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Coconut Pecan Frosting

Coconut Pecan Frosting Recipe

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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 380
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Method
 

  1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Toast the pecans in the butter for about 3 minutes until fragrant. Remove the pecans with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  2. Whisk the egg yolks with the evaporated milk until smooth. Pour into the pan with the butter, add the brown sugar and salt, and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and gently bubbling, about 8 to 10 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat. Stir in the shredded coconut, toasted pecans, and vanilla. Let the frosting rest for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly but is still warm and spreadable.
  4. Spread the warm frosting over cooled cake layers right away, using a spatula.

Notes

If the frosting thickens too much while resting, stir in a tablespoon of warm milk to loosen it back up. This recipe makes enough for a 3-layer 9-inch cake. Halve it for a single-layer cake using the scaling table above. It tastes best the day it’s made, but leftovers keep well in the fridge.