Don’t worry, yes, it’s still edible, albeit the unorthodox pre-plating presentation. So why the smashing? Why not. It’s an artistic choice. Some people slice and plate. I prefer smash and scoop.
It works because the taste is pretty fantastic. And I didn’t have any objections to the messy plating. Although it’s hard to go wrong with a cake built on alternating layers of coconut sponge cake and mango curd. Now that we’ve established the cake components are solid, here’s where the cake does go wrong: the assembly.
See how the layers aren’t leveled and no matter how I turned the cake stand the divots are still easily spotted. Along with that I screwed up the layering. The cake was suppose to have alternating layers of coconut buttercream and curd, but as you can see its all curd. With all the screws up, I decided to show the “well effort-ed”, but not good-enough fully assembled cake whose boss with a little smashing. I know, I have issues (what a career-killing statement, but I never promised anything sensible or normal would come out of this space). In my defense—why be normal when I can be happy?

Coconut Mango Cake
Makes one 4-layer 8in. cake or 8-layer 6in. cake
Ingredients
- COCONUT SPONGE CAKE
- 3 large egg whites (about 1/2 cup)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut, sweetened
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup plus two tablespoons cake flour
- 1/2 cup confectioner sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- MANGO CURD (adapted from Bon Appetit)
- 1 15-ounce ripe mango, peeled, pitted, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 4 large egg yolks
- COCONUT BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- 5 large egg whites,
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 sticks of butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
Instructions
PREPARATION:
Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Butter jelly roll pan, line bottom with parchment paper, smooth out any wrinkles and butter paper. Dust pan with cake flour, tap out excess.
TO MAKE COCONUT SPONGE CAKE
- Place egg whites in a stand mixer bowl fitted with a wire whisk and beat on low until eggs are foamy. Add in cream of tartar and sugar and beat on high until stiff peaks forms.
- Place coconut, almond flour, cake flour and confectioner sugar in a food processor bowl and process until well blended and coconut is finely ground; set aside.
- Place whole eggs, vanilla and salt in stand mixer bowl and beat on high until eggs triple in volume and forms a ribbon when whisk attachment is lifted. Turn off mixer and using a sturdy spatula fold in flour mixer until just combined.
- Slowly and gently fold flour mixture into egg white mixture until just combined. Pour batter into jelly roll pan, using an offset spatula to gently and evenly spread batter to edges of pan.
- Bake at 425 degrees F or until top is lightly golden. Remove from oven and transfer cake to a cooling rack to rest for 10 minutes. Loosen the edges of cake and cut out rounds with parchment paper attached. Once cut, gently peel away paper and place back on paper during assembly.
TO MAKE MANGO CURD
Click here for instructions.
TO MAKE COCONUT BUTTERCREAM
- Combine egg whites and sugar in a bowl placed over simmering water (bain marie style). Bring mixture to 160 degrees F while whisking constantly.
- Transfer mixture to stand mixer bowl, fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on medium speed until mixture becomes foamy, then increase speed to high and beat until it cools and doubles in volume.
- Add butter in one piece at a time, mixing to incorporate after each addition. The mixture may appear clumpy and almost curdled looking-this is normal. Keep mixing and it will become even and smooth again. Add salt and coconut cream mix to combine.
ASSEMBLY
- Set aside 1 cake layer for top of cake.
- Place a dab of frosting on a cake board. Place a cake layer down on dollop. Pipe frosting around perimeter of cake (this will create a wall to hold the mango curd in place). Fill center with curd, using an offset spatula evenly spread curd to edge of piped wall. Place a second layer on top and place a dollop of frosting on top, then evenly spread to edge of cake.
- Repeat step 2 with remaining layers. Place final cake layer (set aside layer) on top and evenly spread frosting across it. Spread a crumb coat around entire side of cake and leave as is or finish cake with desired decorating effect.
Love this! That plating at the top is so fun. 🙂 And the flavors sound super delicious!
Gorgeous cake! I love the serving plate that you used that’s the more decorative of the two. And I love all those layers! Coconut and mango is SUCH a perfect pairing…I love that combo in anything!
I like your idea of smash and scoop. And one of my favorite flavor combos in a cake too!
Wow! What a beautiful cake — I love the tropical combination. I am a huge fan of coconut.
Naomi…
This is the most beautiful picture of the cake I have seen… EVER!
Just gorgeous!
Seriously I will be honest here… I love the flavor but I just cannot takeaway my eye from the shots to read the recipe…
Beautiful!
I consider that as a glorious mess! Not everyone can do that. Love all your messy shots and the non messy one too. As for the cake, well, first I have to manage to do a two layer before I can even think of attempting this one.
Oh my gosh! Whatever problems you faced, I’m not sweating over it. The cake is gorgeous, that’s it 🙂
ps: Last weekend, I failed on macarons and cake. Twice on each. Go figure 😉
Officially dreaming of mango curd…I love this cake!
Yo, could you go a little easier on yourself! You’re making the rest of us slobs (me) look bad! These are great photos – a little imperfection just makes it look even more devourable. …right? RIGHT?
What an awesome cake! You are way to hard on yourself!
As long as it tastes good that’s all that matters. You make everything looks like an art.
Lol, you should see my “mad hatter” carrot cake… Nothing could save it! So I drenched it with frosting and went with it. Hey, if it tastes good, why not have fun with it? I love the smash 🙂
~April
Gorgeous cake!
so beautiful! I’m sure that tastes absolutely amazing! What a great mouth-watering combo of flavors!
Smash and scoop – sounds like as good of method as any to serve up this gorgeous cake!! I didn’t even notice the uneven layers, I was focused so hard on how to get this through my computer screen!
I’m new to the gluten-free world of cooking and baking, so forgive me if I’m mistaken … would this recipe be considered gluten free?
It sounds delicious and I think your cake looked great!!!
This cake is INSANE. No, really. That last photo is absolutely breathtaking. And the section cut with the 2 different fillings??? I…die…
Beautiful! Very editorial and sophisticated. Plus it looks delish!
YOU are just so fun!!! Beautiful cake 🙂
You are way too funny! Your cake looks great smashed or not hehe.
Smashed or upright, that cake looks perfect to me!
Breathtaking pictures! I love you have the guts to smash the cake after all this hard work of layering. Stunning shots! Just stunning!
Sarah-you are right! I’m very hyper-critical of myself, but I’ve learned to do so with a lot of humor. And I would never EVER impose that on anyone else, so we can “slob-on” together. 🙂
Exactly! Frosting makes almost everything taste better and having fun is always a good thing when plans go awry.
This cake is gorgeous!!
Thank you, Anna! So kind and generous of you.
I’d eat it. Smashed and all.
I saw this on Instagram and you don’t know what you are talking about. You CAN decorate! Your work is stunning!
That cake looks amazing! I am really liking those nice thick layers of mango curd!
This is just so beautiful. I would eat it smashed too…
i love the composition of the photos!! smashed cake looks so good when you smash it hahaha 😉 mango curd sounds AMAZING!!
I’ll eat anything coconut! Love the flowers for a touch of spring.
Absolutely gorgeous! And the flavours – brilliant!
Haha, I have no patience for cake assembly and decoration. I definitely admire your skills 😉
Haha Naomi, the first photo is a stunner, but I couldn’t help saying “Oh no!” 🙂
Mango and coconut just scream of a tropical vacation. Love this cake through and through!
Damn girl! You sure have made one gorgeous cake… smashed or not, it looks absolutely delicious!
Whoa! Naomi, stunning all around. Such a unique cake and images, however notably Bakers Royale — I adore your style!
WOW I love your style. Anything with mango is amazing in my book– smashed or not!
Your cake is so beautiful! I love the rustic look with the layers showing. Your photography is so inspiring and I am digging the smashed food photos!
Rosie- You are my cake hero!! Thank you for the kind compliment, friend! 🙂
This sounds delicious and looks gorgeous!
Gorgeous and delicious too, no doubt. You’re so damn talented, Naomi!
I would not dare slice it any less than perfect after all that effort, let alone smash it. Not even in my dreams.
For that, kudos. You have a lot of tolerance, and lot of talent. 🙂
A laugh, a beautiful cake, and MANGO CURD?! You rock!
I think this cake looks amazing. Who cares if its slightly off, in fact, you’re the only one that can tell. I can’t believe after all that hard work that you smashed it. Although I’m sure even smashed it tasted great!
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Just glorious, Naomi.