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    Home » Recipes » Cakes

    Coconut & Pistachio Cake Roll

    Published: Oct 1, 2018 · Modified: Mar 30, 2023 by Neriz · This post contains some affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Here’s a slight variation of your usual coconut cake! This Coconut & Pistachio Cake Roll is mostly made of shredded coconut, as opposed to flour with added coconut.  The flavor of coconut is so intense in every bite of this homemade cake – and then you get the richness of the pistachio cream.  YUM!

    Coconut & Pistachio Cake Roll on a serving plate, with a couple of espresso cups on the side.

    This idea came to me last summer, while I was enjoying my favorite gelato combo – ‘pistachio e coco’. Yep, that’s pistachio and coconut. 🙂

    I wanted a strong coconut flavor on the cake, so I decided to use shredded, dried coconut as the main ingredient for the cake roll mix, instead of using flour, and just adding coconut in the mix.

    Admittedly, you have to be really gentle in handling this coconut cake when you’re assembling it. But the flavor in each bite… you just have to judge for yourself! 🙂

    HOW TO MAKE COCONUT & PISTACHIO CAKE ROLL

    A collage of images showing the step by step process on how to make Coconut & Pistachio Cake Roll

    IS THERE A SUBSTITUE FOR POTATO FLOUR IN THIS COCONUT CAKE?

    Yes.  If you’re having a hard time looking for potato flour, you can use corn starch as an alternative.  Same quantity should be alright.

    CAN I USE A DIFFERENT SIZE OF BAKING PAN FOR THIS COCONUT CAKE RECIPE?

    That might be a bit problematic.  If you use a bigger baking tray, the result will be too thin, and it might just fall apart when you try to roll it.  A smaller pan might give you a lesser problem. 😉

    CAN I USE DOUBLE CREAM INSTEAD OF HALF & HALF FOR THE PISTACHIO CREAM?

    Yep.  Just remember not to whip it too much.  It still needs to be soft.  Also, you might want to skip the sugar if you use double cream.

    Don’t know about you, but I feel that the level of sweetness intensifies when the level of creaminess increases.

    CAN I ADD SUGAR IN THE PISTACHIO CREAM?

    This is totally up to you. When I made the video for this recipe, I opted to skip the sugar.  But that’s just me; not really a fan of anything too sweet. Perhaps if you want to add the sugar, you should start with half of the amount first…?

    Don’t just taste the pistachio cream though – the cake roll is already sweet by itself.

    Overhead shot showing four slices of Coconut & Pistachio Cake Roll.

    WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS HOMEMADE CAKE ROLL?

    Coffee or tea.  Oh wait!  I remember having a glass of chilled dry white wine with a slice before leaving Stockholm back in June – that pairing worked as well. 🙂

    FOR OTHER CAKE IDEAS, CHECK OUT MY CAKES COLLECTION!

    OR IF YOU WANT MORE RECIPES WITH COCONUTS, YOU MIGHT LIKE THESE POSTS:

    • Swedish Coconut Bites
    • Swedish Chocolate Coffee Squares

    VIDEO ON HOW TO MAKE COCONUT & PISTACHIO CAKE ROLL

    (*This post contains some affiliate links)

    📖 Recipe

    Coconut & Pistachio Cake Roll on a serving plate, with a couple of espresso cups on the side.

    Coconut & Pistachio Cake Roll

    Here’s a slight variation of your usual coconut cake! This Coconut & Pistachio Cake Roll is mostly made of shredded coconut, as opposed to flour with added coconut. The flavor of coconut is so intense in every bite of this homemade cake – and then you get the richness of the pistachio cream. YUM!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Other
    Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 264kcal
    Author: Neriz

    Ingredients

    For the Coconut Cake Roll:

    • 3 eggs
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 1 & 1/2 cup shredded coconut, dried
    • 1/3 cup potato flour
    • 1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tbsp powdered sugar (for dusting)

    For the Pistachio Cream:

    • 1 cup pistachio nuts
    • 1/3 cup half & half
    • 1 to 1 & 1/2 tbsp sugar (optional)

    Instructions

    For the Coconut Cake Roll:

    • Preheat oven to 200°C (375°F).
    • Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix.
    • Cream sugar and eggs. Add dry ingredients. Mix using a spatula or wooden spoon.
    • Pour cake batter on a baking sheet (14.75-Inch-by-9.75-Inch) lined with baking paper. Use a spatula to spread the coconut evenly on the tray.
    • Place tray in the middle of the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or once it starts darkening in color.
    • Once the cake is out of the oven, sprinkle the top with powdered sugar. This will prevent the cake from sticking to the kitchen towel.
    • Put a clean kitchen towel on top of the cooked cake and flip the tray, so the baking paper is on top.  
    • Remove the baking paper gently off the cake. Pull the cake closer to the edge of the kitchen towel, but make sure there is a tiny bit of kitchen towel dangling (you will be rolling this piece of the kitchen towel as well).
    • Starting from the end of the long side of the cake, roll it gently (including the kitchen towel underneath) and turn into a log. 
    • Set the cake roll aside while preparing the filling.
      (Check out the video above to see how this is done). 

    For the Pistachio Cream Filling:

    • Place pistachio in a food processor or blender and grind until it turns into fine powder texture.
    • In a bowl, combine cream and sugar. Whisk until soft ribbons are formed. (Depending on how sweet you want your cake, you can completely skip the sugar, if you desired).
    • Add pistachio. Mix with a spatula or wooden spoon.  

    For Assembling the Cake Roll:

    • Gently unroll the cake and spread the pistachio cream evenly on top of the cake.
    • Roll the cake again, without the kitchen towel this time. Wrap the cake roll with a plastic and make sure the ends are tight as well.
    • Refrigerate for at least an hour.
    • When ready to serve, cut the ends with a serrated knife, to trim the edges.
    • Use a serrated knife when slicing the cake roll as well. If you have dried coconut or grinded pistachio left, sprinkle on top of the cake roll, if desired.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 264kcal
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @foodandjourneys or tag #foodandjourneys!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jenna

      March 16, 2019 at 7:38 pm

      Hello,

      Thanks for the recipe! I saw the coconut sweetened or unsweetened?

      Thanks,

      Jenna

      Reply
      • Neriz

        March 18, 2019 at 9:52 pm

        Thanks for your comment Jenna!

        It actually made me pause and consider – I had no idea you have a choice between sweetened and unsweetened?!

        We only have unsweetened coconut here in Stockholm, so that’s what I used for this recipe. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Patsy

      December 05, 2023 at 5:38 pm

      5 stars
      I have never made a jellyroll cake roll, because they seemed complicated and a intimidating. I just new I would mess it up. Your recipe was easy to follow and I appreciate the video which I referred to often. Wonderful flavor and it was actually easy to do. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.

      Reply
    5 from 1 vote

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