This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
All the joy of Eton mess, but dressed up as a crowd-pleasing cake. Coconut crumb, juicy berries, crisp meringue, and a cloud of whipped ricotta creamโsimple to stack, slice, and devour.
Itโs summer-celebration friendly, make-ahead flexible, and just messy enough to be charming.
I know, I know, spring doesnโtย officially start until Sunday, but I just could not help myself. Gimme all the color please! Letโs recap:ย we started with this KILLER Shawarma Chicken Salad, then moved on to these pretty Blueberry Muffin Yogurt Bowls, killed Wednesday with this Green Goddess Zucchini Pasta and now we are ending on a major high note with this pretty, berry filled, Coconut Eton Mess Cake!!
So yeah, Bring-On-Spring, I am SOO ready!
WATCH HOW-TO VIDEO HERE:
Also, Iโm pretty excited for Easter as well!ย I kind of love Easter. Itโs just fun. Fun colors, fun food and then ok, I love the idea that with Easter comes lots and lots of chocolate. ๐ Oddly, there is zero chocolate in this cake, but itโs still cool, cause there is coconut, whipped ricotta and all this delicious fresh fruit. Lovin it.
Iโm going to attempt to keep things short today. Iโm getting my wisdom teeth pulled in the morning and well, Iโm basically trying to get as much done before then as possible. And yes, I am totally having a feast for dinner tonight in fear of the โsoft foodsโ diet.
UGH.
Honest truth? Iโm not sure how long the whole โsoft foods onlyโ thing will last with me. I mean, donโt get me wrong, I will totally be eating all the ice cream my stomach will allow, but I just canโt go very long without REAL foodโฆaka crunchy tacos, granola, big ass salads and um basically, foods that need chewing. This should be interestingโฆ
But anyway, this COCONUT ETON MESS CAKE!!
Isnโt it pretty? And fun?!? So perfect for Easter, it just kind of screams โ SPRING! Ok and even summer too, Iโm most definitelyย excited for that! Oh, and in case you were wonderingโฆitโs still snowing here.
So if youโve never heard of Eton Mess, itโs a traditional English dessert, usually made in a dish, withย fresh fruit, smashed pieces of meringue, and cream. Super simple, but super delish. There are a ton of different fruit combos that can beย used, but strawberries and bananas are most traditionalโฆ clearly I didnโt go completely traditional.
I took the idea of fresh fruit with smashed meringue and cream and basically put it all into a cake (not a new idea, but so much more fun!). BUT not just any cake, nope, a vanilla coconut cake. Itโs EVERYTHING. I know at first glance you might think this cake looks difficultย make, but itโs actually the complete opposite. Anย Etonย Mess (Cake), is well, messyโฆ so you really canโt go wrong. Just add fruit, cream and smashed meringue and inevitablyย your cake will be pretty and perfect!
Asย I said, the cake itself is a yummy and crazy moist vanilla coconut cake. The cake portion alone is awesome and perfectly sweet, so I didnโt want to goย too crazy with the toppings. I went with a whipped ricotta cream and some fresh strawberries, raspberries and passion fruit. I also had a few blood oranges on hand so I added some slices of those in as well. You can really go with any of your favorite fruit combos, all berries would be delicious! Once you have your cream + fruit, just crumble on some homemade or store-bought meringue.
See, simple?!?
And then decorate with edible flowers or just add more fruit. Best part? Not only is this cake delicious, but it doubles as the perfect center piece for Easter Brunch or Easter Dinner.
COOL! ๐
FAQ:
Can I make the cake the day before?
Yesโbake the cake and keep it wrapped and chilled. Assemble with cream, berries, and meringue closer to serving so the crunch holds.
Will store-bought meringues work?
Absolutely; theyโre perfect here. Theyโre often sweeter, so you may want to dial back sugar in the berries or cream slightly.
How do I keep the meringue crunchy?
Drain macerated berries well and layer meringue toward the top just before serving. Chill briefly to set the cream, then slice and serve.
Can I use a different cream?
Yesโcoconut whipped cream or mascarpone-whipped cream both work.
Coconut Eton Mess Cake with Whipped Ricotta Cream.
Ingredients
Coconut Cake
- 3 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/4 cups canola oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup honey
- 3 whole eggs + 3 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups full-fat canned coconut milk
- zest of 1 lemon
- 6-8 homemade or store-bought meringues
- edible flowers, for decorating (optional)
Whipped Ricotta Cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 16 ounce whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
To assemble the Cake
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, divided
- 2 cups fresh raspberries, divided
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1-2 blood oranges
- 2 passion fruits
- 6-8 homemade or store-bought meringues
- edible flowers, for decorating (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch (or 9 inch) round cake pans, or line with parchment paper, then butter/spray with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand held mixer) beat together the canola oil, sugar, honey, eggs + egg yolks and vanilla until smooth. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients with the mixer on low until there are no longer any clumps of flour. Add the coconut milk and mix until combined. Batter should be pourable, but not super thin. Stir in the lemon zest.
- Pour the batter among the 3 cake pans and bake 25-30 minutes, until the tops are just set and no longer wiggly in the center. Remove and let cool five minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan. Grab 3 large flat plates, line them with wax or parchment paper and invert the cakes onto the paper lined plates. Cover and let the cakes cool completely before assembling.
Whipped Ricotta Cream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand held mixer) fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the ricotta and heavy cream, continue to whip until the the ricotta is smooth and the cream has fluffed, about 6-8 minutes. Add the honey + vanilla and whip until combined. Keep the cream covered in the fridge until ready to assemble.
Assemble the Cake
- In a bowl, mash together 1/2 cup chopped strawberry and 1/2 cup raspberries until you have a loose sauce.
- Place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand and drizzle lightly with honey. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta cream over the cake and then swirl 1/3 over the mashed berries into the cream. Crumble 2-3 meringues over top. Add a handful of fresh chopped strawberries, raspberries, orange slices and passion fruit. Repeat with the remaining 2 cake layers. Be careful not to over fill your layers with fruit or the cake will be hard to slice.
- If desired, decorate the cake with edible flowers.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I made this is and it was delicious however just a few things – the cake was yummy but it was a little bit flatter than yours and not fluffy – I did like the moistness of it but just wondering how I could fix that?
My cream again tasted delicious but watching your video it didnโt get as thick as that and kinda melts as you put it on the cake.
I didnโt change any ingredients although as this was a test run I just cooked one layer of the cake and icing so divided everything by 3โฆ do you think that would make a difference?
Itโs for my sisters birthday so keen to get it right !
Thanks!
Hey Sophie,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! I do think dividing everything by 3 can get a little tricky and might have been the culprit to these issues. Let me know if you try the whole recipe, I hope it is delish! xx
Would the cake baked – alone – be able to be frozen for a later use ?
Hey Angela,
Totally, that would be just fine for you to do! I hope you love this recipe! xx
Recipe is whack. the cake outside was burnt and the cream is SO watery. The more you whip the worse it gets.
Hi Michelle,
So sorry to hear this recipe did not turn out for you. Did you line your cake pans with parchment? Was there anything you adjusted in the cream? It should definitely whip up and not get watery. Please let me know how I can help. xx
My whipped ricotta cream is very liquidity and not smooth and fluffy. I didn’t change any of the ingredients. Help!
Hi Jenny,
Sorry to hear you are having issues with the ricotta cream, it sounds like it needs to be whipped for much longer. I hope this helps! xT
Hi there, I was wondering if you have a European version of the recipe?
Regards,
Gina
Hi Gina,
So sorry, I am not sure what you mean by European version. Please let me know how I can help! xx
I meant Grams and Mililiters ๐
Yes, I can add those:)
Are the recipe portions for the three layers ,or do we have to repeat it 3 times?
Hey Sara,
The recipe is for the entire cake:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
When do you ad in the sugar?
Hi Mariken,
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand held mixer) beat together the canola oil, sugar, honey, eggs + egg yolks and vanilla until smooth. xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! I love your website! So I was waiting on my meringue cookies to cool in the oven for 30 minutes before putting the cake tins in the oven. Since I was making the batter while the meringues were cooking, I ended up needing to leave the batter in the tins for about 30 minutes before putting them in the oven at 350 F (while the meringues finished). The batter rose a little, but nothing major. I greased the tins with both butter and vegetable oil (and probably used a bit too much, but when I cooked my layers for another 3-layer cake last week, I hadn’t put enough oil in to keep the layers from sticking and crumbling a bit when I took them out) and put them in for 350 F. The excess oil and butter made the sides a little burnt/crispy. It wasn’t a big deal, as I was able to just easily trim the edges. However, the inside of the cake is moist, but turned from a nice white cake to the color of a gingerbread cake and tastes a bit off. Any idea why this happened?? I also added an extra tsp of vanilla and powdered sugar to the frosting for extra sweetness.
Hi! I baked this cake last night and had some issues with the batter! The meringues were baking while I made the batter, so once I finished the batter, the meringues still had to rest for 30 min in the oven. I poured the batter into the cake tins while the meringues finished. The batter did begin to rise a small bit, but nothing major. Then I remained the oven temp to 350 and cooked for 30 min. When I baked a layer cake recently, my layers had stuck to the tins, so I actually ended up greasing the cake pans with both butter and vegetable oil. However, the layers got a bit too crispy on the edges, so I had to cut off the sides. However, most of the cake was still decently moist and not crispy, but it had a less than ideal flavor. Also, for some reason, the moist inside of the cake turned out to have the color of a gingerbread cake, as opposed to a spice cake. Any idea what could have happened? I also put a little extra vanilla (~1tsp) and added powdered sugar to the icing for extra sweetness.
Hi Alarica, I am sorry I am not sure I really understand what you are asking? Did you follow the recipe? It sounds as though you made some changes? If you could clarify what it is you had trouble with and what you are asking that would help. Really hoping you enjoyed the cake hoping I can answer your questions for you soon! Thank you!! xTieghan
Could I sub coconut oil melted for the canola oil in this cake?
Hi there! Melted coconut oil will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I made this cake for my Sons first Birthday and it was delicious. Loved loved loved the batter and the flavour of the cake itself.
With the ricotta cheese icing. I ended up adding a bit more sugar and lemon. Assembled it and forgot the meringues lol. It was still delicious and had the wow factor for the whole family. Big hit! Thank you.
I am so glad you liked this Ayesha! Happy Birthday to your son! Thank you!
Hi!
I live up high in Colorado (like you!) and was wondering if you need to adjust the baking of the cake in order to make it work up high or if you can just follow the recipe as is.
Thanks!
Hi Ashley! This recipe should work great as is! I hope you love this!
This is the tastiest, the most beautiful cake I have ever made! Your recipes are the BEST! Thank you!
Thank you Aleksandra!
Hi Tieghan! Just wondering if you have a meringue cookie recipe? I found a random one online, but yours look so good with the berries or jam mixed into them? I already made my meringues, but curious for next time!
HI! So sadly I have yet to master the perfect meringue cookie, so I don’t have one on the site. Working on perfecting my recipe and will post when I do! So sorry I could not help more. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! ๐
Any suggestions on making the cake ahead? Just the cake. I’ll make the rest day of. Making this for my sons first birthday and trying to cut out as much day of as possible.
You can bake the cake up to a day in advance, but i would assemble a few hours before the party. Let me know if you have other questions. Hope the cake is a hit! ๐
This is the 4th time Iโve made this cake. Love it so much! Thanks for sharing this with the world.
Thanks so much, Megan! I appreciate you trying this cake and your feedback, so glad it has been turning out well for you! xx