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Coconut Cashew Cake (Sanwin Makin)
Rich with the flavor of coconut, traditional Burmese semolina cake, called sanwin makin, is made by cooking the semolina into a thick porridge before baking. We lightened the cake’s texture by using a straightforward cake-mixing method and added ground cardamom for fragrance and flavor. Toasting the semolina and shredded coconut first brings out their nuttiness, and soaking them in coconut milk softens their texture so the cake bakes up with a soft crumb. Roasted cashews add texture and visual appeal to the golden brown cake. Though sanwin makin is usually served chilled, we like our cakey version at room temperature or even slightly warm, with lightly sweetened whipped cream on the side.
1
9-inch cake
Tip
Don’t use light coconut milk, which lacks the richness of full-fat coconut milk. And don’t forget to stir the coconut milk before using. Avoid cream of coconut and sweetened coconut flakes, both of which contain added sugar. They will make the cake too sweet.
1 hour
Ingredients
-
170
grams (1 cup) semolina flour
-
30
grams (⅓ cup) plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut, divided
Directions
-
01Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Line the bottom of a 9-inch-round cake pan with a round of kitchen parchment. Mist the parchment and sides of the pan with cooking spray.
Reviews
February 20, 2026
A Favorite of my Burmese Friend
I’ve been making this cake for several years for a Burmese friend’s birthday party, which he always celebrates in a Chinese restaurant with 40-50 other friends. Over the years, I’ve made some modifications to the recipe which I’d like to share. The first is to mix the hot semolina with HOT coconut milk (heated in the microwave until steaming) in a stand mixer equipped with a whisk attachment. This allows the starch in the semolina to rapidly absorb the liquid, resulting in a thicker batter, into which the cashews won’t sink. Second, in order to enhance the richness and coconut flavor of the cake, I use palm sugar instead of brown sugar and unrefined coconut oil instead of butter. To feed that many people, I bake 3 cakes: a single recipe in a round 9” pan and two double recipes in 9”X13” pans. Everyone loves it.
June 22, 2023
Light and sweet
Made this after watching milk Street. Turned out perfect
April 24, 2023
Coconut Cashew Cake
This cake was moist, subtly sweet and delicious!
April 17, 2023
Delicious
This cake was easy to make, not too sweet, just the right texture and extremely tasty! I will definitely be making this again
August 19, 2024
Tasty
Added a bit of vanilla. Not too sweet and easy to make.
Could the semolina be replaced by cornmeal for a GF version? Or perhaps something else? Looks amazing but I can't have semolina.
Made a mistake of keeping the oven at 350 when I started (must have not hit the start button), but I think it turned out well. There is a Burmese restaurant near me and I've tried their sanwin makin. This is quite similar in flavor, but I have to say I prefer the texture of theirs, which is reminiscent of a flourless cake texture.
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Made per recipe and it came together exactly as expected. Always appreciate that Milk Street's recipes are so reliable for outcome. Delicious. Best served day it is baked we think. Leftovers were good but glad we baked it morning of day we planned to serve it for guests.