Culture & context
About this dish
Toto is a Jamaican coconut cake associated with home baking and family gatherings. Older versions made resourceful use of coconut, flour and molasses or wet sugar.
Did you know? Toto is an old-fashioned Jamaican coconut cake valued for a moist, close crumb rather than the light texture of a modern sponge cake.
Food-safety note
Cook eggs fully and use pasteurised milk products. Allow the cake to cool before cutting.
Equipment needed
- 23 × 33 cm / 9 × 13-inch baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Two mixing bowls
- Hand mixer or sturdy whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 360 g (3 cups) all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 170 g (¾ cup) butter, softened
- 200 g (1 cup) brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 200 g (2 cups) grated coconut
- 250 ml (1 cup) coconut milk or evaporated milk
- 75 g (½ cup) raisins, optional
Before the heat
Preparation steps
- Prepare the pan Grease and line the pan so the coconut-rich cake lifts out cleanly.
- Bring ingredients to workable temperature Use softened butter and room-temperature eggs for a smooth batter.
- Measure flour lightly Spoon flour into the cup and level it rather than packing it down.
At the stove
Cooking instructions
- PrepareHeat oven to 180°C / 350°F. Grease and line a 23 × 33 cm / 9 × 13-inch pan.
- Mix dry ingredientsWhisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- Make batterCream butter and sugar, beat in eggs and vanilla, then alternate dry ingredients with milk. Fold in coconut and raisins.
- BakeSpread evenly and bake 35–40 minutes until a tester comes out clean.
- Cool and cutCool in the pan 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack and cut when fully cool.
Working timeline
- 0:00–15 minutes: Heat the oven, line the pan and measure ingredients
- 15–30 minutes: Mix the batter
- 30–70 minutes: Bake until set and fragrant
- 70 minutes onward: Cool before lifting out and cutting
Chef’s tips
- Cream the butter and sugar well before adding eggs for an even crumb.
- Fold in coconut and raisins only until distributed; overmixing after flour is added can toughen the cake.
- Begin checking before the maximum time because coconut can make the edges brown quickly.
Common mistakes
- Packing the flour into measuring cups and producing a dry, heavy toto.
- Overmixing the finished batter and developing too much gluten.
- Leaving the cake in the oven until the centre is very dry instead of removing it when a tester has only a few moist crumbs.
What to serve with it
- Tea
- Coffee
- Fresh fruit
Storage & reheating
Keep airtight at room temperature 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days. Freeze squares up to 2 months.
Recipe sources
References consulted for this recipe:
Editorial note
Reviewed for Jamaican context by James Dunn, LimeGrid founder — Jamaica.