If there is any one dish that I am known for, it is my coconut cake. When I say known, I do not mean known like the way that say, Jamie Oliver is known. I simply mean that within my circle of friends and family, people tend to remember that I make a coconut cake and that I make it well. Take for example, my stepfather who, after splitting up with my Mother for ten years, upon finally re-uniting with her said to me the first time I visited them in their new home, “Hi Tov, when are you gonna make me a coconut cake?” NotI “It’s been a while”, not “how are you”, but “make me a coconut cake”.
Then there are the random texts on Saturday afternoon from my best friend Amy that read simply "make the coconut cake.", as if I would even have any way of getting it to her all the way in CT. And the late night e-mails from various unrecognizable addresses. I miss your coconut cake. In a conversation with my most recent ex, whom I now consider a very good friend, he said the only thing he envied my current boyfriend was, you guessed it, my coconut cake.
The secret about my coconut cake is this: I’ve never made it the same way twice. The first time I made it I couldn’t have been any more than twelve years old. It was a birthday gift for my Mom who adores coconut more than any other flavor of dessert there is (yes, even chocolate). Since then I’ve made it so many times that I no longer need to look at a recipe. It was the first recipe I ever “mastered”, and I imagine that if I simply continued to make it the way I did that very first time, it would still taste just fine, but for some reason I can’t seem to help myself. It’s become a sort of long term project. I am determined, within this life, to make the hands-down-best coconut cake that ever existed, ever.
My recent trip home to the east coast was a perfect opportunity to tweak my recipe just a little bit more for the people who love my coconut cake the best. This time I took inspiration from Smitten Kitchen and used a variation on this cake for the base. Oh, and I made it gluten-free to accommodate my grandmother who has Celiac disease, by simply substituting this for regular flour.
My recent trip home to the east coast was a perfect opportunity to tweak my recipe just a little bit more for the people who love my coconut cake the best. This time I took inspiration from Smitten Kitchen and used a variation on this cake for the base. Oh, and I made it gluten-free to accommodate my grandmother who has Celiac disease, by simply substituting this for regular flour.
It was a damn tasty coconut cake. Possibly the best one I’ve made yet.
Until the next time, that is.
The Best Coconut Cake (So Far)
I will leave it up to you to use whatever white/yellow cake recipe you happen to like best, although as I said before, I had great success with this one. After years of making this cake I can promise you that the cake itself is besides the point. The real focus here is on the coconut, which I’ve incorporated a number of different ways and which truly ends up dominating the flavor.
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
2 cups mascarpone
confectioner’s sugar to taste (about ½ cup alltogether)
1 tall, round white or yellow cake cut horizontally in half
or
2 small round white or yellow cakes trimmed so that they fit on top of each other neatly
1 can coconut milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup coconut shavings
Preheat the oven to 325
Mix the shredded coconut with mascarpone in a bowl. Sweeten to taste using confectioner’s sugar (regular sugar leave a grainy texture). Set aside
Place one cake or cake half on a serving platter or cake stand. Using a fork, poke a few holes in the top of the cake. Just a few. You want it to still maintain structure. Open the can of coconut milk and mix well to be sure that the creamy layer on top is incorporated into the more liquid layer underneath. Drizzle lightly over the top of the cake and into the holes you poked with the fork. Be sure not to flood the cake - you want the coconut milk to be absorbed by the cake, adding moisture and infusing it with flavor, but not creating too wet or sticky of texture.
Spread all of the coconut-mascarpone mixture over the coconut-soaked bottom layer of your cake. Use a butter knife to make a smooth, even coating. Then carefully top with other cake/half-cake. Poke a few holes in the top layer of cake as well and lightly drizzle with coconut milk again.
Add the vanilla extract to the heavy cream in a large bowl. Sweeten to your liking with more confectioner’s sugar (I like it just barely sweet - a tablespoon or two). Whip the cream into stiff peaks. You want it a bit thicker than typical whipped cream - think spreadable. Use the cream to frost the cake all the way around. I generally make a mess while doing this and clean it up and smooth it out later.
Toast the coconut in a single layer on a baking sheet, keeping an eye on it so that it reaches a perfect golden brown and does not burn. This generally takes about five minutes. Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the top of the cake. Chill until ready to serve.
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
2 cups mascarpone
confectioner’s sugar to taste (about ½ cup alltogether)
1 tall, round white or yellow cake cut horizontally in half
or
2 small round white or yellow cakes trimmed so that they fit on top of each other neatly
1 can coconut milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup coconut shavings
Preheat the oven to 325
Mix the shredded coconut with mascarpone in a bowl. Sweeten to taste using confectioner’s sugar (regular sugar leave a grainy texture). Set aside
Place one cake or cake half on a serving platter or cake stand. Using a fork, poke a few holes in the top of the cake. Just a few. You want it to still maintain structure. Open the can of coconut milk and mix well to be sure that the creamy layer on top is incorporated into the more liquid layer underneath. Drizzle lightly over the top of the cake and into the holes you poked with the fork. Be sure not to flood the cake - you want the coconut milk to be absorbed by the cake, adding moisture and infusing it with flavor, but not creating too wet or sticky of texture.
Spread all of the coconut-mascarpone mixture over the coconut-soaked bottom layer of your cake. Use a butter knife to make a smooth, even coating. Then carefully top with other cake/half-cake. Poke a few holes in the top layer of cake as well and lightly drizzle with coconut milk again.
Add the vanilla extract to the heavy cream in a large bowl. Sweeten to your liking with more confectioner’s sugar (I like it just barely sweet - a tablespoon or two). Whip the cream into stiff peaks. You want it a bit thicker than typical whipped cream - think spreadable. Use the cream to frost the cake all the way around. I generally make a mess while doing this and clean it up and smooth it out later.
Toast the coconut in a single layer on a baking sheet, keeping an eye on it so that it reaches a perfect golden brown and does not burn. This generally takes about five minutes. Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the top of the cake. Chill until ready to serve.
Wow, that does look delicious. Nice to have a dish you can make really well -- never know when you'll need it for a last minute party!
Posted by: Jacqueline | 09/28/2011 at 10:27 PM
Ne regarde pas amusant incroyable. Vous pouvez simplement sur nous pour fournir cela, ils ont la bonne bouffe peut être tellement obligés ..
Posted by: casino en ligne | 11/09/2011 at 07:39 AM