Southern Coconut Cake (Cake Slice Bakers)

Friday, February 20, 2009

Southern Coconut Cake
Southern Coconut Cake

For this month's, Cake Slice Bakers, we voted to make Southern Coconut Cake from Alisa Huntsman's book: Sky-High Cakes: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes. (Luckily, I made it early before my oven started giving me troubles.)

I must tell you something. I'm not a fan of flaked coconut. I do enjoy coconut milk in Thai food curries and the "makes me weak in the knees" mango with sticky rice. But I can't stand the texture of flaked coconut. Seriously, there is very little difference between coconut and dental floss.

And that's why I love my job. It's interesting, challenging, and there is a group of people who like coconut!! :)

Southern Coconut Cake Southern Coconut Cake
I loved the cake. The cake has a lovely crumb and uses coconut milk for a delicious (sans dental floss) coconut yumminess. Okay, I had to make this cake twice. The first time, I completely missed the sugar! What?! How did that happen? Well, this recipe uses the fat-flour method and mixes the dry ingredients with the butter before adding in the wet ingredients. If it started with creaming the butter and sugar, I wouldn't have forgotten the sugar (at least I hope so! :) Oh, well, it was sorta funny when it happened!

Southern Coconut Cake
I made the frosting twice too! The original recipe calls for an Italian meringue technique (adding hot sugar syrup to egg whites), but I tried the Swiss meringue technique (heating the sugar and egg whites over a double-boiler) since I'm more familiar with it and I can get the egg whites up to 160 degrees. But adding the cream cheese/butter mixture didn't go as planned and I ended up with soup (the meringue was probably too warm). All my fault. I should have followed the recipe exactly and not messed with it!

Southern Coconut Cake
I ended up creaming together 12 ounces (1 1/2 blocks) of cream cheese, 4 T (1/2 stick) of butter, 2 cups of powdered sugar and 2 t vanilla for a frosting. It was yummy and easy.

Southern Coconut Cake
My co-workers really liked it. I could smell the coconut from my desk! I pushed off the dental floss and enjoyed the cake and cream cheese frosting.

You can find the recipe on Gigi's blog but you should really buy the book: Sky-High Cakes by Alisa Huntsman. All the recipes have been sooooo good!! Can't wait for next month's selection!
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40 comments:

Foodiewife said... [Reply to comment]

OMG. Why did I click on your blog while I am at work...and I am trying to cut back on dessert. I am a fan of coconut (I laughed at the dental floss part). I am soooo tempted to make this-- eat ONE slice and pawn the rest off on my office.
Beautiful photos...makes me want to lick my monitor.
Debby

Megan said... [Reply to comment]

I'll never look at coconut the same way again :)

aleta meadowlark said... [Reply to comment]

Ahaha, I've totally missed pivotal ingredients before. Did you try it at all? Or did you realize before you baked it?

Maria said... [Reply to comment]

What a gorgeous cake! And I love the huge piece of cake, yum!!

Monica H said... [Reply to comment]

I just bought this book and I got it int he mail a couple days ago. I looked through it and there were so many cakes I wanted to make. I was a little disappointed that not every cake had an accompanying picture though. What's up with that?

Steph said... [Reply to comment]

I'm not a fan of flaked coconut either. I never thought of it as dental floss, but now I will..haha. I forgot to add sugar to a muffin recipe once and I was quite suprised after taking my first bite. It was kinda like muffin-bread and not very good.

Jacque said... [Reply to comment]

You share my husband's dislike of coconut, it sounds like.

Way to be a trooper and get the cake done. It looks fabulous.

steph- whisk/spoon said... [Reply to comment]

secon time's a charm--looks great! you can send any coconut baked goods my way! :)

Gigi said... [Reply to comment]

Your cake came out so tall and gorgeous! Glad to hear the co-workers enjoyed it!

Anonymous said... [Reply to comment]

This is such a funny count down to a beautiful cake.. something about mile high cakes that make them so chic.

Elyse said... [Reply to comment]

Your cake looks just gorgeous! Hey--we've all forgotten something important in a recipe before; I left the flour out of CCCs one (how, I don't know)! But, your final product looked absolutely beautiful and so delicious. I can't stand the texture of coconut either, so I pulverize it in the food processor until it's just like a powder and incorporate that into my baked goods!

Dana Treat said... [Reply to comment]

You did a beautiful job! It looks totally perfect. I'm hot and cold on coconut but it is my dad's absolute favorite. His birthday is next week so I'm thinking I'll make this (I love that book!)

Sihan said... [Reply to comment]

oh.. pity the cream cheese meringue frosting didn't work for u. you shld have another go at it! it was divine.

Nonetheless, your cake still looks like a jewel encrusted crown. Fabulous work! glad that everyone enjoyed it!

Y said... [Reply to comment]

My goodness, what a cake, what a cake! I love how tall it is!

betty geek said... [Reply to comment]

I am leaving right now for a slice of that cake. Be there in a few! Don't eat all of it! ;)

Katie said... [Reply to comment]

Your cake looks gorgeous. I bet you had some very happy co-workers

Marthe said... [Reply to comment]

Wow, now you've got me craving coconut!!

Linda said... [Reply to comment]

Mary, gotta love your tenacity! I think I would have tossed in the towel after attempt #1.

Your hard work shows, as that is one beautiful cake!!

Jamie said... [Reply to comment]

Oh my goodness! That looks incredible!

How To Eat A Cupcake said... [Reply to comment]

That book has been sitting on my Amazon wishlist for a while now... I should just go ahead and get it!

Brooke said... [Reply to comment]

Girlfriend you can BAKE! I usually fear such things, but you make it look so good and so easy. Thanks for the inspiration and the new craving I have for coconut cake! Yum!

Mary Jo said... [Reply to comment]

i was totally tempted to make a traditional cream cheese frosting for the cake. glad to see you did with such great results.

Jodie said... [Reply to comment]

Great cake! Too bad it gave you so many problems. :)

Karen said... [Reply to comment]

OMG, I haven't had coconut cake in years! This looks so pretty :)

Anonymous said... [Reply to comment]

I hope your co-workers know how lucky they are!

VelezDelights said... [Reply to comment]

This looks so good! It's a shame I couldn't make it this month (I just had way too much to do)... I'll definitely be joining you guys for next month =)

Anonymous said... [Reply to comment]

hehehe dental floss...
I would have done the same..scraped the flakes off and then eat it.

It really is something to do it twice..good job...

Coco Cake Land said... [Reply to comment]

GOODNESS GRACIOUS. i really did start salivating here, and i even just ate a giant frozen yogurt!! this looks sooo awesome... and so cute!!

pigpigscorner said... [Reply to comment]

Wow...looks gorgeous! Love how white it looks and the layers...yum yum!

gluten free pammy said... [Reply to comment]

oh my gosh I think i need to try this,pam

Fit Chick said... [Reply to comment]

Beautiful layers, and I love coconut!!!

Mary Ann said... [Reply to comment]

It turned out beautifully. I thought this was one of the best tasting cakes I have tried in awhile.

Amanda said... [Reply to comment]

Well even with having to make both the cake and the icing twice, it came out stunning!!!

I'm trying to stop by all my blogging friends and let them know that i've started a new blog event called Thrifty Thursdays if you are interested in blogging along! http://amandascookin.blogspot.com/2009/02/gauging-interest-thrifty-thursday.html :)

spike. said... [Reply to comment]

That looks perfect. Nothing about that cake says dental floss to me!

Irene said... [Reply to comment]

I hate flaked coconut too, but your cake looks yum, especially the cream cheese frosting!

The Blonde Duck said... [Reply to comment]

This reminds me of that Alton Brown episode where he searches for the Cake Lady. GORGEOUS cake!

TeaLady said... [Reply to comment]

Cake looks yummy whatever frosting you used. Made the syrup/meringue last week for first time with TWD. It actually turned out. Love coconut and your cake.

Pamela said... [Reply to comment]

Looks really pretty!

cakeflower said... [Reply to comment]

Beautiful..I could eat that for breakfast!

J.L. Danger said... [Reply to comment]

oh my god! I love this cake! Love it. I have been looking for an authentic recipe, and this one just entered the mix! Thanks!

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