Coconut Cake with Coconut Rum

So it was my birthday last week. And I made this amazing cake with coconut and more coconut. I was sad when it got polished off.

I want to talk about love today. Because I am brimming over with it. I am so thankful for all the love in my life… sometimes it comes in the most obvious ways and other times in an unexpected manner. Whatever it is, I would like to embrace it. And I do.

This trip of mine to India was amazing in the amount of love that I received from the people that I met. The love that I received from my friend Priyanka that gave me the opportunity to shoot her important day. The man in her life that without even knowing me welcomed me in his life just because I am her friend.  The new and very funny people that I met at the wedding.

My old friends that I again connected with as if the years in between hadn’t happened.

And the love that I came back to. Love that needn’t be voiced (even though is so wonderful to hear) but is just felt.

This cake is therefore about love. Love for life. Love for cake + coconut! 🙂

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Coconut Cake with Coconut Rum

 

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adapted from here.

Author: boxofspice

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• For the Cake
• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• ½ cup shredded coconut
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¼ cup oil
• 1⅓ cups well shaken canned coconut milk, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature, yolks and whites separated
• 1 tsp coconut rum
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
• ⅛ tsp cream of tartar
• 
  
• Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
• 12 oz. cream cheese, nearly at room temperature
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp coconut rum
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cups shredded coconut

Instructions

1. To prepare the cake, preheat oven to 350°F/175°C.
2. Butter and flour three 7-inch round cake pans and set pans aside.
3. Sift cake flour into a large mixing bowl, then add baking powder and salt and whisk mixture for 20 seconds. In the bowl blend together granulated sugar, butter and the oil on medium speed until well combined. Add in egg yolks one at a time and mix until combined after each addition (reserve the 2 egg whites), then mix in coconut rum and vanilla extracts. Working in three separate batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, add ⅓ of the flour mixture, alternating with ½ of the coconut milk and mixing just until combined after each addition. Lastly add the shredded coconut.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whip 6 egg whites with cream of tartar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold ⅓ of the egg whites into cake batter at a time and fold just combined after each addition (don't over-mix and deflate egg whites). Divide batter among prepared cake pans. Spread batter into an even layer and bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 19 - 22 minutes. Allow to cool in cake pan 5 - 10 minutes then run a knife along edges of cakes and invert each onto a wire rack to cool. Cool completely.
5. For the coconut cream cheese frosting. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter with cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Mix in coconut rum. Add powdered sugar and whip on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Chill as needed if frosting seems runny (slightly runny is fine).
6. To put the cake together, spread the cream cheese top of one layer, add another layer and apply more cream cheese then top with last layer and pour the rest on top. Sprinkle cake evenly with shredded coconut on top (you can also add the shredded coconut in between the layers).

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