Toasted-Coconut Sugar Crust

The detail that lifts this dessert above an ordinary tres leches is its finish — not a plain sugar dusting but sugar shot through with toasted coconut for aroma and crunch. Toast flaked or shredded coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat (or on a sheet pan at 325°F), stirring often and watching closely, as it turns from pale to scorched in seconds; take it to a deep, even gold and cool it completely. Pulse the cooled coconut with granulated sugar to a sandy, aromatic crumb. Add it only at the moment of serving so the crunch stays crisp against the wet cake rather than dissolving into it.