The last Tuesdays With Dorie recipe for the month of March is Coconut Tea Cake. There seem to be a lot of people who don’t really like coconut. Josh will eat coconut if there are enough other ingredients in the recipe to mask the texture and flavor and doesn’t seem to mind coconut in curry, but since he is pretty ambivalent about coconut desserts (the tarts from the beginning of the month? unfinished), I rarely bother to make them unless it’s baking group assignment. Luckily, I saw my family this month and I knew they would appreciate coconut cake.
I made the plain version, with the optional rum. I used light coconut milk, and since I didn’t think it had a very strong coconut flavor, I increased the amount of shredded coconut in the recipe from ¾ cup to one cup. I also reduced the sugar from 2 cups to a cup and a half since I used sweetened coconut. A lot of bakers reported that their cakes were moist, but mine was on the dry side. Not so much in a bad way, more like a light and very airy way. I was happy to have a chance to use my Kugelhopf pan, admittedly for only the second time. The first time was when I made a recipe from Baking for All Occasions, which has foolproof instructions for preparing pans with intricate designs: a layer of shortening (I used butter), a coating of nonstick spray, and a dusting of flour. It does seem a bit overly cautious, but it works.
My parents both enjoyed the cake. My mom said it is “the type of cake you can eat any time of day,” which is pretty much exactly what Dorie said in the recipe notes. I tried it plain and thought it was good, though I wouldn’t have minded a bit of fruit sorbet on the side or a light glaze. This cake gets a 7.2 for Deliciousness and a 3 for Effort, for an EDR of 2.4. Many thanks to Carmen of Carmen Cooks for selecting this yummy cake. You can find the recipe on Carmen’s site and visit the TWD blogroll to see what the other bakers thought.
23 comments:
What a beautiful cake! I love it in the Kugelhopf. I'm going to remember that method for preparing the pan...hopefully there will be no more maimed bundts! We thought this was good it wasn't something I'll probably repeat.
Agreed - a lovely every day cake. I use Pam with Flour in that same pan and never have a problem.
Oooh, it looks like it goes in the product catalog for the pan... gorgeous!
I'm glad you had some coconut non-haters to enjoy it with. My hubs is a hater too.
Beautiful - I just love that bundt pan! I did the Mocha-Walnut Bundt this week, so I can't wait to try this one! :)
I love y our pan..your cake looks so pretty! I wish the coconut flavor was stronger too.
Im glad your mom enjoyed it!
Your cake looks beautiful!!! Great job. I read that some ppl thought the cake was dense. Glad yours turned out light and airy. Btw, I always use non-sticking cooking spray that has flour in it (like Baker's Joy) and it works every time. If it works on my Rose bundt pan (which has a very intricate design), it'll work on anything. You can see my Rose pan here: http://hanaaskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/01/hcb-whipped-cream-cake.html.
Oh, another tip which works great too w/o having to buy non-stick spray w/flour: melt 2 Tbsp butter, cool slightly, add 2 Tbsp flour, stir, then use brush and apply it to the pan. I've done this before and it works. Now I'm lazy and just use the spray w/flour. Since recently, there is an alternative to Pam w/flour made by the people of Crisco (which is a little cheaper). I use Baker's Joy.
Another pan I must purchase. Your cake is beautiful. I thought it was yummy.
a stunning cake - it's a blonde beauty.
Wow! Yours is so pretty! Glad you enjoyed it.
It looks so pretty! thanks for the tip on preparing a bundt pan - with something like that, I like to be overly cautious. I almost never add glaze if it's not called for, but I did this time and it was a nice touch.
I love that pan Margot! If I had room for more pans in the house it'd be on my list :) I was too lazy to grease my pan (even though I knew it would make release easier) so I just sprayed with the cooking spray with flour. My cakes resisted coming out but luckily I did eventually succeed!
Your cake is beautiful. I love your pan. This sounds like a perfect cake for tea time!
Oooo, I am going to have to get a pan like that! Gorgeous!!
Your cake is gorgeous! I love how it came out in the kugelhopf pan. I'm glad your family enjoyed it. Thanks for baking with me this week!
the cake looks great! Glad you were able to make it for some coconut fans!
Your cake turned out beautifully! I'm going to have to get one of those Kugelhopf pans!
The kugelhopf pan sure does make a lovely cake.
Oh, your cake looks so pretty in the Kufelhopf mold. I haven't used mine since we made the kugelhopf and I'm looking forward to using it for this cake. I made the mocha bundt this week because I was out of coconut milk. I love reading the posts for this cake because I'm getting some wonderful ideas.
Gorgeous! I didn't think I needed that pan, but you have changed my mind. I glad your family enjoyed it. We are making it for easter.
Mimi
Wow, this looks really good in Kugelhopf!!
Whoa! That cake looks fabulous! I love the sharpness of it. Nice job!
okay, your cake looks awesome in that pan. just beautiful.
i just made mine and will have it for Easter dessert. Can't wait to try it!
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