Recipe Card: Caribbean Coconut Cake (Jamaican Toto)
A simple Caribbean coconut cake, known as Jamaican Toto, made by blending grated coconut with water and mixing it into a lightly spiced batter. Baked until golden brown, this cake is soft, coconut-forward, and not overly sweet—perfect for serving after Sunday lunch or with a cup of tea.
Print
Pin
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 276kcal
Equipment
- Coconut Tool to remove meat --if using a dried coconut
Ingredients
- 1 cup grated coconut 7 oz
- 1 cup warm water or coconut milk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 10 oz
- 1 cup brown sugar 7 oz
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg up to 1 tsp if you love nutmeg
- Pinch ground cloves optional
- pinch cardamom optional
- 1/2 tsp ginger powder optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter melted, 1 stick, 4 oz
- 1 egg large, optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- Butter for greasing dish
Optional Glaze
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Preheat Oven & Prepare Pan: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease an 11 × 7-inch baking dish with butter.
- Blend Coconut: Blend grated coconut with warm water until no large pieces remain, then set aside. Alternately, use 1 cup finely grated coconut and 1 cup coconut milk. Either method works.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom & ginger (if using), and salt.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Pour in the blended coconut mixture(or grated coconut and coconut milk), then add melted butter, egg, vanilla & almond extract.
- Mix Batter: Mix for about 1 minute until fully combined and smooth.
- Pour & Bake: Pour batter into prepared dish and smooth the top.
- Bake Cake: Bake for 45–50 minutes until fully cooked and a deep golden brown forms on top. Alternately, 10 mins before finishing, mix 2 tbs brown sugar with 1 tbs water and brush on the top of the cake and return to the oven until it sets.
- Cool & Serve: Allow to cool before slicing and serving.
Notes
See Variations & Tips on Blog Post.
Nutrition info includes optional glaze.
Nutrition
Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 124mg | Potassium: 166mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 257IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 2mg