 🙂
Sara says
Just curious…
I didn’t realize that there are different kinds of ‘cups’! If I use all my American measuring tools, will the cake turn out the same? It looks like there are small differences, but i know in baking that can spell big problems!
Thanks for sharing your baking stories. I just made my first Swiss meringue buttercream- an adventure that turned out okay.
Olivia says
Hi Sara! So glad your first SMBC went ok! I use American cups (250ml). For the most part, +/- 10ml won’t make or break a recipe though!
Cecília says
Hello! So, I converted the measurements to grams, following the canadian baking conversions… Is it ok? (Now I ask… 😁)
Olivia says
Hi Cecília! I’m not sure I understand. There is a metric converter below the list of ingredients 🙂
Bea says
Love the recipe, now for your gritty meringue…your water was to hot ..you would think it would melt your sugar but it won’t. Turn it down a little & your sugar should melt just fine. FYI I always put my sugar in the food processor for a few blasts, not enough to make powdered sugar but just to give you a delicate sugar for baking etc ..hope this helps
Olivia says
Hi Bea! I think you might be right, I usually have it at a simmer but it was definitely more than that (I distinctly remember thinking I should turn it down). Good tip about the food processor too. Thanks!
Clara Sellars says
Hi, can i keep the cakes in an airtight container for a few days?
Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Clara! Yes, it should be fine for 2-3 days.
Rachel says
Can I use almond meal instead of almond flour?
Olivia says
Hi Rachel! Yes, it’s basically the same thing 🙂
Rachel says
Thanks! I can’t wait to try this tonight!
Nicky Campbell says
HI Olivia
Could I make this in an 8″ rather than 6″? What would you suggest on adjusting the ingredients
Olivia says
Hi Nicky! Yes, it will work fine in 8″ pans. You may need to adjust the baking time slightly.
Amanda says
Hi
Can you tell me is your measurements U.S as I need to convert to grams?
Olivia says
Hi Amanda! Yes, and there is a metric converter below the list of ingredients.
Andrea says
Hi,
Where in Vancouver did you buy the Raffaello candy? 🙂
Olivia says
Hi Andrea! I got them at London Drugs 🙂
Andrea says
Thank you! ☺️
Lauren says
Coconut cake is one of my all time favorites and I love how you interpreted Raffaello into this stunner of a cake. This cake is definitely happening this week!
Olivia says
Hi Lauren! I hope you love it as much as I do!
Martha Milagro Rodríguez says
Olivia gracias por este pastel. Me enamoró. Creo que lo voy a preparar para mi próximo cumpleaños.
Lo único que es difícil de encontrar aquí son los Rafaellos. Voy a buscarlos a ver si tengo suerte. Por favor me puedes ayudar con una indicación sobre cómo hacer la decoración que va encima del pastel?
Varias veces lo he intentado pero parece que no muevo como debe ser la punta y no me quedan tan bonitos como los tuyos.
Olivia says
Hi Martha! You don’t need Raffaello’s for the cake — they are only for decoration 🙂 For the piping on top. I hold the piping tip perpendicular to the cake, a bit above it, and press on the piping bag. That’s it!
Melissa Sibert says
This cake looks amazing. Sounds like an amazing flavor combo too. Like your new blog design as well.
Olivia says
Hi Melissa! Thank you so much! 🙂
Sylvie Gauthier says
This cake is outstanding, great for all the coconut lovers .
Thank you for sharing your magic with us.
Olivia says
Hi Sylvie! Thank you so much, I’m happy that you love it 🙂
Cynthia says
Substitute for otn flour pl?
Olivia says
Hi Cynthia! For the Almond Flour? You can just sub in more AP flour.
Maria Cruz says
This cake looks lovely, but scary what happened to you, As a puertorican that loves to cook and bake I’m never without coconut milk and coconut cream; I usually use cream of coconut instead of powder cm for my frosting. Do you have any other suggestions were to use that delicious custard? Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Maria! The custard can be used anywhere — to fill tarts or donuts or cream puffs, or you can mix it with some whipped cream for a lighter filling. The possibilities are endless!
Brian says
This looks delicious (and probably not something I’d feeling comfortable making). Thanks for sharing your recipe. As for the sugar not dissolving, would it work better if you had used instant-dissolving sugar (also known as “fruit sugar”)? It might remedy that grittiness you were experiencing.
Olivia says
Hi Brian! Ohh great tip. I think it would be a huge help since the sugar is more fine to begin with. I’ll have to try it! And you should totally try to make this — what’s the worst that can happen?? 🙂
Tarangini darur says
Hi Olivia,
IS there any alternative for coconut milk powder for the swiss meringue buttercream? Love everything about this cake and have all the ingredients handy. except coconut milk powder.
Thanks,
Tara.
Olivia says
Hi Tarangini! You could try using some canned coconut milk to flavour the buttercream, but be careful not to add too much (add it 1 Tbsp at a time and whip well). It might not have as intense a flavour but should come through. Pulverizing some shredded coconut in a food processor is also an option, but it wouldn’t give a super smooth frosting (it’s a matter of preference). Outside of that you can try a coconut extract of emulsion but I’ve found them to taste very artificial. Let me know what you end up trying!
Kellie McNett says
I wonder if this recipe could be made using only Almond Flour (no all-purpose flour)?
Olivia says
Hi Kellie! I think it would require some other alterations. I tried to make it with a higher quantity of AF to APF and the cakes had less structure and sank a bit. Can’t hurt to experiment though 🙂