Drømmekage (Danish Dream Cake)
This Drømmekage (Danish Coconut Dream Cake) is rich and buttery with tender crumbs, filled with the flavor of toasted coconut and pecans, then crowned with a sticky plum coconut mixture that settles into the cake like autumn itself.
Ingredients
Butter Coconut Pecan Cake
- 250 g Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 250 g Fine White Sugar/Castor Sugar
- 250 g All Purpose Flour
- 4 large Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
- 1½ tsp Baking Powder
- ¼ tsp Baking Soda
- 75 ml Buttermilk
- 50 g Unsweetened Desiccated Coconut toasted
- 60 g Pecans whole or roughly chopped, toasted
Shredded Coconut Plum Sticky Topping
- 5-6 Plums pitted, chopped or sliced
- 60 g Unsalted Butter
- 200 g Dark Brown Sugar
- 60 ml Whole Milk
- ½ tsp Cinnamon Powder
- ½ tsp Cardamom Powder
- 120 g Unsweetened Shredded Coconut toasted
Instructions
Flaked Coconut Plum Sticky Topping
- Wash, pat dry, pit, and slice or chop the plums, then set aside. In a pan, dry roast the unsweetened flaked coconut on medium heat until golden brown, then remove from the heat. Melt the unsalted butter in a small pan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the sliced or chopped plums and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften and release their juices.
- Add the dark brown sugar, whole milk, ground cinnamon, and ground cardamom. Let the mixture bubble gently for 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened (the liquid should coat the back of a spatula without dripping). Remove from the heat and stir in the toasted flaked coconut until everything is evenly coated. Set aside.
Butter Coconut Pecan Cake
- In a pan, dry roast the unsweetened desiccated coconut on medium heat until dark golden brown, then remove from the heat. Repeat the same step with the pecans (roast until you can smell their nuttiness).
- Preheat the oven to 160 °C (fan-forced) or 180 °C (conventional). Line a tall 7 inch (8cm) cake mould with parchment paper, leaving extra on the sides to act as a sling for easy lifting if the cake mould is not a springform or removable-bottom type. Spray with baking spray as an extra step to help the cake release easily when lifted.
- Both a stand mixer and a hand-held mixer can be used for the next steps. If using a stand mixer, attach the beater. In the mixing bowl, add the unsalted butter and fine white sugar (castor sugar) and beat until light and fluffy. If using a stand mixer, switch to the whisk attachment. Add the first egg and whisk until just incorporated, then repeat with the next two eggs. When adding the last egg, add the vanilla essence as well and whisk until incorporated. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure everything is well mixed.
- Add the flour and buttermilk alternately in three rounds: Flour → Buttermilk → Flour → Buttermilk → Flour. Whisk very slowly for about 10 seconds each time. Scrape the bowl again and fold in any visible flour with a spatula. Finally, add the toasted desiccated coconut, toasted pecans and fold everything in until well incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the lined cake mould, give it a good two tap on a flat surface to remove air bubbles and bake for 30–35 minutes. At this point, the cake will still be rising but will look flat. The top should be set and lightly browned especially around the edges, but the inside will still be undercooked and if the cake mould is gently shaken, the cake will jiggle.
- Take the cake out and gently spread the flaked coconut plum sticky topping evenly over the surface. Return the cake to the oven and place an extra tray underneath the cake tin to catch any liquid from the flaked coconut plum sticky topping that might overflow (trust me, you don’t want that sticking to the bottom of your oven!). Bake for another 45–50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it sit for at least 10–20 minutes. Slowly lift the cake out of the tin, transfer it to a serving platter, slice, and enjoy!