This Ferrero Raffaello cake recipe is super moist and the perfect combination of almond and coconut. If you love the candy, you’ll love the cake!
Just like its close sibling the Ferrero Rocher Cake, this cake doesn’t lack creativity. If you’ve ever had tried Ferrero Raffaello Chocolates, you can already expect what this cake has in store for you. It’s not only super moist, but it also tastes just like the famous coconut almond candy in every bite.
With the flaky, snow-like coconut on the outside, it’s the perfect candidate for wintertime baking. At the same time, the light flavors make it perfect year-round. After all, when is there a bad time for a slice of coconut cake?
P.S. If you want to go the mile and make the candy yourself too, check out our Ferrero Raffaello Candy Recipe.
What is in a Ferrero Raffaello?
If you’ve never tried a Ferrero Raffaello before (bless your heart!), the flavor profile is made up of a combination of almond, coconut, and creamy white chocolate. The truffle also contains a crispy cookie wafer on the inside, making its texture just as addicting as its taste. All in all, a candy worth turning into a cake!
How to Make Ferrero Raffaello Cake
Despite its appearance, making Ferrero Raffaello cake is actually quite simple. Below, find a brief overview of the recipe before you get to baking.
- Make the Sponge Cake: Preheat the oven. While it’s warming up, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the eggs, almond extract, and sugar until it triples in size. Next, use a spatula to fold in the flour.
- Bake the Sponge Cake: Pour the batter into a greased 9-inch cake pan and bake it for 30 minutes.
- Make the Raffaello Cake Cream: Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, and sweetened condensed milk. Next, add in the coconut flakes and dried milk and beat to combine.
- Soak the Cake Layers: In a small bowl, combine the milk with sweetened condensed milk to create the soaking cream. Next, slice the cooled cake into three even layers using a serrated bread knife. Using a spoon or pastry brush, smother each cake layer in the soaking cream.
- Frost and Top the Cake Layers: Frost one of the cake layers with the cake cream and top it with the crushed almonds and wafers. Repeat with the other layer, saving the layer with the round top for the very top layer. Frost the outside of the cake with the remaining cake cream and top with the Ferrero Raffaello candies and coconut flakes.
- Let the Cake Set: Store the cake in an airtight cake container overnight to set and allow the flavors to develop. Slice and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
Below, find a handful of tips and tricks to help you make the perfect Ferrero Raffaello cake.
- Indulge with sweetened coconut flakes. If you have an out-of-control sweet tooth, opt for sweetened coconut flakes over unsweetened ones.
- Use softened butter and cream cheese. Leave the butter and cream cheese out at room temperature for 30 minutes to soften them and make them easier to work with.
- Use ground almond. Instead of using roasted almond slivers, sprinkle on ground almond meal instead if you like a finer texture and consistency.
- Allow the cake to set overnight. Allowing the cake to set overnight brings out the best flavor and texture. It’s worth the wait!
Storing Ferrero Raffaello Cake
- Refrigerator: Keep the leftover cake stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. If you have a cake container, it will work best in terms of protecting the shape of the cake.
- Freezer: You can freeze the entire cake by placing it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and popping it in the freezer uncovered. Once it’s completely frozen, carefully wrap the cake in a of couple layers of plastic wrap. Store it in the freezer for up to a month. To defrost it, allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight.
FAQ
What does Ferrero Raffaello taste like?
Ferrero Raffaello candy, which this cake is based on, has the perfect flavor combination of white chocolate, coconut, and almonds.
Can I use salted butter instead?
You can opt for salted butter over unsalted if you’d like. It will add a nice salty touch to the cream, which may totally be up your alley.
Should I use sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes?
You can use either sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes. It comes down to how aggressive your sweet tooth is!
What kind of wafers should I use?
Any vanilla wafer will do the trick. If you can opt for a European-style brand.
Do I need to keep the cake roll refrigerated?
Yes, you should keep the cake and leftovers refrigerated.
Other Decadent Cakes To Try
- Zebra Cake Recipe – Festive marble cake
- Rainbow Fruit Cake – Classic fruit cake
- Dulce De Leche Cake – Rich caramel cake
- Honey Walnut Poppy Seed Cake – Hearty spiced cake
Recipe
Ingredients
Ferrero Raffaello Cake Cream
- 16 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 10 oz condensed milk
- 1/2 cup coconut flakes
- 1/4 cup instant dry milk
Cake Layer Filing
- 1/2 cup milk for soaking the cake
- 2 tbsp condensed milk for soaking the cake
- 1 cup crushed toasted almonds
- 1/2 cup crushed vanilla wafers
Decorating the Cake
- 1 cup coconut flakes
- 12 Ferrero Raffaello candies
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the eggs, almond extract, and sugar until it triples in volume.
- Using a spatula, fold in the flour by thirds just until it's combined. Be extra careful not to over mix it batter, or the cake will lose its fluffiness.
- Place the batter into a greased 9-inch pan and bake it for 30 minutes. To check doneness, stick a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it's ready.
Ferrero Raffaello Cake Cream
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and butter with the sweetened condensed milk. Next, add the coconut flakes and dry milk and beat until well combined.
Assembling the Cake
- In a small bowl, combine the milk and sweetened condensed milk to make the soaking cream. Set aside. Slice the baked cake into three, even layers.
- Using a pastry brush or spoon, spread each cake layer with a bit of the soaking cream.
- Frost one of the bottom cake layers with the cake cream, followed by a layer of crushed almonds and wafers. Repeat with the middle layer. Stack the two frosted cake layers on top of one another. Top with the unfrosted top layer.
- Decorate the outside and top of the cake with the remaining cake cream, Ferrero Raffaello candies, and coconut flakes.
- Store the cake in an airtight cake container overnight to set and allow the flavors to develop. Slice and enjoy!
I made this cake for the first time, although I had to do it twice. The first time, I overmixed the flour so the cake was dense and small, I repeated it and it came out great, super fluffy. Thanks for the recipe!.
Hey Adrian, Thanks for giving it a try- twice! I'm so glad you enjoyed the results.
Can powder milk can be replaced with something else, pls?
Hi Alex, I have not tried anything other than instant powdered milk. If you do experiment, please let us know.
Your recipe is false. I tried it 3 times and it never came out right. I have never heard of folding in flour? I mean folding in egg whites sure but there is no way this recipe is accurate. Why would you post this? I mean the sponge cake is all wrong. Slicing a nine inch pan cake with that amount of ingredients? Like come on. Be honest please. It is very frustrating that you would post this as a real legitimate recipe when it is completely wrong.
Hi E, to fold in an ingredient such as flour means to gently mix it in, usually with a rubber spatula. I'm sorry that the recipe hasn't turned out for you, but this doesn't mean it's false. If you could further explain what step is going wrong for you I'd be happy to help troubleshoot. If not, take care!
Is it possible to make cupcakes with this recipe?
Hi there, I think you can definitely make cupcakes with this recipe. I have not tried it before and I imagine you may have to adjust the cook time slightly. If you give it a try, I would LOVE to know the outcome! Wishing you the best luck!
My cake rose nicely but after I took it out of the oven and set it on the counter to cool it collapsed. It was a very dense cake. Any ideas on what I might have done wrong. It seems like it would be a lovely cake if the texture was correct.
Hi there Franco, I am sorry to hear the cake collapsed. There can be a few different reasons as to why that happened. The eggs, sugar and almond extract may have been under beat. The mixture should have tripled in size. There is also folding in the flour. You need to make sure not to lose the "fluffiness" of the egg mixture while carefully folding in the flour a little bit at a time. I hope you give this cake another try. It seems like you just about got it down. I hope this clears things up. Thank you for reaching out! Happy holidays!
Would o be able to use almond flour as a substitute? (I’m gluten free)
Hi Anna- I haven't tested this recipe with any flour substitutes, so I'm not sure how almond flour would work. If you give it a try, please let us know how it turns out!
The cake tasted really well, my kids loved eating it. Ferrero Raffaello Cake Cream is a must try by all. Something new and a tasty dessert to try and serve.
Thank you for the feedback, Jennifer. Glad your family enjoyed this sweet treat!
I’ve just made the cake and it tastes delicious.
However, the texture of the texture of the cake cream was super runny.
Now that I’m cheking the ingredients and the “tips and tricks”, you mention extra cold whipped cream, but it is not listed on the cake cream part.
Where, how and how much cold whipping cream should be added in the recipe?
Mine came out runny too, I've no idea how others are fine...? I've followed the recipe to the T..
Hi Katie - I'm sorry to hear that! Did you whip the cream on high with an electric mixer? Also, did you use extra cold heavy whipping cream? Hope I can help you figure out what went wrong.
Hi Paty - That tip is actually in there by mistake! So sorry for confusion. The cake cream ingredients are accurate as is. Did you use dry milk versus liquid milk? Hoping I can help you figure out why it turned out runny!
Thanks!
I used dry milk but the texture was not ok.
I was delicious still!!!
I will try the raffaello roll next!
Happy new year!
Hmmm - I'm not sure what went wrong! I'm sorry the texture wasn't on point. That said, I can't wait for you to try the roll. Here's to a great 2022, friend!
HI Natalya,can I replace regular cream cheese with whipped cream cheese?I have one of each in fridge and I just wonder if it will work.
Thank you
Hi Dorota - Thanks for reaching out! Whipped cream cheese should work just fine. At the end of the day, the cream cheese will get whipped either way. Hope this helps and you enjoy the cake!
Hi Natalya,
My name is Natalya also 😁, your cake looking good and yummy 😋! I would like to know what exactly vanilla wafers did you use, because I’m confused which one I should buy. Could you tell a brand name?
Haha! Love it. From one Natalya to another, I use Bauducco Vanille Wafers. Find a link to purchase them on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3Fmfk2z.
Hope you love the cake!
I made this cake for my American friends for Christmas, everybody loves the cake! Now they asking me to bake for birthday, so what I want to say, cake is very yummy 😋, thank you! 😊
Hi Natalya- I'm so glad this cake was such a hit with your friends! Thanks for sharing with us!
Mine didn't come out as pretty as yours but man was it delicious!
Hi Faye - That's amazing to hear! It's all about the flavor anyways. Plus I've had a lot of practice (aka messing up!) over the years perfecting the recipe. Happy Holidays, friend!
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing ferrero raffaello cake recipe! Will surely have this again! It's really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!
Hi Allyssa - Thanks for the kind words! This is one of my all-time favorite cakes to make during the holiday season. Hope you and yours enjoy it time and time again.
Could the condensed milk be replaced with someting else?
Thanks
Hi Cici - I've never actually used anything but sweetened condensed milk, so I'm not entirely sure. If you try something else, let me know how it works out!
Hello!
This cake was amazing! However I did have one issue and that was with the cream cheese frosting. It tasted a lot like cream cheese instead of blended. Is there anything else I can do in order to avoid this next time? I was thinking of adding some confectioner's sugar.
Thanks for this great recipe!!
Hi, you can add some whipped heavy cream instead of cream cheese. Also, if you add some vanilla or almond extract it will add another layer of flavor. Hope this helps.
Thank you. I have some left over frosting. Can I just re-whip it and add the cream and flavoring to it?
Hi, I am not sure what type of frosting you have and how it would affect the flavor. It's hard to make a recommendation without knowing enough detial.
It is a very nice and tasty cake I done it few times and everybody loved that. Now wanted to check and do again but on this site is not showing me the instruction only ingredience. can you help please and just in short write me the instruction so it can work well again. thank you
Hey Sarah, on top, right under the recipe name, click on "jump to recipe", it will take you there. Enjoy
Is it best to refrigerate overnight or leave out?
Hey Felicity, I would suggest refrigerating.
Hi Natalie, can I use coconut flour to sponge cake?
Hey Edith, the texture of this cake would not be the same with coconut flour. This recipe is amazing, hope you give it a try!
Your receipt is amazing! Thanks Natalya 👍❤️
Edith, so glad to hear this! Thanks for sharing
Hey Natalya,
I love your recipe, and can't wait to make it for my boyfriend's birthday in a few days. However I am a bit confused about the 'Vanilla Wafers'. I looked it up on Google, and now have the feeling, that what we call 'Vanilla Wafers' here in Hungary is a utterly different thing that you might have used. And I think that we don't really have your kind of wafers here. Can you help me out? What exactly is the product that you used? According to my Google search it might be some kind of store-bought buttery cookie, under the brand name of 'Nilla', am I right?
Thank you for your answer in advance!
3/4 flour. does that mean 3 or 4 cups? because its very runny if just 3/4th
Hey Oksana- 3/4 cup is correct. When you beat the eggs long enough, the dough will get fluffy. I hope this helps!
Hey Kata, you can skip out on the wafer, its there for the crunch. But if you find any wafer, it would work.
In Europe they are called waffle /wafle & can be bought in vanilla or hazlenut flavoured fillings. I recently bought some in a chinese supermarket. Great recipes🥮
Thank you for that tip, Theresa!
can i put less sugar? i am seeing that 1 cup sugar to 3/4 cup flour it will come too sweet?
Hey dear, you can add a little less sugar but it does add to the fluffiness of eggs so try to reduce it by only a little.
How long does it tale to whisk eggs and sugar? Mine doubled in size but stayed yellowish rather than pale like yours when folded with flour
I think eggs play a roll in the color, taste should stay the same.
Hi.. It looks amazing.. one question.. for instant milk powder , can i use the normal milk powder ? Is that same ? Also can we make the cake base without baking powder and baking soda for other cakes as well?
Hey, the cake base doesn't need baking powder or soda. Instant milk adds a nice flavoring to the cake, regular milk wouldn't give it same kind of flavor.
Don’t you add baking pwdr in to this
Hey Reshma, all the recipe ingredietns are listed, you don't need baking powder. Eggs really make this dough all fluffy.
Can you mix 'Heavy Whipped Cream' with:
1 cup Unsalted Butter softened
10 oz Condensed Milk
1/2 cup Coconut Flakes
1/4 cup Instant Dry Milk
(Instead of the cream cheese)?
Yes, it will be a different cream but it will work as well.
My cake definitely does not look like yours lol. I triple checked the ingredients and instructions and really can't find where I went wrong. My cake is flat and holey (mini bubbles) Please help!
Hey Alana, Its really hard to say because it could be several things. If it's flat, I think the eggs were not whisked long enough. Or when you add flour the dough was not carefully mixed and lots the airy bubbles. Did it not rise?
Hi Natalya! I made this and it rose twice its size in the oven and then when I took it out it flatten to its original size. What do you think I did wrong? I thought I whisked the eggs and sugar a really long time and it became white. You think I should have had it longer or that my temperature was to low?
Sincerely,
Anna
Hey Anna, if it dropped after baking, it's most likely underbaked. Hope this helps.
I remade it beating the eggs longer and it definitely came out better. Thanks for responding. Cant wait to try it.
OK, I am glad it worked better the second time around. 🙂
Hi
Cake looks amazing.
Can I use another flavor instead of almond extract ?
Thank you !
Hey dear, coconut extract would be really great addition or skip it all together.
Hi
This cake looks amazing & can’t wait to make it.
Just 1 question could I make the sponge & freeze it & then cream it at another time?
Hey Natalie, you definitely can freeze it for later. Just keep it in a sealed container.
Quick question..the instant dry milk..do i just add the powder in like that? Or i dissolve the powder first and then add the dissolved milk in the cream?
Hey Yuliya, Just add the powder and it will add some flavor to the cream.
Thank you so much..and for replying so quick!
Looks super, do you think I could use coconut milk in stead of normal milk?
That's a great idea. Soak up the cake with coconut milk, it will be so bomb!
Can I ask which flour it is? I am in the UK - Is it plain/all purpose?
All purpose flour here in USA. I am assuming yours would be same.
Is this cake heavy like cheese cake or light like the actual filling of the candy?
Its more of a sponge cake. Most of the flavor would come from the cream itself.