Coconut Cake with Swiss Buttercream

As you may or may not know most of my baking is inspired by my oh so sweet husband. It usually goes like this - Z: "I want sweets." Me: "What would you like?" Z: "I don't know..." Me: "Well until you decide I can't help you." ..... Days later he has finally made up his mind and it's always the most random item. This time, coconut cake. I think I've made coconut cake one other time and it wasn't anything fabulous. Lately I figure there is no reason to put effort into baking unless it's for something amazing. Which in turn means it'll be time consuming and involve ingredients I don't have sitting in my pantry. This cake pretty much fits that description to a T. But it is so worth it! The only thing I would change is the frosting, I mean swiss buttercream is amazing, but it definitely takes some time AND just look at the ingredients... Go ahead, scroll down, I'll wait................. Ya, that's right, 3 STICKS of butter. Next time I'm going for a "lighter" version and will use my go to regular buttercream frosting. Until then, enjoy, and if you have some free time, take a go at this lovely, fluffy cake. You won't regret it. 

XO,
Brooke

White Cake Ingredients:

2¼ cups cake flour (9 ounces)

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk, at room temperature

1/2 cup coconut milk

6 large egg whites (¾ cup), at room temperature

1 teaspoon coconut extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1 inch vanilla bean seeds)

1½ cups + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (11.35 ounces)

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon table salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1½ sticks), softened but still cool

Coconut Pastry Cream Ingredients:

1 can (14 fluid ounces) unsweetened coconut milk

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

pinch kosher salt

3 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons corn starch

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup sweetened coconut flakes

1/2 cup whipping cream

Coconut Syrup Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup coconut water

Coconut Swiss Buttercream Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

4 large egg whites , at room temperature

24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon coconut extract

3 cups sweetened coconut flakes

Directions:

Make the cake: Set oven rack in middle position. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or butter/flour two 9-inch cake pans very well. Add a parchment paper circle in the bottom of each and grease that too. You don’t want your layers to stick! Pour milk, egg whites, and extracts into a small bowl and whisk gently until blended.

In a large bowl, whisk together cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and continue beating until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no powdery streaks left.

Add all but about 1/2 cup of milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of milk mixture and beat 30 seconds more. Scrape down the sides of bowl before beating just a little longer.

Divide batter evenly between two prepared cake pans and smooth the tops with a spatula. Arrange pans on middle rack. Bake until a thin skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes.

Let the cakes rest in pans for a few minutes before running a knife around the edges of the pan and inverting the cakes onto wire racks. Invert them again so they’ll be right-side up and let them cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours, before wrapping in wax paper and plastic wrap to freeze until pretty firm, about 30 minutes.

Make the coconut pastry cream: Heat the coconut milk, sugar, salt and vanilla bean or extract in a medium saucepan over medium heat. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and corn starch. Once the cream is hot, remove the vanilla bean (if used), scraping out any remaining seeds and returning them to the cream. Add 1/2 cup of the hot cream slowly to the yolks, whisking as you add, to temper the eggs so they won’t cook into an omelette in the middle of your pastry cream. That would be a bummer. Then pour the yolk mixture into the pot of hot cream and whisk. Continue to whisk with heat on medium-high for 3 more minutes. The mixture will turn thick and bubble. You need to continue to whisk for the full 3 minutes or the pastry cream will separate once it is cool. After the 3 minutes, whisk in the butter. Add the coconut flakes. Pour into a shallow dish to cool.

Cover with plastic wrap pressed right against the pastry cream. This will prevent a thick skin from forming on the surface. Refrigerate for at least an hour or freeze for 30 minutes. Once it is cold, stir the pastry cream to loosen. Whip the 1/2 cup cream to medium peaks. Stir in 1/3 to the pastry cream to lighten. Fold in the remaining cream until the pastry cream is nice and light.

To make coconut syrup: Combine the sugar, water, and coconut water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool completely, about 20 minutes.

Make Coconut Swiss buttercream icing: Combine sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil without stirring until syrup reaches 240° on a digital thermometer, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a stand mixer with whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. With mixer on medium speed, gradually pour in hot syrup in a thin stream; avoid pouring syrup on whisk. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks form and mixture is cool, about 8 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add butter 1 tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition. (If at any time buttercream appears curdled, beat on high until smooth, then reduce speed to medium and continue beating in butter.) Once all butter is added, beat on high speed until buttercream is smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in vanilla and coconut extract.

Assemble the cake: Carefully slice each cake layer in half with a long serrated knife. Drizzle a couple tablespoons of coconut syrup over the “inner” side (the one that seems most porous) of each layer. Spread 1/3 of the coconut pastry cream filling onto the first cake layer. Spread it almost to the edge, but pipe a thick bead of buttercream around the very outside edge of each layer to ensure no spillage. Sprinkle with flaked coconut. Repeat with the other layers. Frost the cake with a very thin crumb coat and set it in the freezer to set for about 15 minutes. Bring it out and continue frosting the rest of the cake generously. Carefully push handfuls of fluffy coconut all over the sides of the cake and on top. Keep the cake in the refrigerator, but let sit out for about 30 minutes before slicing and serving so the frosting will be soft.

 

Proving that no one is perfect....

And homemade is all about taste...

Not looks. ;)

Happy St Patricks Day!

Have a happy green day from The Baking Wives!

3 Generation Brownies

I've known these brownies since I was little. My grandma has always made them as well as my mom. My husband tasted them when we were first dating, 7 years ago, and fell in love with them. They are not light like your normal brownies, these babies are dense & chewy. The only difference between these brownies and the original recipe is the frosting. My mom always just bought chocolate frosting and I just can't do that. I decided on a really fudgey frosting for extra richness. So yum! You definitely get a sugar rush from these. 

Now I'm going to give you the recipe for the regular 9x13 dish, I half them sometimes because it's hard to finish a huge pan of brownies without feeling really bad. Haha. So if you have a mean conscience, like me, you can just half this recipe.

Ingredients:

2 C all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

4 unsweetened chocolate squares

2/3 C butter

2 C sugar

4 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 C chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Melt chocolate and butter together in microwaveable bowl, it's best to melt chocolate for 30 seconds first, add the butter for another minute. Mix sugar, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl for 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the chocolate and butter to wet ingredients, mix until just combined. Add dry ingredients. Grease a 9x13 pan with butter and dust with flour. I have found this to be the best way to get these brownies out after baking since they are so dense. Spread batter into pan and bake for 20-25 minutes. Once done let cool for 30 minutes and frost. Don't you worry, I'll give you my frosting recipe!

Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients: 

3 1/2 oz milk chocolate chips

3 oz semi sweet chocolate chips

2 C powdered sugar

1/4 C milk

1/4 C butter, softened

2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

Melt chocolate in double boiler over stove, or in a glass bowl over boiling water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until melted and smooth. You could also put the chocolate in the microwave, checking every 30 seconds until fully melted. 

Pour the chocolate into mixing bowl of a mixer and add powdered sugar, milk, butter, vanilla, and salt. Beat until smooth, I used the whisk attachment this last time and it made the frosting slightly fluffier which I liked. You can use either attachment. Since this frosting is slightly warm I always let it sit for 30 minutes while the brownies are cooling. Once set, you have 2 options. The first option is what I do, I flip the brownies onto a platter and then frost them. Your second option would be to frost in the pan and cut as you want a piece. Either way they taste awesome! Top with nuts and enjoy!

Grand America Hotel’s Bread Pudding Recipe

When I first tasted this dessert at The Grand for a work lunch, I was in heaven. I forgot what the conversation was about and could only think of how to recreate this amazing bread pudding. Luckily, Carrie, Director of Events, emailed me the recipe! EEEK! I couldn't wait to get baking! Well, actually, I could..I waited about 3 weeks. This is a no fail, delicious dessert. The rum sauce is what it's all about!

Okay, don't call your dietician after reading these ingredients. It's like a Paula Deen recipe on steroids.

Grand America Hotel’s Bread Pudding Recipe

Ingredients:

1 Cup Whole Eggs, Whisked

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

1 Cinnamon Stick

3 Cups Heavy Cream

1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract

12-16 oz Croissants

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs very well and set aside. Heat the cream with the sugar, cinnamon stick, and vanilla extract. Heat until hot, but not simmering. Whisk the eggs into the hot mixture, then strain and set aside. In a seperate bowl, break up the bread into small pieces. Pour the custard over the bread and mix very well. Let the bread soak in the custard for 10 minutes. Distribute into a 9x13 baking dish and cover with foil. Place the dish in a large pan filled with 1 inch of hot water. Bake for 60 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

Rum Sauce

Ingredients:

1 Cup  Granulated Sugar

2/3 Cup  Dark Brown Sugar

2/3 Cup Apple Juice

¾ Cup Heavy Cream

1 ½ Tbsp. Meyers Rum

1 Cup Unsalted Butter

Directions:

Place sugar, brown sugar, apple juice, heavy cream, and rum in a sauce pan, stir to combine. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. With an immersion blender, blend in the butter. Continue blending the sauce about 4-5 minutes. Cool the sauce in an ice bath until reaching room temperature. Keep in refrigerator, covered until ready to serve.

What could taste bad with these ingredients?

For the eggs, I used large eggs, and it turned out to be 5 whole eggs whisked together to equal the cup.

The cinnamon and vanilla make the custard so warm and yummy tasting.

I didn't strain this custard, like the directions say. I just dumped it in, took out the cinnamon stick of course.

 I would lay on this pile of custard and croissants if I was a small person.Try not to break up the pieces to much when mixing, I did more of a folding method.

 I didn't blend the butter with an immersion blender, I just put two sticks in and heated up the mix and stirred until all the butter was melted. I am sure there is a reason for the blender, but 1) I don't have one and 2) melting and stirring was my next best choice. Also I used Bacardi Rum instead of Meyers- it was cheaper.

I split the batch up into 2 8x8 pans, one to take to a dinner party and one to leave home for Wes and I to devour late night. It took about 40 minutes for both to bake. Bake until a knife comes out clean.

OH MAN! Every bite was just as I remembered when I first tasted this.You will LOVE this recipe! Happy Baking!

Blackberry Cobbler

So first off please don't mind my terrible pictures. Nasty yellow light is of the devil but once night time hits and you are too lazy to pull out your external flash, you get over it. Besides it's the taste that counts, right? On to the cobbler!

This cobbler is so yummy and even better, it's so simple! I was watching The Pioneer Woman the other day, don't you just love her?!, and she was making this. I then realized I had blackberries, and butter was calling my name. She makes it in this beautiful ceramic dish that feeds 8 people but since it's just Zack and I, I decided to halve the recipe and pull out my oh so pretty ramekins. I love my ramekins, lately I've been baking quick desserts in them and everything turns out so good. They also tend to make me feel slightly better about eating sweets since they are 1 serving. Ha!

Like I was saying, the recipe is so simple. Here's Ree Drummond's original recipe http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/08/the_great_cobbl/ in case you want to make a bigger batch, but I'll give you a quick rundown of my smaller version.

Ingredients:

1/2 stick butter

1/2 C sugar

1/2 C self rising flour

1/2 C milk

A couple blackberries per ramekin

Melt butter in microwavable dish. Mix together sugar, flour, and milk. Whisk in butter. Grease 2 ramekins and pour batter into each. Each ramekin turned out to have a 1/2 cup of batter in them. Perfection. Drop blackberries into batter filled dishes and sprinkle with sugar. 

Bake in the oven at 350° for 25 minutes. Check for doneness and let cool for 10 minutes. Top with whipped topping or ice cream and enjoy!