Strawberry, Coconut, And Lychee Layer Cake Recipe

Lychees, with their sweet and floral flavor, bring an interesting touch any dessert. Native to Southeast Asia, these delicate fruits have a soft, translucent flesh encased in a rough, reddish shell. Their taste is often described as a blend of strawberries and roses, with subtle tropical undertones that make them a standout ingredient in both sweet and savory dishes. In this strawberry, coconut, and lychee layer cake from recipe developer Jessica Morone, lychee's unique flavor takes center stage, infusing the light, airy cake layers with a hint of natural sweetness. 

Paired with a creamy strawberry Bavarian filling, the lychee's floral notes are perfectly balanced by the bright, slightly tangy sweetness of ripe strawberries, creating a perfect blend of flavors. To finish the cake, a coconut lychee frosting ties the cake together, adding a rich, tropical element that enhances the delicate fruitiness of the lychee while providing a creamy, luscious texture. The combination of lychee, strawberry, and coconut creates a perfect harmony of taste and texture with the soft, fluffy cake, silky cream, and smooth frosting, it is as light as it is flavorful. Each bite is a celebration of tropical elegance, making this cake a perfect centerpiece for special occasions. 

While this recipe requires quite a few ingredients, they are all worth it for a beautiful and delicious result. Start by getting a can of lychees in heavy syrup. Getting lychees in syrup is important because the syrup is used as a cake soak as well as in the buttercream frosting. For the cakes you will also need vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, coconut milk, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. 

Once the cakes are done you will make a silky strawberry Bavarian cream with gelatin, water, fresh strawberries, egg yolks, sugar, more coconut milk, and heavy cream. Finally you will make a coconut lychee buttercream frosting with unsalted butter, confectioners' sugar, lychee syrup, and more coconut milk. You will need a little more than one can total of coconut milk for this recipe. 

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Prepare three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom and grease the sides of the pan.

Remove the lychees from the can with the syrup (saving the syrup for the frosting and the cake soak). Dry the lychees as much as possible, then dice them. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the sugar and oil together until well combined.

Beat in the eggs, coconut milk, and vanilla extract until the ingredients are well incorporated.

Mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt and beat until the batter is well combined and smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.

Add the chopped lychees to the batter and mix until incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans.

Bake in the preheated oven for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs. Let cakes cool.

In a small bowl, mix together the gelatin and water. Set aside.

Puree the strawberries using a blender or a food processor, set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture turns pale and becomes thicker.

Place the egg and sugar mixture on top of a double boiler with simmering water underneath. Stir in the warm coconut milk, then stir the mixture over the double boiler until the yolk and milk mixture becomes thicker, about 4-5 minutes.

Remove the egg yolk mixture from the heat and whisk in the gelatin and strawberry mixtures until combined. Place this mixture into the freezer for 10-15 minutes to cool.

Meanwhile, use a mixer to whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.

Carefully fold the cooled strawberry mixture into the whipped cream in 2-3 installments, making sure not to deflate the cream. Add 1-2 drops of red food coloring if desired. Place the Bavarian cream in the fridge to set while you make the frosting.

Use a stand mixer or hand mixer to beat the butter until it is smooth and creamy.

Add in the powdered sugar, lychee syrup, and coconut milk and beat until frosting is smooth and fluffy.

Use a serrated knife to cut the tops off of the cooled cakes to make them flat.

Brush the tops of the cakes with a thin layer of lychee syrup.

Pipe a border of frosting around the edge of the bottom cake layer.

Spoon strawberry Bavarian cream into the center of the cake layer and spread until even. Top with the second cake layer and repeat.

Once the cake is built, spread the remaining coconut frosting on the tops and side of the cake and decorate as desired.

Cut and serve.

The elements of this lychee layer cake offer a plenty of options for customization, allowing you to adapt the recipe while retaining its unique tropical and fruity charm. For the lychee cakes, you could enhance the flavor by incorporating lychee syrup or puree, or adding a bit of rose water for a more floral twist. Alternatively, swap the lychee base for a light vanilla or almond cake to let the other components shine. The Bavarian cream filling is versatile and could be switched to a mango or passionfruit version to deepen the tropical theme by swapping out the strawberries, or you could even make a lychee cream for a more cohesive flavor profile. You could also layer fresh fruit between the cake layers for added texture. 

The coconut lychee buttercream frosting is another area that can be modified. A whipped coconut cream frosting would lighten the overall texture, while adding toasted coconut flakes could bring a delightful crunch. If you prefer a more striking contrast, a tangy cream cheese frosting with a hint of lime zest would complement the sweetness of the other elements. By mixing and matching flavors and textures, this recipe can evolve to suit different tastes and occasions while maintaining its fruity appeal.

You likely won't use all of the Bavarian cream that you make for this recipe, but luckily it will stay fresh for up to five days in the fridge or up to three months if you freeze it. Leftover strawberry Bavarian cream can be used in lots of different ways. For breakfast options, you could use it to stuff your pancakes, spread onto crepes, swirl it into yogurt or oatmeal, or even spread on toast for a sweet start to the day. For other dessert options, it could be used to fill cupcakes, a filling for homemade donuts, other layer cakes, or for the center of a Charlotte Royale. It can be also piped into the bottom of tart shells or puff pastry cups and topped with fruit to make a gorgeous tart or pastry. 

For an even simpler dessert, you could layer the strawberry Bavarian cream with crumbled cookies, granola, or fresh strawberries to create parfaits. Or if you're serving ice cream, the cream makes a rich and flavorful topping for sundaes. These creative uses ensure that none of this delicious Bavarian cream goes to waste.