Sugar Cake

Name: Sugar Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Grenadian
Ingredients: 2 cups freshly grated coconut; 2 cups sugar; 1 cup water; 1 tsp ground ginger; 1 tsp vanilla extract; Pink food colouring (optional); Pinch of salt

Sugar Cake (SHUH-gah CAKE)

Coconut and Ginger Sugar Confection

⏱ Prep Time 30 min

📈 Difficulty Easy

👥 Servings

🔥 Calories 202 kcal

A crunchy, crystallised confection of freshly grated coconut cooked with sugar and ginger until it sets into crumbly, pink-tinted squares of pure sweetness.

Nutrition & Info

Protein 1.0g

Carbs 36.0g

Fat 6.0g

Protein Carbs Fat

Dietary

vegetarian vegan dairy-free gluten-free nut-free

Equipment Needed

heavy saucepan wooden spoon flat tray

Presentation Guide

Vessel: wax paper or small plate

Garnishes: none needed

Accompaniments: cocoa tea, juice

Ingredients

2 cups freshly grated coconut
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pink food colouring (optional)
Pinch of salt

Instructions

1
Combine sugar and water in a heavy saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring until sugar dissolves completely.
2
Add grated coconut, ginger, vanilla, and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens.
3
Continue cooking until the syrup reaches soft ball stage and begins to crystallise around the coconut.
4
Add a drop of pink food colouring if desired. Stir to distribute evenly.
5
Working quickly, spoon mounds onto a greased flat tray or parchment paper.
6
Let cool completely until firm and crystallised. Store in an airtight container.

💡

Did You Know?

Sugar cake is sold by street vendors throughout Grenada in distinctive pink and white colours, and children consider it the ultimate school-time treat.

Chef's Notes

Equipment Tips

heavy saucepan
wooden spoon
flat tray

Garnishing

none needed

Accompaniments

cocoa tea, juice

The Story Behind Sugar Cake

Sugar cake is a beloved Caribbean confection with roots in both West African coconut sweets and the abundant sugar produced on Caribbean plantations. In Grenada, sugar cake became a cottage industry, with home cooks producing batches for sale at markets, school gates, and roadside stalls. The traditional pink colouring is purely aesthetic but has become so iconic that a white sugar cake is considered unusual. This simple confection embodies the spirit of Caribbean home enterprise.

🕐 Traditionally enjoyed snack or treat anytime 📜 Origins: African-Caribbean confectionery

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