With its crunchy-sticky caramel-coconut topping and its fudgy cocoa ripple, this cake has serious Girl Scout Samoa vibes. The recipe itself is a mash-up of two greats: whipped cream cake and Danish Dream Cake (Drømmekage). The batter, a technique that we picked up from baking legend Maida Heatter, starts with whipped cream as its base (there’s no other fat or liquid!) and bakes into a fine-crumbed, light-but-rich cake. Once the cake is nearly finished, the Danish Dream Cake part kicks in: A coconut butterscotch topping is spread on its surface, then the cake is baked again until the topping is bubbling and bronzed.
This recipe was one of our Bake of the Week features for June 2024.
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Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center.
Lightly grease an 8" round pan that’s at least 2" deep. Line the bottom with a reusable pan liner or parchment round; lightly grease. Starting with a sheet of parchment, cut two long strips that are 3" wide. Place the strips along the sides of the pan (overlap is OK) to create a collar that reaches about 1" above the rim of the pan. Set aside.
To make the filling: In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, and salt. Set aside.
To make the whipped cream cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or working in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat the cream and extracts together until the mixture reaches stiff peaks (be careful not to overwhip). Add the sugar all at once and beat on medium-low until combined, 30 seconds. (It’s OK if the mixture looks lumpy at this point.) Scrape down the bowl, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well on medium speed after each addition, until you have a billowy, creamy mixture. Switch to the flat beater attachment, add the dry ingredients, and beat until almost no dry bits remain. Finish mixing with a flexible spatula until fully incorporated.
Transfer about 2/3 of the batter (roughly 450g) to the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Sprinkle the cocoa filling all over the batter in an even layer. Dollop the remaining batter over the top evenly with a spoon or scoop, then spread it to the edges of the pan with a small offset spatula (it’s OK if some of the cocoa filling gets mixed in).
Bake the whipped cream cake for 35 to 40 minutes, checking halfway through and covering with foil to prevent the top from overbrowning, until the cake is set and springs back lightly when gently pressed.
When the whipped cream cake is 5 minutes away from being done, combine all of the topping ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the butter has melted, the sugar has dissolved, and the mixture just begins to bubble around the edges, 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove the cake from the oven and pour the coconut mixture over the top, gently spreading it all the way to the edges. (If your cake is finished before your topping, it’s OK to let the cake sit on a wire rack out of the oven for a few minutes while you finish the topping.)
Return the topped whipped cream cake to the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the coconut mixture has bubbled, browned, and firmed up.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool slightly in the pan on a wire rack. When it’s cool enough to handle, remove the parchment collar and turn the cake out of the pan and onto the rack to cool completely.
Storage information: Store the whipped cream cake, well covered, at room temperature for up to 4 days.
