Get ready folks, this easy coconut tart recipe with a sticky lemon sauce is about to become your new best friend!
It’s beautifully syrupy, sweet and moist. The texture and nutty flavour of the coconut blend seamlessly with the buttery sponge cake, but it doesn’t end here!
The real kicker is the bright, citrusy lemon syrup that soaks deep into the cake. It perfectly cuts through the sweetness, tying everything together in tropical bliss.
This coconut tart comes together with just a handful of simple ingredients you likely have in your pantry already, making it an easy yet impressive dessert to whip up at home.
For more easy desserts, have a look at these perfect eggless pancakes, this impressive Argentinian Chocotorta or this 3-ingredient coffee mousse recipe.
What’s to love about this recipe
- Fool-proof recipe that’s really hard to mess up.
- Deliciously moist and sweet every time.
- This homemade tart is very easy to make, using only a few simple ingredients.
- Perfect dessert or tea time treat for a coconut lover.
- Retains its moist texture from the added sauce.
- No tart shells or shortcrust pastry is needed.
Key ingredients and substitutions
Butter
We opt for unsalted butter to better control the saltiness, so we add only a quarter teaspoon of salt. If using regular salted butter, you can skip adding salt.
Sugar
This recipe works well with regular granulated sugar or caster sugar.
Eggs
For the best result, allow the eggs to reach room temperature before adding them to the creamed butter and sugar.
Tip: To quickly bring eggs up to room temperature, place them in a bowl with warm water for a few minutes.
Warm water
Don’t boil the water – just warm tap water at a temperature of around 45C/113F works fine.
Desiccated coconut
Though some bakers use flaked coconut, desiccated coconut’s fine texture distributes better throughout the sponge. You can garnish with flaked coconut for extra crunch if you wish.
How to make the coconut tart
- Preheat the oven to 180C/356F/gas mark 4.
- Lightly butter or grease a cake pan or baking dish roughly 25cm across and 5cm deep – metal, ceramic and enamel dishes all bake the tart nicely.
- Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, cream the softened butter, sugar and vanilla extract together until light and fluffy in texture.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg.
- Add the warm water and mix through.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients; all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
- Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients by hand, using a large spoon or spatula.
- Lastly, fold in the desiccated coconut.
- Spoon the batter into the tart pan/baking dish and bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven.
The tart is done when a toothpick comes out clean and the top has developed an even, deep golden brown colour.
- Let the tart cool down completely on a wire rack before starting the sauce.
- In a saucepan over medium-low heat, dissolve the sugar into the lemon juice and water. Simmer until slightly thickened.
- After the tart has cooled, add the hot lemon syrup and let it infuse into the tart as it cools down completely. Decorate with coconut flakes or a scattering of desiccated coconut. Slice and enjoy!
Storage
This tart will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. Seal it tightly with plastic wrap/cling film or keep it inside an airtight container. Let it stand at room temperature for a few hours before serving for the best flavour and texture.
The tart can also be frozen for up to 3 months. To thaw, move it from the freezer to the fridge the day before enjoying it. Allow it to come to room temp before serving.
Serving suggestions
This tart is best served at room temperature but is equally good slightly warmed up. Here are a few ideas for toppings and accompaniments.
- Chopped pistachios.
- Toasted coconut flakes, fresh coconut shavings, shredded coconut or desiccated coconut.
- Serve with custard, double cream, Greek yoghurt or ice cream.
- Add a teaspoon of jam to each plate. Jams that pair well are raspberry jam, strawberry jam and apricot jam.
- Fresh fruit like mango, pineapple or berries.
- Toasted flaked almonds or macadamia nuts.
- Whipped cream flavoured with rum or vanilla.
- Coconut sorbet or coconut ice cream.
- Dust with icing sugar.
- Passionfruit sauce or mango coulis.
- Shaved chocolate or chocolate drizzle.
- Caramel or butterscotch sauce.
- Lime or lemon zest.
- Dulce de leche.
Mini coconut tarts (coconut tartlets)
For bite-sized coconut tarts, simply prepare the batter as directed, then divide it evenly among the cups of a greased muffin pan or cupcake pan.
Fill the cups about 2/3 full with batter. Bake at the same temperature for a shorter time, 15-18 minutes for regular-size tarts or 12-15 minutes for mini tarts, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Allow to cool before drizzling with the lemon syrup.
More tea-time treats
Tinginys – Lithuanian Lazy Cookies
Red Cappuccino – Rooibos tea cappuccino
Toscakaka cake – Swedish almond cake
Coconut tart
Ingredients
For the tart
- 125 grams unsalted butter softened. You can use salted butter and omit the salt in the recipe
- 200 grams sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 250 millilitre warm water
- 150 grams plain flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder 15ml
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 180 grams desiccated coconut
For the sauce
- 200 grams sugar
- 250 millilitre water
- juice of half a lemon
Instructions
To make the tart
- Preheat the oven to 180C/356F/gas mark 4.
- Lightly butter or grease a cake pan or baking dish of roughly 25cm across and 5cm deep – metal, ceramic and enamel dishes all bake the tart nicely.
- Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, cream the softened butter, sugar and vanilla extract together until light and fluffy in texture.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg.
- Add the warm water and mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients by hand, using a large spoon or spatula.
- Lastly, fold in the desiccated coconut.
- Spoon the batter into your chosen baking vessel and bake for 30 minutes. The tart is done when a toothpick comes out clean and the top has developed an even, deep golden brown colour.
- Let the tart cool down completely before starting the sauce.
To make the sauce
- In a medium sauce pan, add the sugar, lemon juice and water. Keep the heat medium-low and let the sugar dissolve in the water, no need to stir.
- Allow the sugar syrup to gently simmer until slightly thickened. This will take about 5-10 minutes, but keep an eye on it
- Slowly pour the hot sugar syrup over the cooled down tart. It will look like a lot of syrup at first but that's expected. Pause for a few seconds to allow some sauce to soak in before adding the rest.
- Allow the lemon syrup to infuse into the tart as it cools down completely. Slice and enjoy!
Nutrition
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