Coconut Blueberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cups finely grated peeled fresh coconut
• 2 cups frozen blueberries, shaken with 1 tbsp flour

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line bottom of 9-inch diameter springform pan with parchment paper; butter paper and pan.
Whisk flour and baking powder in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, 3/4 cup butter, and vanilla in large bowl until blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Add flour mixture alternately with milk in 2 additions each, beating until just blended. Stir in 1 1/2 cups finely grated coconut.
Transfer mixture to prepared pan; sprinkle blueberries over, smoothing batter over top if necessary. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Cool cake in pan 20 minutes. Cut around sides to loosen; invert onto platter. Cool completely.

Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese (light works fine, although it will yield a slightly softer frosting) at almost room temperature
1/2 cup salted butter at almost room temperature
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or lime zest

½ cup toasted shredded coconut

Instructions:

Whip together the cream cheese, butter, and extract until light and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar and whip until smooth and fully incorporated. Frost cooled cake, and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Refrigerate any leftovers (or anything you’ve frosted that doesn’t get eaten immediately).

Cocoa Coconut Citrus Cake

1st layer: Lemon cake with lemon glaze

2nd layer: Coconut cake with shredded coconut and hardened coconut milk caramel

3rd layer: Chocolate cake with chocolate-coconut topping.

Outside: Lemon cream cheese frosting with shredded coconut, chocolate chips, and lemon slices.

The end.

Coconut Milk Yogurt

Despite the complicated-looking procedure, yogurt making is really quite simple, once you get the hang of it. It will naturally be thinner than store-bought yogurt, but this can be solved by draining the yogurt in a cheesecloth.


Ingredients:

1 can (about 15 oz.) coconut cream

1 can (again, about 15 oz.) coconut milk

1/2 cup milk or water (if making a vegan recipe)

1 tbsp yogurt or coconut milk yogurt, or appropriate cultures



Combine first three ingredients in large saucepan. Heat to 180˚F. Let the milk mixture cool to about 110˚F before mixing in the yogurt or cultures. While milk is cooling, prepare warm spot for yogurt to grow in (it should stay above about 90˚F for at least 8 hours, but if this isn't possible, keep it as warm as you can). A cooler with hot water and towels is what I usually use, and I have never had my yogurt not work. The water should be about 130˚ or 140˚, hot, but not boiling. Other options include crock pots, food dehydrators, or heated rooms. When milk has cooled to about 110˚F, stir in the yogurt or cultures. Pour into glass jar or container, and place in heated area for about 12-24 hours, depending on how thick you want your yogurt. For some reason that I cannot explain, coconut milk yogurt usually develops an egg-white-like layer. This can be dealt with by letting the yogurt drain in a towel or cheesecloth for a few hours. Eat the yogurt plain, or with honey or fruit. Yogurt can be stored in airtight container in fridge for several weeks.

Anarchy Cake

Vanilla vegan cake with yogurt + frozen mangos + Chunky Monkey ice cream + Betty Crocker vanilla birthday cake frosting + crushed jolly ranchers = Anarchy Cake

Benefits: Perfect cake to celebrate a birthday or 4/20.

Disclaimer: Anarchy Cake is not intended for grandparents, uptight parents, tightwads, diabetics, naturally hyperactive children, or junkies. May cause a taste bud rebellion/cavities/diabetes/upset stomach/etc...

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 egg's worth of egg replacer (or an egg, this IS an anarchy cake...)
1/2 cup yogurt, any flavor
1/2 cup soy, coconut, almond, cow, sheep, or goat milk
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups chopped mango, fresh or frozen

1 pint Ben and Jerry's chunky monkey ice cream (or any other flavor you desire)
1 can Betty Crocker's vanilla frosting
Small bag of jolly ranchers
Party poppers

For cake:
Combine first four ingredients. Add next four ingredients. Stir to combine. Mix in mango, and spread evenly over a 13x9 inch pan. Bake at 350˚ for about 30 minutes, or until brown on top and firm to touch in the center. Cool completely. Freeze for at least an hour.

Stir ice cream until smooth, softening in microwave if necessary. Divide cake in half. Place one half on plate or tray. Spread with ice cream. Place second half on top. Freeze entire cake until firm, about an hour.

Frost cake with vanilla icing. Crush the jolly ranchers and sprinkle them on top.

Decorate and serve appropriately, setting off party poppers for the sake of celebration.

Nanaimo Bars

Slowly melt over low heat while whisking together:

1/2 c. butter
5 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg

When butter has melted, stir in:

2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 c. shredded coconut
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Pack mixture into ungreased 9"x9" pan. Place in refrigerator. Cream together in stand mixer:

1/4 c. butter (1/2 stick)
3 tbsp milk
2 1/2 tbsp Birds Custard Powder
2 c. confectioners sugar

Spread over crumb mixture in pan. Chill until firm. Over low heat or double boiler, melt:

1 tbsp butter
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Spread over the chilled custard mixture. Chill until firm.

Cut into small bars/squares and serve.

Gogi Berry Sponge Cake

Gogi Berry Torte with Green Tea Sauce


1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
5 large eggs
3/4 cup sifted flour (preferably cake flour, but all purpose works too)
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup gogi berries (if dried, soak in water for 10 minutes, then drain and dry thoroughly before use)

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Grease and flour a piece of parchment paper to line a 13x9x2 inch glass pan.
Heat butter and milk until butter is completely melted. Beat eggs and sugar in heavy-duty mixer until light and tripled in volume (about 5 minutes). Beat in baking powder. Sift 1/3 cup flour over egg mixture and fold in. Repeat 2 more times with remaining flour. Fold in warm milk mixture all at once until no streaks remain. Pour into prepared cake pan.
Bake for 5 minutes. Sprinkle gogi berries over the top, and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until top is lightly browned and firm to touch. Let cool in pan.

Green Tea Sauce:

1/2 cup water
4 green tea bags (or about 4 tsp loose green tea leaves)
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup sugar
3 egg yolks, well beaten
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla

Bring water to a boil. Add green tea bags and simmer for 2 minutes. Add milk.
Combine sugar, egg yolks, and salt in medium bowl. Gradually stir in about a 1/4 cup of the tea to combine, without curdling. Slowly whisk in remainder of tea. Return to saucepan, and bring to a simmer again. Stir in vanilla. If necessary, strain through sieve to remove any extra bits of egg or tea leaves. Refrigerate for at least two hours.

Assembly:
Gogi berry sponge cake
Green tea sauce
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp confectioners sugar
1/4 cup toasted shredded coconut

Whip the cream, vanilla, and confectioners sugar until soft peaks form.
Cut the sponge cake exactly in half, and place one half on a plate or platter. Smooth 1/2 cup of whipped cream over it. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining whipped cream over top and sides. Sprinkle with toasted coconut. Drizzle with a bit of the green tea sauce, and serve additional sauce with individual slices of cake.

Coconut Lime Cupcakes with White Chocolate Ganache

Yum?

CUPCAKES:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
Seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup coconut milk or coconut cream
1 tbsp lime zest

GANACHE
12 oz white chocolate
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, lightly toasted (for garnish)


CUPCAKES:

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line eighteen 1/3-cup muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat on medium-high speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in seeds from vanilla bean and remaining egg. Add half of flour mixture; mix on low speed just until blended. Add 1 cup coconut milk; mix just until blended.Add lime zest, then remaining flour mixture and lime; mix on low speed just until blended. Divide batter among muffin cups.

Bake cupcakes until tops spring back when gently touched and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes in pans to rack; cool 10 minutes. Carefully remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on rack.

GANACHE:

Bring whipping cream to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat, and add white chocolate. Stir until melted and smooth. Let cool for thirty minutes. To thicken ganache to frosting consistency, add butter, then beat on medium speed with mixer until frosting is fluffy.

Spread over cupcakes, and garnish with toasted coconut.