Coconut Cake - A Diaz Men Recipe

Sunday dinner is a special time in our home.  We always try to have a special meal and when possible a special dessert.  Yesterday i asked everyone what we should have and received a resounding..."I don't know!"  Thanks to pinterest we pulled up my dessert board and the men of the house declared Coconut Cake the winner.  I said "happy baking" because I had just finished preparing a big meal and was left with no desire to prepare a "from scratch" cake no matter how yummy it might be.  They got busy and a couple of hours later this was their creation.

Not only does it look great but it tasted delicious!   I love a cake made from scratch and this one was excellent. The cake itself is simply wonderful vanilla.  The frosting by consensus wasn't our favorite but it was good.  It wasn't the taste we weren't crazy about it was just very similar to marshmallow cream which we aren't crazy about.  When we make this again we decided it should have some type of whipped cream frosting.  All in all it was a hit and I am ecstatic because I have been searching and baking trying to find a really good vanilla cake and i finally did!

Great job my handsome bakers!

Can we say S.I.L.L.Y.?

Recipe thanks to "The Heritage Baker"

Classic Coconut Cake
Modified recipe from Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott

Yield: 8 to 10 servings; enough frosting for any layer cake, 2 (9×13-inch) cakes, or 3 to 4 dozen cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

Cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk (or unsweetened coconut milk, if desired)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs

Frosting

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• About 3 cups sweetened shredded coconut

METHOD

To Make the Cake:Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) round cake pans. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together well. Set aside. In a measuring cup, stir the vanilla into the milk.

In a large bowl beat the softened butter on medium speed until creamy. Add the sugar and continue beating, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl twice, until the mixture is light and evenly combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition, until the mixture is thick and smooth.

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat on low speed until completely incorporated. Add 1/2 the milk/vanilla, beating well. Beat in another 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the remaining milk, and finally the remaining flour, beating well each time until the batter is very thick and smooth.

Quickly scrape the batter into the prepared cake pans, dividing it evenly, and place them in the oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cakes are golden brown, spring back when touched lightly in the center, and begin to pull away from the sides of the pans.

Place the pans on wire racks and cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and place back on the racks, right side up, to finish cooling completely. Once cool you have the option of splitting each layer in half to create 4 thinner layers.

To Make the Frosting:Bring about 3 inches of water to an active simmer (bubbles breaking the surface regularly) in a medium saucepan. Meanwhile, in a heat-proof bowl that fits snugly into the saucepan, combine everything except the vanilla. Beat with a mixer at low speed for 1 minute, until the mixture is pale yellow and very foamy.

Place the bowl over the simmering water and beat at high speed for 7 to 14 minutes or more, until the frosting becomes white, thick, and shiny, and triples in volume. Continue beating until the frosting forms firm peaks and loses some of its shine. Remove the bowl from the heat, add the vanilla, and continue beating for 2 minutes more.

To Frost the Cake:Place one cake layer, top-side down, on a cake stand or serving plate. Cover it generously with frosting and sprinkle with some of the coconut. Place the second layer on top of the first, top-side up. First frost the sides to help keep the cake steady, and then spread frosting generously over the top, completely covering the cake.

Place the cake stand or serving plate on a baking sheet to catch any loose coconut as you sprinkle it onto the cake. Once the top is covered, gently pat coconut handfuls of coconut onto the sides. Make sure there are no bare spots.

Transfer any unused coconut to a jar or resealable plastic bag and store it in the freezer.

Flourless chocolate cake

WARNING: THIS RECIPE IS ONLY FOR SERIOUS CHOCOLATE FANS!!

You see I am a fan...a fan of Bakerella...a fan of Paula Deen...and a die hard fan of C.H.O.C.O.L.A.T.E. It was a wonderful chain of events inspired by chocolate. It began with Paula and her "Chocolate Celebration 2008" magazine which in turn inspired Bakerella which in turn inspired me.

It was my turn this month to host the book club and I wanted to do something fun and yummy. We read the book "Galileo's Daughter" and I was at first trying to come up with some kind of food to do with the solar system or the stars (I know, funny right?) Then it hit me how simple it was. Galileo had a deep love for Florence (Italy that is), his home. As a result, I chose food from Tuscany the region of Italy in which Florence is located.

So naturally I thought of this delicious cake. Naturally? You ask. Naturally for me...Rodrigo took me to a very popular Italian restaurant,Cucina Rustica, while on our honeymoon in Sedona, Arizona and this was the very dessert we ate. This was not only the beginning of our love affair but of our love affair with Italian cuisine.

It was the first and last time I have eaten flourless chocolate cake until now. I was afraid of attempting the recipe myself as I often have this experience of food tasting better in my memory than in my real life re-creation. However, this one did not disappoint. It was as fabulous made right here in my home as it was sitting in that very pricey but wonderful restaurant. So, don't be afraid...go ahead...give it a try.

I'll list the ingredients here but, Bakerella gives such a wonderful explanation on preparing it that I'll just leave her link to it at the bottom.

What you'll need:

• 9 inch spring form pan
• parchment paper
• non-stick cooking spray
• 6 large eggs (yolks in one bowl and whites in another)
• 8 0z semi-sweet chocolate
• 4 oz dark chocolate
• 2 sticks of butter (1/2 lb)
• 1 1/4 cup sugar

BAKERELLA INSTRUCTIONS

Cake Truffles

I guess my family really liked these because this lone truffle is all that is left within a few short hours of making them.

To make these I used the "Red Velvet Cake Balls" recipe from Bakerella. I did not have a red velvet cake mix so I used a chocolate cake instead. I have to say that I definitely prefer the red velvet cake to the chocolate on chocolate, but they were still yummy.

Spider Man Birthday Cake w/homemade Buttercream icing

My Son is crazy about super heros especially Spider Man. I recently made him this cake just to make him feel special. We celebrated his 3 1/2 birthday. I have never before made a cake like this before. It was a first and turned out better than I expected. I purchased the cake pan at Micheals and used a boxed cake mix. The cake pan comes with terrific directions to prepare and decorate. I used a great buttercream icing recipe from the Bakerella blog. It was yummy!

Strawberry Cake

It is a tradition in my family that we get to pick what kind of cake we want for our birthday and Aunt Lisa, Lisa Condrey to many of you, makes it for us.  This is a frequently requested one by family members.  One bite and you will know exactly why.  My birthday is less than a month away and this recipe has me clicking my heels and chanting "There's no place like home".

Ingredients

1 white cake mix     1 pkg. Strawberry Jello,sm

¾ cup oil                   ½ cup warm water

4 eggs                         1 pkg. Frozen strawberries

                                     (crushed)

Directions 

Mix eggs and oil.  Add cake mix.  Dissolve Jello

In the ½ cup warm water and add to the mix.

Add ¾ of the crushed strawberries.  Bake in

Three layers in a 350 degree oven for 35-40

Minutes.

 

Icing:

1 stick butter

1box powdered sugar(10X)

Remaining strawberries

Mix together the butter and sugar and add

Strawberries as needed until spreading consistency(I use ALL the strawberries).  At

This point I add 3 oz.cream cheese.

Apple Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping and Brown Sugar Glaze

By Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 stick plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apples

Crumble Topping:

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Brown Sugar Glaze:

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with 2 teaspoons of the butter.

In a large bowl, cream together the remaining stick of butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after the addition of each. In a separate bowl or on a piece of parchment, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients, alternating with the sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the apples. Pour into the prepared baking dish, spreading out to the edges.

To make the topping, in a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter, and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the cake and bake until golden brown and set, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.

To make the glaze, in a bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla, and water and mix until smooth. Drizzle the cake with the glaze and let harden slightly. Serve warm.

Gluten-Free, Lemon Almond and Polenta Cake

One of my most favorite people in the world is cursed with celiac disease so I am always on the look out for yummy gluten-free treats. My new found favorite baking blog Joy the Baker posted this delicous gluten-free lemon cake recipe. I myself haven't tried though I am going to next week. I'll let you know how it goes but in the meantime you can check it out on her blog.