What do I do when my guy asks for a coconut birthday cake?  I think winter wonderland. It’s not my fault his birthday falls in December.  I got to making his cake and instead of going with a traditional decoration I went the holiday route.  In the end I put some birthday candles so he’d have something to blow out…. He didn’t mind, as long as he got his cake!

Ingredients for coconut almond cake:

2 1/3 – cups flour

1/2 – cup sliced almonds (coarsely chopped)

1 – teaspoon baking soda

1/2 – teaspoon salt

1 – cup buttermilk

3 – eggs

1 – cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 – teaspoons almond extract

1 1/2 – teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/3 sugar

2 – cups sweetened shredded coconut

Ingredients for the frosting:

16 – ounces cream cheese (room temperature)

1 – cup butter (room temperature)

1 1/2 – teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 – cups coconut

1/2 – cup strawberry preserves

Optional decoration:

Holiday cookies

red candies

dried cherries or cranberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit.

Spray edges of (2) 8-inch round cake pans and place a round piece of wax paper at the bottom of pan for easy removal.  Set to the side.

In a small bowl add flour, almonds, baking soda, and salt.  Mix with a fork and set to the side.

In a mixing bowl add buttermilk, eggs, vegetable oil, almond extract, vanilla extract, and sugar.  Mix on low speed to combine for about 2 to 3 minutes.  Then slowly add in flour mixture till combined.  Fold in coconut.

Fill both prepared pans with cake batter, make sure to give each pan the same amount.

Bake for 30 to 32 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Remove from oven and allow cakes to cool completely.  Then remove from pans and remove wax paper bottom.

Let’s make frosting: In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese and butter till smooth for about 2 minutes on a medium high speed.  Then add in vanilla and mix for an additional minute.  Next add in the powdered sugar a little at a time mixing until completely combined and fluffy.

Place one cake upside down on a cake plate and frost with cream cheese frosting, then spread strawberry preserves in the inside leaving a half inch away from the edge.  Then top with the other cake.  Fill with frosting all around the edges in the open space between both cakes.

Then frost entire cake.  Once completely frosted place coconut on entire cake.  If you wish place holiday cookies around the edge of cake and make a border with red candies and dried cranberries or cherries.  Happy Holidays!  Or in my man’s case, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

                                                 All photos taken by: Nicole Presley

 This coming Saturday my community is holding a pre-Thanksgiving celebration for families in need.  I will be in charge of teaching the children how to bake and decorate cupcakes.  This is the recipe I came up with along with the finishing decorating look that screams the colors of fall.  Note to reader: These cupcakes are friggin’ delish and a perfect alternative to pumpkin pie for your T-giving dinner!

All photos taken by: Nicole Presley 

Ingredients for Pumpkin Coconut Mini Cupcakes:

3 – cups of sugar

4 – eggs

1 – 15 ounce can Libby’s Pumpkin Puree

1 – cup vegetable oil

2/3 – cup water

3 1/2 – cups all purpose flour

1 – teaspoon salt

2 – teaspoons baking soda

1 – teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 – teaspoons ground ginger

1 – cup shredded sweetened coconut

Ingredients for Cream Cheese frosting:

8 – ounces cream cheese (room temperature)

1 – cup butter (room temperature)

1 – teaspoon vanilla extract

2 – cups confections sugar (powdered sugar)

Optional:

1/2 -cup dried cranberries

1/2 – cup pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

Line mini cupcake sheet with cupcake baking cups. Set to the side.

In a mixer combine sugar, eggs, Libby’s pumpkin puree, vegetable oil and water. Mix until well combined about 2 to 3 minutes.

    

Meanwhile in a medium bowl mix flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and ginger together. Once all dry ingredients are combined add in coconut and mix well.

Now add flour/coconut mixture to the pumpkin mixture a little at a time with the mixer set to medium low. Make sure to mix well.

    

Fill each mini cupcake baking cup with 1 tablespoon of mixture. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Once cupcakes cool…. make the cream cheese frosting.

In a mixer combine cream cheese and butter, and mix for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add vanilla and mix till combined. Last add in confectioners sugar a little at a time till completely combined.  Spread cream cheese frosting on top of each cupcake and decorate with dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds for a festive holiday look.  ENJOY!

Makes 72 mini cupcakes.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am known to adore many things, but one of my favorite foods is coconut.  I heart coconut confections, cookies, cakes, paletas,  you name it…. if one of the ingredients is coconut there is a good chance I love it.  The real truth is I have never made anything from a whole coconut, I usually buy the shredded sweetened coconut in a package, and go from there.  This time I tested my kitchen skills and decided to break open a fresh coconut to make a coconut flan.  I was nervous to see what the results would bring.  Me and my loved ones were smitten by the gorgeous scent this flan perfumed my kitchen with, so the anticipation of the actual taste was utter excitement.  ONE bite in,  I knew this flan was the one for me…. I’ll never be the same.

All photos taken by: Nicole Presley 

Ingredients for coconut flan:

1 – Melissa’s Produce sweet young coconut (to make 12 oz. coconut milk)

5 – large eggs

6 – ounces cream cheese

1/2 – tablespoon almond extract

1/2 – tablespoon vanilla extract

1 – can sweetened condensed milk (14oz.)

3/4 – cup cajeta

3/4 – cup shredded sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

First things first. Take your sweet young coconut and cut off the diamond shaped point on top with a sharp knife. Then poke a hole in the exposed shell and pry off the circular crown.

Drain and reserve all the liquid. Once all the liquid is drained, break the coconut in half and spoon out the flesh.

Marry the two in a blender and blend for 3 minutes to get a thick coconut milk. Then pour through a sieve and collect the coconut milk…. this should make 12 ounces.

Pour coconut milk back in the blender, along with the eggs, cream cheese, almond extract, vanilla extract, and sweetened condensed milk. Blend for a minute or until completely combined.

Spray a bundt pan with a non stick baking spray, then fill the bottom with cajeta.

Next pour in flan mixture. Then top with shredded sweetened coconut.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place inside a large pyrex baking dish. Pour hot water into the pyrex baking dish to fill up half way.

Then place the baking dish into the oven and bake for 1 hour.

Once out of the oven, remove from water bath and uncover to allow cooling. Run a small knife around the edge to ensure it from sticking.  Let the flan rest for one hour then flip it over onto a plate. Slowly lift pan up away from plate. Then put in the fridge for 5 hours or overnight.  ENJOY!!!!!!

No compensation was received for this post. I was provided with a sample of  Melissa’s Produce young sweet coconuts to aid this recipe. The recipe and opinions are my own.