Recipe: Mali Bakes’s Patti Chimkire Reimagines Denmark’s Favourite Cake

There’s a distinct nostalgia to Patti Chimkire’s cakes. The Melbourne-based baker makes whimsical, vintage-style creations – finished with vibrant piped buttercream – at her Thornbury bakeshop and studio, Mali Bakes. Her cakes are as joyful to eat as they are to look at. And for those who love a baking project, her intricate, layered creations are now within reach.

Chimkire recently released her debut cookbook, Mali Bakes, named after her beloved cake shop. The technicolour tome is a baker’s dream, featuring recipes that range from an accessible Thai chiffon cake to an elaborate pistachio number with cardamom-roasted rhubarb. Between these, she shares her go-to techniques for mastering sponges, frostings and buttercream piping.

Among the highlights is her take on drommekage – literally “dream cake” – one of Denmark’s most-loved sweets. Traditionally, it’s a light vanilla sponge topped with caramelised coconut, baked until golden and chewy. Chimkire brings her signature finesse to the classic. “My version puts a spin on tradition by making it gluten free and pairing it with a tender almond cake base for a subtle nuttiness that complements the coconut beautifully,” she writes.

Coconut dream cake by Patti Chimkire

Makes one 23cm cake

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

190g unsalted butter, cubed

190g caster (superfine) sugar

260g almond flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp fine sea salt

250g eggs (about 5 eggs)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Coconut topping

75g unsalted butter, cubed

75g brown sugar

75g coconut sugar

50g full-cream (whole) milk

¼ tsp fine sea salt

50g shredded coconut

60g desiccated coconut

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C and position an oven rack in the centre of the oven. Thoroughly spray a round 23cm cake tin with cooking oil and line the bottom and side with baking paper. Cream the butter and sugar.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for seven minutes, or until pale and fluffy. Scrape down the side and bottom of the bowl halfway through.

Then, prepare the dry and wet ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking powder and salt until evenly combined. In another small bowl, lightly whisk the eggs and vanilla extract.

Alternate the wet and dry ingredients. Start by adding one-third of the egg mixture to the butter and beat on medium speed until just combined. Stop the mixer, add one-third of the almond flour mixture, and mix again until just combined. Repeat until all ingredients are incorporated, scraping down the side and bottom of the bowl between each addition.

Fill the tin and bake. Pour the batter into the cake tin and smooth the top with an angled (offset) palette knife. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until just cooked, rotating the tin after 30 minutes so it cooks evenly. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out with a few damp crumbs.

Just before the cake is ready, combine the butter in a saucepan with both sugars, milk and salt. Stir constantly over medium-high heat until the sugar has dissolved, then cook for one more minute, until slightly thickened. Stir in both coconuts, ensuring they are evenly coated in the butter mixture.

When the cake looks set and dry on top, with no glossy patches, it’s ready for the topping. Remove the tin from the oven and pour the coconut topping over, smoothing it with an angled (offset) palette knife. Return to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the topping has caramelised.

Remove from the oven. Let the cake cool in the tin for about one hour.

Place a plate over the cake tin and carefully invert the cake onto it. Remove the baking paper. Place a serving plate on top and flip the cake again so the coconut topping is facing up. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store at room temperature for up to three days.

This is an edited extract of Mali Bakes by Patti Chimkire, published by Smith Street Books, AUD$59.99, in stores now.