We tried this on the menu in 2021 thinking it would be a curiosity. Six months later it was the highest-reorder flavour. Five years on it still is, in Chennai.
The ingredient is non-negotiable. Fresh tender coconut, scooped at 6am from a Kovalam supplier we have used since the first month. Canned tender coconut tastes of metal. Frozen loses the texture. Mass-market 'coconut cream' has no relationship to elaneer.
The sponge is vanilla bean, kept very light so the coconut layer is what you taste. Between the layers, we whip a barely-sweet coconut cream and fold in the fresh pulp roughly chopped. The chunks of tender coconut are the texture that makes the cake distinct — most people will eat a slice and ask what is in it.
Finish is plain — a thin white-chocolate ganache or no frosting at all if you prefer a semi-naked look. Decoration is sliced fresh coconut on top or none.
Who orders it most: people who normally do not like cake. The texture is so unlike a typical butter-frosted cake that even our customers who order this for guests skeptical of cake see good results.
We can do it eggless. The sponge is slightly more dense but the coconut layer is unaffected.
Not suitable for: anyone with a coconut allergy. Slightly tricky for outdoor summer events because the fresh cream loosens above 30°C — refrigerate until 20 minutes before serving.