Who doesn’t love Rafaello treats? Well, I guess if you don’t particularly like coconut, that would be you. And if that’s the case, you probably shouldn’t continue reading. But for those of you who do love coconut, I’m about to make all of your coconut dreams come true.
A few years ago I came across a number of recipes for this dessert but all of them were written by people in either Serbia and Bosnia so there were quite a few things I couldn’t get here in the States to make the exact recipe. So I made it using what I could get at my grocery stores in the states. Yes, stores, because ask any Balkan person living abroad, and they will tell you they have dedicated stores for certain products.
This dessert is creamy, milky, and resembles the Rafaello truffle/treat, whatever you want to call it. I want to call it a truffle or chocolate, but it doesn’t contain any chocolate!
I love serving this dessert all year round, but it’s especially delicious during the warmer months. The cake layer reminds me of koh and I absolutely love that dessert. Because Rafaello Kocke are served cold, this makes the perfect summer creamy treat. I know you’ll love it as much as I do!
Rafaello Kocke / Rafaello Squares
Course: DessertCuisine: Serbian, Balkan8
servings20
minutes40
minutesIngredients
- Cake Layer
6 egg whites
1.5 cups granulated sugar (300 g)
1 cup (120 g) flour
1 cup (120 g) unsweetened coconut flakes (see note)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
1.5 cups (350 ml) milk
3/4 cup (200 ml) heavy cream/neutralna pavlaka
1/4 teaspoon (2 ml) vanilla extract
- Cream Layer
6 egg yolks
2 cups (500 ml) milk
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla sugar (2 packets)
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (75 g) flour
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
14 tablespoons (just under 2 sticks) (200 g) butter, room temperature
- Topping
2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream / neutralna pavlaka
Unsweetened coconut flakes
Directions
- Cake Layer
- Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Grease a 8 x 11 cake pan with baking spray. Set aside.
- Separate the egg whites and egg yolks, transferring the yolks to a heatproof metal or glass bowl. It must be heat proof!
- Using a hand or stand mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy, then add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat the egg whites until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture has doubled in size. Feel the mixture between your fingers to ensure it doesn’t feel grainy. If it does, keep whisking (takes about 5 minutes at high speed).
- When the egg whites have whipped up into a nice meringue (no grainy texture, stiff peaks, shiny, and double in size), add the lemon juice and mix to incorporate.
- Using a spatula or spoon, mix in the unsweetened coconut flakes and flour into the egg white mixture. Mix well to combine.
- Transfer the mixture into the greased baking pan and level to make the layer even. Bake at 350 F (175 C) for 12-15 minutes or until the cake starts to slightly brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- While the cake layer is baking, combine the milk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
- When the cake layer is baked, remove from the oven and pour the milk and cream mixture over the cake. Set aside to cool.
- Cream Layer
- To the heatproof bowl with the egg yolks, add the milk, sugar, vanilla sugar, flour, and vanilla extract. Using a whisk, stir to combine. Place the bowl over a saucepan with a small amount of water. The water should not be touching the bowl (you only need about 2 inches of water). This is called the bain-marie method/double boiler method.
- Using this method, cook the egg yolk mixture, holding the bowl carefully using a dish towel so you do not burn yourself. Whisk continuously. Cook the mixture until it is very thick (like pudding). If the water boils very rapidly at any point, reduce the heat slightly. When cooked, carefully remove the bowl from the heat, place plastic wrap directly onto the cream to prevent a skin from forming, and set aside to cool.
- Cool the cream mixture to room temperature and then place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to become very cold.
- After 30 minutes, remove the cream from the refrigerator, and using a hand/stand mixer, whisk in the room temperature butter. When combined very well, spread the cream mixture over the cooled cake layer evenly.
- Topping
- Whisk 2 cups of whipped cream. Spread over the cream layer evenly. Dust the top of the dessert with unsweetened coconut flakes. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Optional: Top each serving with a Rafaello treat!
- To get a taller slice, use a smaller baking dish.
- Do not use sweetened coconut flakes. You must use unsweetened coconut (kokosovo brasno) and you can find it at your local grocery store or on Amazon!
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