Coconut Cake recipe needed

[Janet H]

Does anyone have a great coconut cake recipe? I need tp make a b-day cake for a friend and her favorite flavor is coconut. I'm having a hard time finding a decent recipe.

 

[sarah]

I once used a recipe from some site that i dont remember now,a quick coconut cake recipe which was pretty easy but very tasty.It called for a boxed yellow cake mix.instead of water add coconut milk and add a few drops coconut extract.For frosting use standard cream cheese frosting covered with sweetened flaked coconut liberally..
If u wanna make it from scratch i would suggest Paula deen's recipe.It looks pretty good.
As far as i'm concerned i use my standard vanilla cake or yellow cake recipe whenever i'm in the mood for a coconut cake,and tweak it a little bit.I always use both vanilla and coconut extracts and coconut milk instead of buttermilk or regular milk.Cover with cream cheese frosting and shredded coconut mostly and sometimes i also use white velvet frosting thats made with granulated sugar,softened butter and corn starch cooked with milk.

 

[ChefJune]

Oh, my dear! This coconut cake is so easy and SO delicious! You make it in a bundt pan, and by the time it's cold and you turn it out, the glaze you pour over has made the best topping for it. I just sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar and fill the hole with strawberries (for effect). Everyone who loves coconut raves about this cake! You can see a photo of it on my web site, here.

Coconut Pound Cake​

makes 1 10-inch tube (or bundt) cake or 2 9x5-inch loaf cakes

1 pound unsalted butter
2 cups pure cane sugar
2 cups flour (divided in half)
6 extra large eggs
7 ounces shredded, unsweetened coconut (get it at the health-food store)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make sure the rack is in the center of the oven. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan. (I use a bundt pan.)
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (Carmen says “as a shampooed cat”).
3. Add one cup flour and beat some more.
4. Meanwhile, add the vanilla to the eggs (in a separate bowl). Then add eggs one at a time to batter, beating well after each addition.
5. Now mix coconut with the remaining one cup flour and add to batter, using a wooden spoon to incorporate. Pour into desired pan(s).
6. Bake about 45 minutes to one hour. Be sure to test with a cake tester or long toothpick to be sure it comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake. [If it doesn’t come out clean, leave it in a few minutes longer!]

The glaze
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon pure extract (almond or vanilla--be inspired)

1. Combine sugar and water and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add extract. Glaze is now ready.
2. When cake comes out of the oven, poke holes through cake with skewers and pour on glaze while cake is warm – while the cake is still in the pan. Don’t remove the cake from the pan until it is completely cool

Teacher’s Tip: This cake is best 24 hours after baking. But it generally can't make it until then, so bake two and eat one warm and hold the other until the magic 24 hours are up! (quote from Carmen Cook)

 

[4meandthem]

I bet some lime zest would be good in that glaze. Both cakes sound good.

 

[ChefJune]

I like Lemon with coconut a lot. When I make a coconut layer cake (NEVER from a box, sorry) I like to fill it with lemon curd and frost it with coconut buttercream. I like a snowy white cake for my layer cake.

I have tosay, though, that my "Coconutty Guy" would rather have the coconut pound cake! and it's lots easier and quicker to put together.

 

[Janet H]

I appreciate all these suggestions and they have helped form a plan. I think I'm going to make a basic layer cake and substitute coconut cream for the milk and adjust the sugar appropriately. I'll add some shredded coconut and some additional almond extract and shredded lemon.

Here's the basic recipe I have in mind:

• 3 sticks butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 extra-large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 teaspoons almond
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk

For icing, I'm considering a cream cheese icing and then coat with toasted coconut and top with chocolate curls. I want this thing to look great and so will put a chocolate ribbon (modeling chocolate) around the base. Test bake tonight....

Do you have any thoughts about the coconut cream substitution?

 

[ChefJune]

You'll have no problems with that substitution. it's equal parts liquid for liquid.

 

[Janet H]

So - here's a wrap report: I made the earlier recipe - it was pretty good but very sweet and quite dense. I iced it with a cream cheese icing and loaded on the shredded coconut. I added a ribbon of modeling chocolate around the base and a chocolate dragonfly to the top for interest.

It looked great and was intensely coconut-y but I will keep looking for a better recipe.

 

[CWS4322]

What about researching a tropical inspired coconut cake...I'm thinking rum, I'm thinking pineapple, I'm thinking toasted coconut...maybe a sponge cake or an "obst torte" made as a cake...I'd want something to offset the sweetness of the coconut, so I'd probably not make a frosting, but would glaze it--maybe some rum, pineapple juice (fresh, no sugar added) and maybe some lime or lemon...dip wedges of the pineapple in dark chocolate and dip the tips in unsweetened toasted coconut...I don't know, I'm not a big sweets eater.

 

[sarah]

So - here's a wrap report: I made the earlier recipe - it was pretty good but very sweet and quite dense. I iced it with a cream cheese icing and loaded on the shredded coconut. I added a ribbon of modeling chocolate around the base and a chocolate dragonfly to the top for interest.

It looked great and was intensely coconut-y but I will keep looking for a better recipe.

Good looking cake..the chocolate dragonfly looks so cute !

 

[ChefJune]

It looked great and was intensely coconut-y but I will keep looking for a better recipe.

I'm telling you, Janet, try my Coconut Pound Cake. It is also intensely coconutty, super easy, and not overly sweet. (but plenty sweet enough)