Isn’t she a beauty? When I was in Charleston I ate my fair share of biscuits, oysters and fried chicken but the trip wasn’t complete without cake, more specifically The Ultimate Coconut Cake from Peninsula Grill.
The cake was introduced Valentine’s Day 1997 and has become so popular it now ships nationwide. It’s a whopping 13 lbs of goodness. And if you are in Charleston, you can grab a slice to go, which is what I did and took it on the plane with me so I could share with folks at home.
I spent the morning in the kitchen filming and watching the cake come together and it was mesmerizing. When I was a kid, my mom took me grocery shopping which I found quite boring at the time so instead, I waited at the bakery counter and passed the time watching the chefs frost cakes. I guess I haven’t lost that childhood curiosity because I still find it fascinating to watch.
Making the cake is a 3-day process. The first day it’s baked and wrapped. Pastry chef Annie Mae says giving the cake a day allows it to settle a bit and makes it easier to cut. And how do they get the layers so thin and even? LOTs of practice. The second day the cake is assembled with alternating layers of coconut cream with shredded coconut, resulting in a 12-layer showstopper. On the final day, the cake is frosted with a cream cheese frosting and coated with toasted sweetened coconut. You can see the magic here.
After the video shoot, I FINALLY got to try a slice. It’s kept in the refrigerator and needs a little time to come to room temperature. Be patient. I tried eating it from the fridge and while tasty, the texture wasn’t quite right. So once it’s thawed properly, the cake is nice and moist and not too sweet. As for the coconut cream filling, I’m not a big fan of the texture of coconut flakes but the flavor was good. The cream cheese on the outside was delicious and I wish there was more of it. The cake slice is pretty substantial so you can keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. It holds up well and doesn’t dry out.
Got any Charleston recs for me? Let me know in the comments below. And if you get a chance to try this cake, I’d love to see. Tag me @pastrywithjenn.
Peninsula Grill’s Ultimate Coconut Cake
112 N Market St.
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 723-0700