Classic Coconut Cake

Note: Room temperature ingredients make all the difference in this cake.

Ingredients

Cake:
2 cups all purpose flour
1-1/3 cups sweetened, flake coconut
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 duck egg yolks
5 duck egg whites, at room temperature

Frosting:
3 cups powdered sugar
1 package of cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray; line bottom of pans with parchment paper rounds.

Mix flour and coconut in medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk and baking soda in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks and beat to blend. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 2 additions, beating just to blend after each addition. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon salt in another large bowl until peaks form. Add 1/3 of egg white mixture to batter; fold into batter just to blend. Fold in remaining egg white mixture in 2 additions. Divide batter between pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Run small sharp knife around sides of cake pans. Invert cakes onto racks. Carefully peel off parchment. Cool cakes completely.

Using electric mixer, beat sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in large bowl until blended. Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on plate. Spread with 1 cup frosting. Place second layer, flat side up, atop frosting. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle some of coconut over top of cake; pat more coconut on sides of cake.

DO AHEAD: can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

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Duck Egg Baked Custard

This rich & creamy custard can also be me made with almond milk for a dairy-free option.

Serves 6.

3 large duck eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
dash of salt
2-1/2 cups very warm milk (120-130 degrees)
ground nutmeg

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, beat eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt with a wire whisk or fork.  Gradually stir in milk.  Pour into six 6-ounce containers/ custard cups.  Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Place cups in a 13x9-inch pan on oven rack.  Pour very hot water into pan within 1/2 inch of tops of cups.  Bake about 45 minutes.  Remove cups from water and cool about 30 minutes.  Custard can be served warm or chilled in fridge (cover first).  

Marie Mullen’s Pound Cake

Eileen Duffy, author of Behind the Bottle, shares her mother's recipe for a three egg Pound Cake with us. 

 

 

 

 

2 1/4 cups sifted flour

2 tablespoons wheat germ

2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup softened butter

3 eggs

1 teaspoon lemon rind

1 teaspoon vanilla

Grease 10-inch tube pan. Bake 350 for 60-70 minutes.

Angel Food Cake

It's going to be 3 or 4 hours from the time you start before you can eat the cake so plan accordingly.

100 g cake flour (approx. 3/4 cup) 150 g + 150 g sugar  (approx. 2/3 c + 2/3 c) 480 g egg whites 1 tsp cream of tartar

1/4 tsp salt 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1-1/2 tsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp almond extract

Equipment: Tube pan with removable bottom, large rubber spatula, whisk or electric mixer, sifter.

Note from #TheScratchiest: 480 grams of egg whites equates to the whites from a dozen large eggs. When I have recipes that use just yolks, I put the leftover egg whites in a container in the freezer. Since I never remember how many whites I've collected, I prefer to weigh them when needed. Weighing also makes it easier to have a mixture of whites from different sized eggs. Feel free to mix whites from chicken and duck eggs.

Preheat oven to 325F.

Sift all of the cake flour with 150 grams of the sugar and set aside. If you like, sift it more than once to get out any lumps and to thoroughly mix.

Combine lemon juice, vanilla and almond extract.

Using the tool of your choice (hand mixer, stand mixer or whisk), beat the egg whites until they start to froth. Add the cream of tartar and salt. Continue beating until the whites are billowing mounds and not yet soft peaks.

Continue beating the egg whites while gradually adding the 150 grams of sugar. When all of the sugar has been added and you have soft peaks, beat in the lemon juice, vanilla and almond extracts.

Using your spatula, fold in the cake four/sugar mixture. You want to keep the mix as light as you can so add the flour and sugar in two or three batches.

Scrape the batter into the tube pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. The cake is done when the top springs back when pressed. Remove from oven and turn upside down to cool. Wait 2 to 3 hours before removing from pan.