Baking Hack Redux: Coconut Layer Cake with Fluffy Coconut Frosting

This is a rerun. A very, very good rerun. This cake is wonderful. But still a rerun, and I have a reasonably good excuse: I haven't been posting in quite a while because my sweet, brave husband died much sooner than expected from pancreatic cancer back in late February. Been a very hard couple of months. I have lost my blogging mojo; I have lost my zest for many things, but I am putting one foot in front of the other, and really want to get back to cooking and blogging. So I thought it would be a great idea to sign myself up for BlogHer's May challenge to post to my blog every day in May. The topic we're writing around...and on, is "Nourish". Because if anything, this blog nourishes me  in so many ways, and I hope it does you, too. Holy Crap. What was I thinking. Of course I totally forgot until just now, and it's May 1st at 7 PM. So, here I am whomping up an oldie but goodie, and will get myself in gear earlier tomorrow. Promise.  Luckily this cake is SO good, I feel no guilt whatsoever.

Cake Hack: Coconut Layer Cake with Fluffy Coconut Frosting

I will admit, that one of the best coconut layer cakes I ever ate was from Joanne Chang's"Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe". I will also admit that while delicious, it is not the fastest, least messy recipe, either. In a weak moment, a few months ago, I promised my friend Matt a coconut birthday cake, completely forgetting the fact that his birthday comes when I am frantically getting the garden ready for the growing season. I had to come up with a cake that wouldn't take a half day to make since I needed some of that day to fool with raised beds and irrigation systems. It also had to be a wonderful cake since Matt is a fine cook / chef. Luckily he's no food snob, but he sure knows merely "good" from good.
Yes, I am making excuses for this cake hack. But this cake is good, really good, and as long as you don't go all food-snotty on me I'll share the recipe, because there are things like cake mix, and marshmallow fluff in it. You don't need any excuses to make it, not even a birthday. Just make it because it's Monday and you survived the weekend. Make it and hold your head high.

Coconut Layer Cake with Fluffy Coconut Frosting

For the cake:

1 16.25 oz. box white cake mix
cooking spray
1-1/4 cups canned coconut milk, full fat
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
3 egg whites
1-1/2 tsp. natural coconut extract

For the frosting and filling:

16 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
14 oz. tub of marshmallow fluff, minus 1/4 cup
2 tsp. natural coconut extract
1 14 oz. bag of sweetened, flaked coconut


1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF or to the temperature recommended on your cake mix box. Spray 2 round cake pans (8" or 9") with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Mix the cake according to the package directions, substituting the coconut milk for the water or other liquid, the coconut oil for the vegetable oil, and after adding the egg whites, add the coconut extract. Beat on low speed with a hand mixer until just blended. 

3. Pour the batter into the pans, dividing it evenly between them, and bake until it just springs back when touched. Use the box instructions as a guideline, but mine was done in about 30 minutes. cool in the pans for 10 minutes, and then turn the cakes onto a rack to cool completely

4. When the cake has cooled completely, place the softened cream cheese into a medium mixing bowl, and with an electric hand mixer whip the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the coconut extract, and then gradually add the marshmallow fluff a few spoonfuls at a time until the frosting is of a spreadable consistency.

5. Remove about 2 cups of the frosting to another container, and mix in 1 cup of the flaked coconut. This is the filling for between the layers. Cover both bowls and chill for about an hour.

6. Set one cake layer, domed side down on a cake plate and spread the filling evenly over the top. Place the second layer, flat side down on the filling and covert the cake with the frosting. Once the cake is completely iced, carefully press palmfuls of flaked coconut around the sides of the cake...feel free to do the top, too, if you wish. Store covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours, or or covered and refrigerated for up to 3 day, although it won't last that long. Serves 8 more or less...

Baking Hack: Coconut Layer Cake with Fluffy Coconut Frosting

Cake Hack: Coconut Layer Cake with Fluffy Coconut Frosting

I will admit, that one of the best coconut layer cakes I ever ate was from Joanne Chang's
"Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe". I will also admit that while delicious, it is not the fastest, least messy recipe, either. In a weak moment, a few months ago, I promised my friend Matt a coconut birthday cake, completely forgetting the fact that his birthday comes when I am frantically getting the garden ready for the growing season. I had to come up with a cake that wouldn't take a half day to make since I needed some of that day to fool with raised beds and irrigation systems. It also had to be a wonderful cake since Matt is a fine cook / chef. Luckily he's no food snob, but he sure knows merely "good" from good.

Yes, I am making excuses for this cake hack. But this cake is good, really good, and as long as you don't go all food-snotty on me I'll share the recipe, because there are things like cake mix, and marshmallow fluff in it. You don't need any excuses to make it, not even a birthday. Just make it because it's Monday and you survived the weekend. Make it and hold your head high.

Coconut Layer Cake with Fluffy Coconut Frosting

For the cake:

1 16.25 oz. box white cake mix
cooking spray
1-1/4 cups canned coconut milk, full fat
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
3 egg whites
1-1/2 tsp. natural coconut extract

For the frosting and filling:

16 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
14 oz. tub of marshmallow fluff, minus 1/4 cup
2 tsp. natural coconut extract
1 14 oz. bag of sweetened, flaked coconut


1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF or to the temperature recommended on your cake mix box. Spray 2 round cake pans (8" or 9") with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Mix the cake according to the package directions, substituting the coconut milk for the water or other liquid, the coconut oil for the vegetable oil, and after adding the egg whites, add the coconut extract. Beat on low speed with a hand mixer until just blended.

3. Pour the batter into the pans, dividing it evenly between them, and bake until it just springs back when touched. Use the box instructions as a guideline, but mine was done in about 30 minutes. cool in the pans for 10 minutes, and then turn the cakes onto a rack to cool completely

4. When the cake has cooled completely, place the softened cream cheese into a medium mixing bowl, and with an electric hand mixer whip the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the coconut extract, and then gradually add the marshmallow fluff a few spoonfuls at a time until the frosting is of a spreadable consistency.

5. Remove about 2 cups of the frosting to another container, and mix in 1 cup of the flaked coconut. This is the filling for between the layers. Cover both bowls and chill for about an hour.

6. Set one cake layer, domed side down on a cake plate and spread the filling evenly over the top. Place the second layer, flat side down on the filling and covert the cake with the frosting. Once the cake is completely iced, carefully press palmfuls of flaked coconut around the sides of the cake...feel free to do the top, too, if you wish. Store covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours, or or covered and refrigerated for up to 3 day, although it won't last that long. Serves 8 more or less...

Grainless Wonder: Lime Coconut Cupcakes with Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

Put the Lime in the Coconut and eat them all up.

Coconut Lime Cupcakes. She put the lime in the coconut...I was so enamored of the cake Chuck made for me for my birthday, that I just had to try another version, using white beans. Honestly, if I didn't tell you they were made with beans, stevia and erythritol, you'd never know. Coconut and lime seem summery to me, and I also had the ingredients on hand. Noting having to run to the store is key for me. 

♫ Brother bought a coconut, he bought it for a dime

His sister had another one, she paid it for a lime.

She put the lime in the coconut, she drank them both up...♫

Every time I say the name of these cupcakes, I want to start singing the Harry Nilsson version of this song. Fortunately, this cupcake recipe will not give anyone a bellyache ( like the song says) because it is grain free, gluten free and sugar free. It's also pretty low carb, too, by my calculations, less than 6g per cupcake. Your calculation may differ.



No coconut shreds in them, but they do have excellent coconut flavor, ideally use the Frontier coconut flavoring; but real coconut extract will do. Coconut flour and coconut oil really up the flavor ante. The lime keeps them from being too sweet. You can buy the Boyajian Lime oil here, or over at Amazon, and in some good baking stores. You can leave it out if you want, but I'd double up on the zest if you do. I started out with a recipe I found called Healthy Yellow Cupcakes over on the blog Healthy Indulgences, and ran with it. They're topped with a decadent cream cheese frosting pumped up with some lime zest, lime juice and lime oil. I've used navy beans, as they have the least beany flavor, which totally disappears after the cakes stand for about 8 hours. Keep the frosted cupcakes refrigerated. We ate our first cupcakes after about 5 hours and noticed no bean taste at all. Just deliciousness.

Almost eaten all up.

Adapted from Healthy Indulgences

Coconut Lime Cupcakes with Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

1 15 oz. can of navy beans, drained

6 large eggs

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

3/4 teaspoon pure stevia extract

2/3 cup granular erythritol

2 tsp. natural vanilla extract

2 tsp. Frontier alcohol-free Coconut Flavoring

1/2 tsp. Boyajian Lime oil

6 packed tablespoons of coconut flour

2 T lime zest

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place 12 cupcake papers into a  cupcake pan, and spray the inside of the papers with cooking spray. Set aside. In a blender container or a food processor, place the beans, and all the ingredients through the lime oil. In a small bowl, mix the coconut flour, the lime zest the salt, the baking soda, and the baking powder. Set aside. Puree or process until perfectly smooth, scraping down the container as necessary. Add the coconut flour mixture and blend or process until mixed in completely. Fill the 12 prepared cupcake cups with the batter, place in the oven, and bake about 20-25 minutes until they are beginning to brown at the edges. Let stand on a rack about 10 minutes, then carefully remove the cupcakes from the pan and let cool completely on a rack before frosting. 

Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8oz. package of cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup granular erythritol

1/8 teaspoon pure stevia extract

1/2 tsp. Boyajian Lime oil

3 T lime zest

2T fresh lime juice

Pinch of sea salt

With a hand mixer, beat everything together in a medium size bowl, beat about 3-4 minutes until the erythritol dissolves and is no longer grainy. Frost cupcakes as desired. Make enough frosting for 12 cupcakes.

Not For Passover: Triple Coconut Macaroons

Last week, when I trashed poor Aunt May’s awful Passover Macaroons in the Matzo Ball post, what I neglected to tell you, is that even though hers were dreadful, I still make macaroons in her honor every year. Just not her recipe. And these are certainly not kosher.

I found this recipe in the February 2000 issue of Cooks Illustrated and have never so much as looked at another macaroon recipe. They’re perfect. Moist, toasty, and loaded with coconut, dipped in chocolate. What could be bad? Nothing, unless you don’t love coconut.

These keep very well if you store them airtight, at least for a week. I’ve never tried to freeze them as they never last long enough to try.

I'm sorry, Aunt May, but I bet you'd have loved these, after the holidays.

Triple Coconut Macaroons
From Cooks Illustrated February 2000
Makes about 40

"From Cook's Illustrated. Be sure to mix the cream of coconut thoroughly before using (shake cans), as the mixture separates upon standing. Unsweetened desiccated coconut is commonly sold in natural food stores or Asian markets. If you are unable to find any, use all sweetened flaked or shredded coconut, but reduce the amount of cream of coconut to ½ cup, omit the corn syrup, and toss 2 tablespoons cake flour with the coconut before adding the liquid ingredients. For larger macaroons, shape haystacks from a generous ¼ cup of batter and increase the baking time to 20 minutes. For the chocolate-dipped: Using the two-stage melting process for the chocolate helps ensure that it will be at the proper consistency for dipping the cookies. // Note: Be sure to use sweetened cream of coconut as this is the primary sweetener for the macaroons."
Ingredients

• 1 cup cream of coconut ( sweetened cream of coconut, not coconut milk)
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 4 large egg whites
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups unsweetened shredded desiccated coconut
• 3 cups sweetened flaked coconut ( about 8 ounces)

Chocolate-Dipped

• 10 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (optional)

Directions
 Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and lightly spray parchment with nonstick vegetable cooking spray.

  Whisk together cream of coconut, corn syrup, egg whites, vanilla, and salt in small bowl; set aside. Combine unsweetened and sweetened coconuts in large bowl; toss together, breaking up clumps with fingertips. Pour liquid ingredients into coconut and mix with rubber spatula until evenly moistened. Chill dough for 15 minutes.

 Drop heaping tablespoons of batter onto parchment-lined cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Form cookies into loose haystacks with fingertips, moistening hands with water as necessary to prevent sticking. Bake until light golden brown, about 15 minutes, turning cookie sheets from front to back and switching from top to bottom racks halfway through baking.
 Cool cookies on cookie sheets until slightly set, about 2 minutes; remove to wire rack with metal spatula.

 To make Chocolate-dipped:
 Cool cookies to room temperature on wire rack, about 30 minutes.
 Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Melt 8 ounces chocolate in small heatproof bowl set over pan of almost-simmering water, stirring once or twice, until smooth. (To melt chocolate in microwave, heat at 50 percent power for 3 minutes and stir. If chocolate is not yet entirely melted, heat an additional 30 seconds at 50 percent power.) Remove from heat; stir in remaining 2 ounces chocolate until smooth. Holding macaroon by pointed top, dip bottom and ½ inch up sides of each cookie in chocolate, scrape off excess with finger and place on cookie sheet. Refrigerate until chocolate sets, about 15 minutes.