Caribbean-Style Coconut Bread

Before you start

Coconut sweet bread is a bakery and home-baking favorite across much of the English-speaking Caribbean, with many family versions. Most share a stiff, lightly sweet dough packed with grated coconut, scented with nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla, and often studded with raisins or mixed peel. This is a baking-powder loaf, closer to a firm cake than to a yeast bread, with a close, chewy crumb and a crust brushed with sugar syrup so it shines.

The coconut is the heart of it. Freshly grated coconut gives the best texture, but unsweetened finely shredded or desiccated coconut works well and is easier to find. Canned full-fat coconut milk adds richness. The dough should be thick enough to hold a spoon upright; that density is what gives the loaf its slightly chewy bite. Spread it in the pan rather than pouring it.

Ingredients

• Dough375 g (3 cups, spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp (12 g) baking powder
• ½ tsp fine salt
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
• 150 g (about 1¾ cups) unsweetened finely shredded coconut — or freshly grated coconut
• 75 g (½ cup) raisins or mixed candied peel — optional
• 240 ml (1 cup) canned full-fat coconut milk — stirred well
• 1 large egg
• 85 g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter — melted and cooled
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp almond extract — optional
• Glaze1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp hot water

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F) with a rack in the center. Grease the pan and line it with parchment.
2. In the large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and sugar. Stir in the coconut and the raisins or peel if using, rubbing any clumps of coconut apart with your fingers.
3. In the medium bowl, whisk the coconut milk, egg, melted butter, vanilla and almond extract until smooth.
4. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until a thick, sticky dough forms and no dry flour remains. It should be stiff enough to hold peaks, not pourable. If it is too dry to come together, add 1 to 2 tablespoons milk.
5. Spoon the dough into the pan and press it into the corners with a wet spatula, then smooth the top. Sprinkle a little extra coconut over it if you like.
6. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until deep golden, firm to the touch and a skewer in the center comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil after 40 minutes if the coconut on top is browning too quickly.
7. Dissolve the 1 tablespoon sugar in the hot water and brush it over the hot loaf. Return it to the oven for 2 minutes to set the glaze.
8. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift out and cool completely on a rack before slicing.

Tips for success

• Coconut milk separates in the can; whisk it thoroughly or warm it slightly so the fat and liquid are evenly mixed before measuring.
• Toast a third of the coconut in a dry skillet until light golden for a deeper, nuttier flavor.
• Grate the nutmeg fresh if you can. It is a leading flavor here, and pre-ground nutmeg fades quickly.

Substitutions

Unsweetened shredded coconut

Sweetened flaked coconut works if you cut the sugar to 100 g. The loaf will be moister and a bit softer, with a more candy-like flavor.

Canned coconut milk

Evaporated milk or whole milk can replace it, with less coconut flavor. Light coconut milk works but gives a drier, less rich crumb.

Unsalted butter

Melted coconut oil keeps the flavor fully coconut and makes the loaf dairy-free if you also use coconut milk.

Variations

Coconut cherry bread

Replace the raisins with 75 g chopped glacé cherries, rinsed and dried, for red flecks through the crumb.

Lime coconut bread

Add the zest of 2 limes to the dough and brush the hot loaf with a glaze of 1 tablespoon sugar dissolved in 1 tablespoon lime juice.

Troubleshooting

Loaf is dry and crumbly

Too much flour or desiccated coconut that was very dry. Weigh the flour, and if the dough will not come together, add milk a tablespoon at a time.

Top burnt before the middle cooked

Exposed coconut toasts quickly. Tent with foil after 40 minutes and keep the rack in the center.

Heavy, wet center

Freshly grated coconut carries more moisture. Squeeze it lightly in a towel before measuring and bake until the skewer comes out clean.

Storage

Wrap the cooled loaf and keep it at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate it for up to a week. Freshly grated coconut makes the bread more perishable; refrigerate after the first day if you use it. Freeze slices for up to 3 months.

Safety notes

Raw dough contains raw egg and flour; bake before eating. Contains wheat, egg and milk. Coconut is a tree nut for labeling purposes in the U.S.