Fresh Coconut Cake

Fresh Coconut Cake

Coconut cake and Easter Decoration
For some reason I associate coconut cakes and Easter, however, I think I dreamed this up myself.  When spring comes I start thinking of light desserts though. 

The shredded coconut on the cake brings a tropical flavor to this dessert and brings out  thoughts of summer and warm weather.

I made this cake with a cream cheese icing flavored with coconut juice. The mixture of the slightly sour cream cheese and sweet coconut juice is an excellent combination and helps to keep this cake from being super sweet.

This cake recipe is enough for (2) 16 cm round cake pans (4 cm height)


Coconut Cake
3 eggs room temperature
90 grams sugar
90 grams flour
2 grams baking powder
20 grams butter (melted over hot water)
1 tablespoon Monin Coconut Syrup 

1. Heat Oven to 180 C & prepare the baking pans with by lightly buttering them and dusting with flour.
2. Combine flour & baking powder and set aside. Melt butter in a small bowl over hot water.
3. Combine the eggs & sugar. Mix together until yellow and fluffy. 
4. Sift the flour/baking powder into the egg mixture and mix with a spatula. Add a little to the melted butter and mix – add back to the bowl.
5. Pour the mixture into the baking pans and bake at 180 degrees for about 20 – 25 minutes. Rotate pans while baking if necessary.
6. To check if done, insert a skewer into the center of the cake, it should come out clean.
7. Remove from oven and set pan on wire rack for a few minutes and then remove from the pan to cool thoroughly.

Butter Cream Topping


130 grams cream cheese (softened)
25 grams butter (room temperature)
80 grams powdered sugar
1 tablespoon Monin Coconut Syrup

50 grams shredded coconut for decoration

  1. Mix the butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer until soft. Gradually add in the powdered sugar and lastly add the coconut juice.

Prepare the cake:
1. Remove the extra crumbs on the cake around the outside.
2. Place one cake on a plate (cut the top so that it is flat & even).
3. Spread the butter cream icing neatly on the top & sprinkle some coconut and then add the 2nd layer on top. Spread the butter cream on the top and sides of the cake neatly. A palette  knife is helpful to spread the icing. Lastly, sprinkle with the shredded coconut so that it stays on the cake. Remove any extra that has fallen off.
4. Decorate as you like.




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Kathy
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Tropical Mango & Raspberry Mousse Cake

Tropical Mango & Raspberry Mousse Cake

Mango & Raspberry Mousse Cake
 

This cake has several steps to it which may put you off but grab a friend or a family member to split the work with and it will finish quickly.

Inside the cake is mango mousse and raspberry gelatin filling so in total 3 items to make.

This  recipe is enough for an 18 cm (round) x 16 cm (high) ring which generously serves 8 people.

First step is to make the raspberry gelatin filling. I used a 15 cm (round) x 5 cm (high) ring for this.



Cream Raspberry
140 grams raspberry puree
40 grams egg yolk
50 grams eggs
40 grams sugar
50 grams butter
3 grams gelatin

1.       Heat the puree in a sauce pan to lightly boiling.
2.       In a bowl, mix the egg yolks, eggs & sugar and mix. Add in the puree and mix then add back to the saucepan. Heat on low heat until just lightly thickened.
3.       Take off the heat and add the gelatin and mix. Lastly, add the butter and mix.
4.       Cool over ice water. Then pour into the smaller ring which has plastic wrap sealed at the bottom. Place in the refrigerator until it is firm.

Next step is to make the cake & striped decoration. The decoration is made first and brushed onto the baking sheet and then use a decorating tool to make the design.

Decoration
20 grams butter (room temperature)
20 grams powdered sugar
20 grams egg white
18 grams flour
Red Food Color
 1. Whisk the butter and the powdered sugar thoroughly with a small whisk then add the egg white & mix . Lastly, add the flour. Add a small amount of coloring as you like.
2. Spread the decoration on a baking sheet using an offset palette knife and use a decorating tool to make the decoration,
3. Put this in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes so that the mixture becomes firm.



The tool I used to make the design
I used the side with the square teeth


Comb the baking sheet at an angle.
Put on a baking pan & put in the refrigerator





Next step is to make the cake.

Joconde Cake
80 grams powdered sugar
100 grams almond flour
30 grams flour
3 eggs
130 grams egg white
60 grams sugar
20 grams butter

1.       In a bowl, sift together the powdered sugar, almond flour and flour.
2.       In another bowl, mix the eggs lightly then add the dry ingredients (#1) and whip with a hand mixer until yellow & fluffy.
3.       Melt the butter in a bowl over simmering hot water.
4.       Whip the egg whites with a hand mixer and add the sugar in portions.
5.       Add the meringue to the egg mixture in portions and mix with a spatula. Add in the butter.
6.       Spread on top of the decoration. Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for about 10 minutes.
Last step is to make the mango mousse.
Mango Mousse
185 grams mango puree
300 grams milk
4 egg yolks
50 grams sugar
30 grams flour
15 grams gelatin (softened in water)
200 grams fresh cream
1.    In a bowl, mix the egg yolks, sugar and flour with small whisk.
2.  In a saucepan, heat the mango puree until just lightly boiling. In another saucepan, heat the milk until lightly boiling. Add the milk to the bowl with the egg yolks and mix and then return to the saucepan and mix. Next add the mango puree and mix with small whisk on  a low heat until lightly thickened. Turn off the heat and add the gelatin and mix thoroughly. Pour into a bowl and cool.
3.       Whip the fresh cream until just soft peaks are formed.
4.       Add the cream to the mango mousse in portions and gently mix with a spatula.
Lastly, time to put everything together.
1.       Put the large cake ring on a cake plate. Put mousse film inside the ring. Cut cake to fit around the sides of the ring. Leave a small amount of space at the top of the ring. Cut a piece of  the cake  for the bottom of the ring.
Cut cake to fit inside the ring
2.       Pour the mousse on top of the cake to about 1/4 full and then add the raspberry gel on top of the mousse.  Then fill with the remaining mousse up to the top.
Add the raspberry gelatin on top of the
mango mousse
3.       Put in the refrigerator to become firm before removing the ring. Decorate as you like.
Raspberry gelatin tastes great paired with the mango mousse
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Kathy
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Spicy Jalapeno and Cheddar Cornbread

Spicy Jalapeno and Cheddar Cornbread

Last muffin left with a few crumbs !
Cornbread is a tasty & hearty accompaniment to lighter meals such as fish tacos and salads.

There are many ways to jazz up traditional cornbread and adding jalapenos and cheddar cheese is among my favorites. These two ingredients are quick to put together and really add a zip to a traditional food.

This recipe only takes about 20 minutes to put together.

Makes about 8 - 10 muffins

Let's get baking!


Flour 150 grams
Cornmeal 100 grams
Baking powder 8 grams
Baking soda 1 gram
Salt 3 grams
Brown sugar 40 grams
Canned corn 85 grams
Buttermilk 155 grams
Eggs 2
Butter 60 grams
50 grams jalapeno peppers (chopped)
50 grams cheddar cheese (chopped)


  1.  Sift the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda & salt together.
  2. Melt the butter over hot water or in the microwave.
  3.  In a blender mix the corn. In a bowl, mix the brown sugar and milk and mix with a small whisk. Add eggs & corn and continue to mix until well blended.
  4.  Mix the corn mixture above into the flour mixture and mix with a spatula. Add the melted butter. Mix until everything is just moistened – don’t over mix. Lastly, add the jalapeno peppers and cheddar cheese.
  5.  Prepare muffin cases by lightly buttering & dusting with flour. Fill about 85% full.
  6. Bake at 170  degrees Celsius for about 25 – 30 minutes.
Ready for dinner

Cornbread & taco toppings
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Kathy
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Summery Avocado Gazpacho Soup

Summery Avocado Gazpacho Soup

Delicious soup for a summer Sunday lunch

This soup really is super easy and quick to make, and I'm not exaggerating. The fresh vegetables are a delicious match. Before serving be sure to chill for an hour or two and it is really the right accompaniment for a summer sandwich.

Recipe

1/2 cup (125 mL) cold water
Juice of 1 lime
1 ripe avocado
1 cucumber, roughly chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, roughly chopped
1/4 cup (80 mL) fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp  salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/2 cup (125 mL) low-fat sour cream (for garnish)
Zest of 1 lime (for garnish)

1.      Place all ingredients except sour cream and lime zest in food processor or blender container and blend until well combined but with some texture still remaining. Add additional water if thinner consistency is desired.

2.      Pour gazpacho into large bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with sour cream and lime zest.

Serves 4

Lunch is ready!
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Kathy
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