The dark bottom layer is a chocolate cake, baked in an 8-inch pan and cooled completely. Over it goes a thick white layer of sweetened condensed milk mixed with a cup of shredded coconut.
The top is a powdered sugar and milk icing tinted with two drops of pink colouring, spread on and immediately covered in the rest of the coconut so it sticks. Forty-five minutes of chilling sets it for cutting.
Three Layers in the Pan
Read from the bottom of the bar up.
Pink icing and coconut
Icing spread on, coconut pressed on straight away.
Condensed milk and coconut
A thick white layer spread over the cake.
Chocolate cake
Baked in the lined pan and cooled completely.
How to Make It
Pan lined
Heat oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch square pan.
Dry mix
Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.
Batter
Beat the butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs and vanilla. Alternate the dry ingredients with the milk.
Base baked
Spread the batter in the pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes until set. Cool completely.
Coconut layer
Mix the condensed milk with 1 cup coconut and spread in a thick layer over the cake base.
Pink top
Whisk the powdered sugar with the milk and pink food colouring. Spread over the coconut layer and immediately cover with the remaining shredded coconut.
Chilled and cut
Chill 45 minutes, then cut into 16 bars.
Ingredient Notes
- Sweetened condensed milk
- One 14 oz can, mixed with coconut for the white middle.
- Sweetened shredded coconut
- Two cups, split between the middle layer and the top.
- Pink food coloring
- Two drops in the icing, for a soft pink.
Why This Recipe Works
- A thin cake base is sturdy enough to carry two soft layers.
- Condensed milk binds the coconut into a thick, sliceable middle.
- Covering the icing while wet is what makes the coconut stick.
- Chilling firms the layers so the bars cut cleanly.
Success Tips
- Spread the coconut layer with a damp offset spatula so it does not drag.
- Have the remaining coconut ready before you mix the icing.
- Cut with a large knife in one downward press rather than sawing.
Serving Ideas
Line the bars up on a platter to show the three layers, with a little loose coconut scattered around.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate
Keep the bars covered in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the dark bottom layer?
A chocolate cake, not a brownie, baked and cooled first.
What makes the top pink?
Two drops of pink food colouring in the powdered sugar icing.
