Pineapple Coconut Cream Cake (Print Version)
Tropical no-bake dessert layered with creamy coconut, fresh pineapple, and a crunchy cookie base.
# What You Need:
→ Base
01 - 7 oz graham crackers, crushed into fine crumbs
02 - 2.6 oz unsalted butter, melted
→ Pineapple Coconut Cream 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 vanilla extract
07 - 10.6 oz pineapple tidbits, drained and chopped (fresh or canned)
08 - 2.1 oz desiccated coconut
09 - 1 cup heavy whipping cream, kept cold
→ Topping
10 - 1.8 oz toasted coconut flakes
11 - 3.5 oz pineapple slices or tidbits for garnish
# Directions:
01 - Line the base of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, ensuring it lies flat against the bottom.
02 - Combine the crushed graham crackers with melted butter in a medium bowl until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Place in the refrigerator to chill while making 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 lump-free.
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 volume as possible.
07 - Spread the filling evenly over the chilled crust, smoothing the surface with a spatula.
08 - Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until the cake is fully set and firm.
09 - Before serving, top with toasted coconut flakes and arrange additional pineapple slices or tidbits over the surface. Slice and serve chilled.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- This is the dessert you make when you want people to think you spent all day, but you were actually lounging with a book while it chilled.
- The creamy coconut and bright pineapple together taste like a vacation you did not know you needed.
02 -
- Under draining the pineapple is the fastest way to end up with a soupy mess that never sets properly, so press those tidbits in a sieve or pat them with paper towels.
- The cake needs a full four hours minimum to set, and leaving it overnight transforms the texture into something far more luxurious.
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 longer.
- Run a thin knife around the edge of the pan before releasing the springform collar so the sides stay clean and photogenic.