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Sky High Raffaello Cake

Sky High Raffaello Cake

To say I am ecstatic about sharing this recipe would be an understatement. Shared by the incredibly sweet Melina of Sugary & Buttery, it’s a towering layer cake loaded with coconut, almond and white chocolate. Shut the front door. Just, seriously, stop it right now. Can we get together and share a slice over coffee? (Because, you know, if you drink coffee with your cake it instantly makes it an acceptable breakfast. You knew that, right?) While we’re at it, we should take a moment to gush over Melina and her many talents. German born and bred (but a recent Texas transplant), Melina is a baker, recipe genius and food photographer whose blog has shown up on my Pinterest boards more than once. Before getting started, pop over and check out Melina’s tips for how to frost a layer cake and be sure to visit her for a printable version of the cake recipe!

Sky High Raffaello Cake Sky High Raffaello Cake

Sky High Raffaello Cake

ingredients

For the cake:
5 large egg whites
1/2 cup / 120 ml whole milk
1 tablespoon coconut flavoring
2.5 cups / 300 g cake flour
1 cup ground almonds
2 cups / 450 g sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup / 2 sticks / 230 g unsalted butter, room temperature
1.5 cup / 360 ml unsweetened coconut milk

For the cream cheese filling:
1 pack / 8oz / 250 g cream cheese
0.5 cup / 1 stick / 120 g unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup coconut flakes
2 cups sifted powdered sugar

For the buttercream:
6 egg whites
50 g sugar
150 ml water
0.5 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoons coconut flavoring

For the ganache:
6 oz / 170 g white chocolate
5 tablespoons condensed milk

Sky High Raffaello Cake

cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C and grease two 6-inch cake pans (They should be a minimum of 3 inches high since the cakes will rise quite a bit. Melina recommends a 6 x 3 inch cheesecake pan.)

Put the egg whites in a bowl and whisk slightly. Add the 1/2 cup milk and coconut flavoring and mix thoroughly. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, almonds, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the butter and coconut milk and combine on low speed until moistened. Increase speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the egg white mixture in 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing just long enough to incorporate between additions.

Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for about 60 mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto cooling racks to cool completely.

Sky High Raffaello Cake

Cream Cheese Filling
Whisk the butter on high speed until fluffy. Add the cream cheese and sugar and keep mixing until well combined, mix in the coconut flakes. Set aside.

Buttercream
Whisk the egg whites with your stand mixer on medium-high speed. Add the cream of tartar and a pinch of salt. While the egg whites are whisking, start the sugar syrup by bringing the water and 50g sugar to a boil. Once the syrup reaches 230°F / 110°C on a candy thermometer and the egg whites are stiff, pour the syrup into the egg whites while running the mixer on low speed. Increase the speed to medium-high and whisk until glossy, for about 10 minutes.

The meringue should now be cool to the touch. Cut the butter into cubes and add them one by one with the mixer on medium speed. Add the sifted powdered sugar, then turn the mixer on high speed. The buttercream will start to curdle but don’t worry, just keep mixing and it will all come together. After 2-3 minutes the buttercream should be creamy and fluffy. Set aside.

White Chocolate Ganache
Simply melt the chocolate over a double boiler and stir in the condensed milk. Set aside.

Now it’s time to assemble the cake. Cut both cakes in 3 even layers and put the first layer on your cake stand, fixating it with a dab of buttercream underneath. Spread 1/5 of the coconut cream cheese filling on top and cover with the second layer of cake. Repeat this with the remaining 5 layers.

Once your cake is assembled, you need to crumb coat it before you cover it in frosting. This is necessary to lock in all the little cake crumbs and keep them from working their way to the surface of your frosting. It pretty much just means applying a thin layer of buttercream on the entire cake. Let the cake cool for at east 30 minutes in your fridge.

post-line-before-credits

[Photos by  Melina of Sugary & Buttery.]

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Jennifer

Monday 21st of September 2020

Hi! Cant wait to try this. How would I convert for 2x9" round pans?

tera

Saturday 17th of May 2014

Hi! I baked this wonderful cake last night! While it tasted delicious, I think I may have under baked it bc it was pretty dense. It shouldn't be that way, right? lol I baked it in 2- 8x3 pans for about 45 minutes. The toothpick came out clean and it had just started pulling from the sides but it was very moist and heavy. We ate every drop of it, lol but I want to make it for others so I know need to do better. lol Any tips? (I used professionally ground almond flour btw) thank you!! It was amazing!!

cyd

Sunday 18th of May 2014

Hi, Tera! I've asked Melina if she could pop in and leave a comment to help you out. I'm sure she'll be chiming in soon! In the meantime I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Her cakes are amazing! xoxo

Thriftyredhead

Friday 1st of November 2013

Thanks Melina for the assistance. I don't know what I did incorrectly. My butter was room temperature and I did beat it for 10-15 minutes. Then it all separated and will not come back together. I froze the cake until I can figure out what to do. Now I have a pound of butter syrupy mess and not sure what to use that in or on?

Also my cake texture is not white and fluffy like the picture. Probably due to not grinding the almonds fine enough.

Melina

Thursday 31st of October 2013

I know that can happen when you make meringue-buttercream (Swiss buttercream). What happens though is that once you add the butter to the meringue, it WILL actually look like a curdled mess. But that is totally normal! All you have to do is keep your mixer running, keep going. After 10-15 minutes it will all come together. If you have done that though and it was still a curdled mess, your butter might have been too cold? It needs to be soft and at least room temperature. If that was not the case, I am clueless ;) I am sorry it did not work out! If you don't want to try the meringue-buttercream again, you can just replace it with regular American buttercream. Good luck!

Thriftyredhead

Thursday 31st of October 2013

Just attempted the recipe and my buttercream did not come together. Just a big curdled mess. Not sure what to do now?

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