Moist Coconut Cake

Delicious Dishes: Carrot cake is tops

This is the month of my favorite fruit -- strawberries! I eat fresh strawberries like candy, and if there are any left from our u-pick day harvest, I use them in jam, shortcake, on cereal and in muffins. It’s fun to go strawberry picking with loved ones, and share a fun activity with a nummy ending.

Sharing food is something I have always done as a way for me to show kindness, express gratitude, or just be neighborly (or all of the above all at once). Our family recently discussed the difference between being nice, and being kind. There really is a difference — it’s a matter of the heart, and the motivation behind the gesture. We concluded that one can be nice without being kind, but the opposite isn’t true. Jesus showed kindness to those who didn’t deserve it, in fact, He showed more kindness than anyone on earth ever could or will. He commanded us to, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” -- Ephesians 4:32. They are not optional, those “be kind,” “be compassionate” and “forgive as you have been forgiven” commands. I implore you to forgive others if you are holding anything against them, for your sake. I know I forgive and beg forgiveness, daily.

This month I’m letting you in on secret in our home -- my carrot cake recipe. When I was little, I never liked carrot cake. There were raisins in the cake, and it was always so dry. I like raisins, but they have their place, just not in my carrot cake! So, now I make my own moist, coconut, pineapple and walnut filled raisin-less carrot cake. This is a heavy cake, so it takes awhile to bake, but all the work is worth the effort. Just like life ... nothing achieved quickly is highly valued. Set out cream cheese to soften in preparation for icing mixture later.
Grease two 9-inche round cake pans or a 9-by-13-inch pan, and pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine in order the sugar, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, coconut, carrots and walnuts in a large mixing bowl, stirring after each addition.
Add the eggs, vanilla, oil and pineapple and mix well.
Divide batter between two cake pans, and bake for about one hour, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
While cake is cooling, prepare icing by blending softened cream cheese and milk in a medium bowl. Add powdered sugar gradually, stirring after each addition. Finally, add the vanilla and stir briskly for even blending.
Place one layer cake on prepared cake surface, and top with icing. Then add the other layer on top, and drizzle with remaining icing.
Keep refrigerated until 30 minutes before serving. Makes 8 to 10 servings. Enjoy!

super moist coconut cake with coconut ice frosting « mmm… needs ...

Preheat oven to 160°C fan forced Grease a 22cm round cake pan, line the base and sides with baking paper Beat butter, essence and sugar with an electric mixer until light abd fluffy Beat in the eggs one at a time, transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the coconut, sifted flour, sour cream and milk, in two batches Spread the mixture into the prepared pan Bake for around 40 minutes, stand the cake in the pan for 5 or so minutes before cooling completely on a wire rack For the frosting, sift the icing sugar into a medium bowl, stir in the coconut and egg whites, if you find the mixture too dry, add a teaspoon of milk at a time until you get a spreadable but still fairly solid consistency Tint with pink food colouring Using a palette knife spread the frosting from the centre out to the edges of the cake

This recipe is from my new bible, the AWW Bake Cookbook.

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