Last week’s recipe for a guava chiffon cake led to this week’s request for a coconut chiffon from a reader in Hilo.

Both cakes are local favorites and are similar in their formulas, but the coconut version relies on a combination of coconut milk and extract in place of the juice concentrate used in the guava cake. This required adjustments to the proportion of liquids to dry ingredients.

Most recipes that I could find for coconut chiffons produced tube cakes, but I wanted one proportioned for a 9-inch layer cake, similar to what you’d get in a local bakery. Some experimentation led to this cake. It is covered in whipped cream (make your own or buy a tub of Cool Whip). A soft haupia — coconut pudding — goes between the layers and on top.

The result is an overall pure white cake, which offers many decorating possibilities as the holidays approach. With some black icing and a steady hand, you could outline a spider web on top of the cake for Halloween; strawberries and mint leaves artfully applied would carry the cake into Christmas.

HAUPIA CHIFFON CAKE

6 egg yolks
1/4 cup coconut milk
3 tablespoons water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract (or vanilla)
1 cup cake flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups whipped cream
>> Meringue:
6 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup sugar
>> Haupia topping:
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans.

Separate eggs. Place yolks in small bowl; beat lightly. Place whites in mixing bowl to make meringue. Set aside.

Add coconut milk, water and oil to egg yolks; stir to combine. Add extract.

Sift together flour, sugar and baking powder. Add egg yolk mixture and stir until smooth.

To make meringue, whip egg whites, cream of tartar and sugar until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold flour mixture into meringue, gently folding until no streaks remain. Divide between 2 baking pans. Bake 25-30 minutes, until a pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on rack. 

To make topping, combine coconut milk, water and sugar in small pot. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to simmer. Dissolve cornstarch in milk to make a slurry. Pour slowly into pot, stirring continuously, until mixture thickens. You may not need all the slurry. Remove from heat and let cool. 

Loosen cakes from sides of pans. Invert 1 layer onto serving plate. Brush off crumbs and top with thick layer of haupia, reserving about 1/4 cup for top of cake. Place top layer over haupia. Brush off crumbs. Frost sides and top of cake with whipped cream. Chill cake at least 1 hour to firm up. Spread remaining haupia topping on top of cake. Chill again before serving.

Nutritional information unavailable.

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