Doan’s Bakery in Woodland Hills, California is known for a white chocolate cake – much loved by Hollywood hero Tom Cruise. The cake has chunks of white chocolate, is covered in a layer of cream cheese frosting and shredded coconut. Cruise’s family and friends on his Christmas list get one of these treasures during the holidays every year. He has bought hundreds of these cakes, wrapped them in festive packaging and even arranged for 300 Christmas cakes to be shipped over from LA to the UK on his private jet as a gift for Mission: Impossible 7 crew members.
We love Tom and we love cake, so made it our mission to recreate it at home.
Grease and flour a 12 inch cake pan.
Sift together 6 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt.
Cream together 2 cups butter and 6 cups white sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in 12 whole eggs.
Mix 2 tsp vanilla extract and 2 tsp coconut extract. Add 2 cups sour cream or yoghurt. Add 2 cups of flaked coconut and mix until just combined. Fold in 2 cups of chopped white chocolate.
Spoon cake batter into the prepared pan and tap pan gently to remove air bubble . Bake for 40 mins until a pick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Cut the cake into two halves.
For the frosting – Cream 1 cup butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add 3 tbs cream cheese and beat until thoroughly combined. Mix in 1 tsp vanilla extract and salt. Add in 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour in 1 cup heavy cream and beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes.
Place dollops of frosting on top of the cooled cake and smooth over the top and sides of the cake. You can cover the cake with more shredded coconut.
Cool cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.
By Linda Joseph Kavalackal,
Editor-in-Chief,
Christ & Co.
