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Coconut Cake Is a Spectacular Finish to Any Meal

partysugar — Sat, 16 May 2009 08:00:57 -0700

I love coconut cake. With its moist pudding-like cake layers, thick fruity filling, smooth cream cheese frosting, and crunchy toasted coconut flakes, it's a wildly scrumptious dessert. A cake like this doesn't magically appear; it takes time to make, but the final result, a sublimely fluffy, crowd-pleasing confection, is worth the effort. While there are many variations, this one with a guava curd filling is my current favorite - I've made it twice within the past month! First for a birthday party and then for a barbecue, but on both occasions, the cake was quickly devoured. To impress your friends with this marvelous coconut cake, check out the recipe and read more.

Coconut Cake
Modified from Food and Wine and Martha Stewart

Ingredients

For the cake
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups unsweetened coconut milk
3/4 cup water
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
6 egg whites
For the filling
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup passion fruit or guava nectar or puree*
4 egg yolks
vanilla bean-split, seeds scraped
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
For the topping
2 cups large, unsweetened dried coconut flakes
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°. Line the bottom of three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt at low speed.
Mix in the butter, coconut milk, water and vanilla until combined. Scrape down the bowl and beat at high speed until very smooth, 2 minutes.
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, 2 minutes. Fold half of the egg whites into the batter until incorporated, then fold in the remaining whites until no streaks remain.
Divide the batter among the cake pans. Bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans on a rack for 15 minutes, then invert them and let cool completely, about 2 hours.
Meanwhile, make the filling: In a saucepan, whisk the sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in the passion fruit nectar, egg yolks and vanilla seeds and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until thick, 6 minutes. Remove from the heat; whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until incorporated. Scrape the filling into a glass bowl, press a sheet of plastic wrap on the surface and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
Set one layer on a cake plate. Spread with 1/2 of the filling. Top with another cake layer and the remaining filling. Cover with the third and final layer of cake. Refrigerate until firm, 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the topping: Spread the coconut on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, stirring once, until lightly toasted. Let cool.
Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, and then vanilla; mix until smooth.
Frost the top and side of the cake and coat with the coconut. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Serves 8-12.

*The original recipe in Food & Wine calls for passion fruit nectar, but I could not find it anywhere so I substituted guava nectar.

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Celebrate Spring With White Cake

partysugar — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:15:13 -0700

For my half birthday, I made myself a luscious white layer cake. With its fluffy, yet dense, cake layers and creamy filling, this cake is a delightful treat that's perfect for Spring. Although I'm a fan of rich chocolate cakes, sometimes it's nice (especially after a hearty meal) to have a cake that is not overly filling. This is a versatile recipe that can easily be adapted. Don't like raspberries? Consider filling with passion fruit, mangoes, or coconut. To check out the recipe, read more.

White Cake With Raspberries
Modified from Martha Stewart and Food & Wine

Ingredients

For the cake
18 tablespoons (2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
4 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising) plus more for pans
1 1/2 cups whole milk
9 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/4 cups sugar
For the filling:
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 pint raspberries
For the frosting:
1/2 pound unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg yolk (optional)
1 pound confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 ounces cream cheese
Pinch of salt

Directions

Make the cake: preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three* 9-by-2-inch round cake pans, tapping out excess flour; set aside.
In a medium bowl, stir together, milk, egg whites, and extracts.
Into a second medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. With machine running, gradually add the sugar. Continue beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.
Add one-third of the flour mixture and one-third of the milk mixture, and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Add remaining flour and milk mixtures in 2 separate batches beating between additions to fully incorporate. Scrape down sides of bowl, and stir by hand to finish.
Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Smooth surface with a rubber spatula. Bake until top of cake springs back when lightly pressed and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
Let cakes cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes. Run a small metal spatula around the sides of the pan, and invert cakes onto greased racks. Reinvert cakes onto cooling rack. Let cool completely before filling.
Make the filling: Whip the cream and sugar in an electric mixer with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form.
Make the frosting: In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk, beat the butter and egg yolk at medium-high speed until creamy. Beat in the sugar at low speed. Beat in the cream, vanilla, cream cheese, and salt, then beat at medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 minutes longer.
Place one cake layer on a cake stand. Spread the whipped cream evenly over top of cake. Cover with the raspberries. Top with a second layer. Spread frosting evenly over surface of cake.

Serves 12-16.

*I only have two pans, so I made two layers and cooked the cakes longer.

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Yummy Link: Black and White Chocolate Cake

partysugar — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 05:18:31 -0800

According to Fab, black and white are a hot combination right now. In the food world, black and white - as in chocolate and vanilla - never go out of style. Peabody proves this with her to-die-for rendition of black and white chocolate cake. - Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Come Party With Me: Black and White Luau - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 07:45:41 -0700

Fab is strictly enforcing the black and white dress code for our upcoming luau, so I'm creating a menu that features black and white dishes. Since the party starts after dinner, we'll offer guests only a few small bites.

Although it's not Hawaiian, a platter of sushi from our favorite Japanese restaurant is perfect for late night noshing. Homemade finger foods will include piña colada scallop brochettes and spicy black bean cakes. The scallops are easy to make and pretty to present. The black bean cakes will be served with a cooling lime scented sour cream.
To get these black and white recipes, read more.

Piña Colada Scallop Brochettes
From Sandra Lee

Ingredients

12 large sea scallops
1 (10-ounce) can frozen pina colada mix, thawed (recommended: Bacardi)
1/2 cup light rum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon crushed garlic (recommended: Christopher Ranch)
12 ounces fresh pineapple wedges, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut, toasted

Directions

Soak 8 bamboo skewers in water for at least 1 hour.
In a large zip-top bag, combine scallops, thawed pina colada mix, rum, salt, pepper, and garlic. Squeeze out air and seal bag. Gently massage to thoroughly combine ingredients.
Marinate in refrigerator 15 minutes or up to 30 minutes. Do not marinate longer then this or the marinade will begin to cook the scallops.
Set up grill for direct cooking or a grill pan over medium heat. Lightly oil the grate when ready to start cooking.
Remove scallops from marinade and discard marinade.
Thread 3 scallops through 4 skewers and thread the pineapple wedges onto the remaining skewers. Season with salt and pepper.
If grilling indoors on a grill-pan, pat the scallops dry before grilling.
Spread toasted coconut on a plate; set aside.
Place brochettes on hot oiled grill and cook until scallops are opaque and just cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Grill the pineapple until there are nice grill marks and fruit softens a bit, about 4 minutes.
Remove from grill and immediately press both sides of brochettes into toasted coconut. Serve hot.

Serves 4.

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Spicy Black-Bean Cakes
From Everyday Food magazine

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, pressed
1 to 2 jalapeno chiles, finely chopped (ribs and seeds removed for less heat, if desired)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 cans (15.5 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 large sweet potato, peeled and coarsely grated (2 cups)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
Lime Sour Cream (see recipe, below)

Directions

Heat broiler.
In a small skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook scallions until softened, 1 minute.
Add garlic, jalapeno, and cumin; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl.
Add beans to bowl; mash with a fork or a potato masher, leaving about 1/4 of the beans whole. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Fold in sweet potato, egg, and breadcrumbs. Divide into 8 balls of equal size; flatten into patties.
Brush a baking sheet with remaining tablespoon oil; place patties on sheet, 1/2 inch apart.
Broil 4 inches from heat until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. With a thin metal spatula, carefully turn cakes.
Broil until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes more. Serve with Lime Sour Cream.

Makes 8 cakes.

For the Lime Sour Cream: in a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream with 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice and 1 small minced jalapeno chile (ribs and seeds removed for less heat, if desired) season with coarse salt.

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How to Work Off Thanksgiving Calories

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:00:08 -0800

If you're worried about devouring a huge Thanksgiving meal and what that will mean to your waistline, have no fear. You can have your cake - I mean pie - and eat it too, you just have to get moving afterward. After the break, check out the calorie amounts for your favorite Thanksgiving foods and find out some ways you can work off those tasty calories.

To see the chart, read more.

Food	Amount of calories	Activity
6 oz. mulled wine	156	Swimming laps moderately for 20 minutes will burn 158 calories.
3.5 oz. white turkey meat	156	20 minutes of football burns 158 calories.
3.5 oz. dark turkey meat	186	Sneak away for a 20-minute jog and burn 197 calories.
1/2 cup mashed potatoes	150	Burn 158 calories by walking briskly for 40 minutes.
1/2 cup gravy	150	44 minutes of cleaning burns 152 calories.
1 small baked sweet potato	54	Stretching for 15 minutes burns 59 calories.
1/2 cup stuffing	180	A 23-minute bike ride at a moderate pace will burn 181 calories.
1 slice apple pie with 1/2 cup ice cream	555	Hiking for an hour and 35 minutes will burn off 561 dessert calories.
1 slice pumpkin pie	180	Take the family bowling for an hour and burn 180 calories.

Russell and Taylor Help Creative Katy Celebrate Her 25th

PopSugarUK — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:09:10 -0700

Katy Perry got creative with Oompa Loompa nails for her 25th birthday bash at Sunset Beach in Hollywood on Saturday night. All the guests, including Taylor Swift, wore white but left with mutlicoloured outfits as the celebrations involved paint-splatting and cake fights! Katy's beau Russell Brand joined in the fun, and the couple are getting even more serious, as they are reportedly house hunting together for a place to rent in the Hollywood Hills. Russell has also apparently invited Katy to spend Christmas with his family in London, while she hired a plane to skywrite "I Love You" over Russell's LA home. She still finds time for fun without Russell, however, going to a Mika concert on Friday and working out on Melrose Avenue in the day.

To see more pictures of Katy and Russell's weekend, just read more.

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How-To: Becki Newton's Dazzling Eye Makeup

BellaSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:00:31 -0700

Ugly Betty's Becki Newton looked lovely at the Elle Women in Hollywood Tribute, no? While her skin looks rosy and flawless, the focus is all on the eyes. Using just a bit of shimmer is an easy way to draw attention to your eyes, and as Becki's makeup artist Jamie Greenberg explains, it's easy to do. Get her step-by-step instructions on creating this look when you read more.

Goblins, Ghosts and Spider Cupcakes, Oh My!

babysugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:00:25 -0700

It's time to get spooky in the kitchen! Most everybody loves a cupcake and boy have we got some haunted frosted tops that will make wee ones squeal! Though the creepy cakes may look tough to tackle, these deliciously lil devils are a cinch to make and the youngsters can easily give a helping hand.

To see how to make the ghost caps, spider crawlers, and goblin adorned treats, just read more.

First, pick out your candy and decor. I was lucky enough to find all of my inspiration at Walgreens. Here is my quick list of goodies:

Ghost Peeps
Candy corn
Black and orange sprinkles
Goblin and witch jelly pops
A bag full of plastic purple and black spider rings

First you'll want to bake up a batch of cupcakes to your liking. Choose fun Halloween frosting colors like black, white and green and frost the cakes. Add sprinkles if you wish.
Peeps:
If using the Peeps, take a straw or a toothpick and push it halfway into the marshmallow. Then poke the remaining portion into the cupcake. Add candy corn for color and added sugar bonus.
Witches:
The jelly pops are easy enough as you can simply unwrap them and stick them into the cupcake as is.
Spiderweb:
The most complicated of the bunch, these are still quite easy. Frost the cupcakes with white icing and use a knife to spread it smoothly. Then take the black icing and make three circles starting with the smallest one first. Then make four lines across the entire cupcake to form the web. Take a clean knife and insert it just a bit to make room for the ring portion of the spider. Push the spider in and mama's got a perfect web!

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Taste Test: Cheesecake Factory Cheesecakes

YumSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:50:57 -0700

I must admit: I'm not the world's biggest fan of cheesecake, it's always seemed a bit too rich. But I'm obsessed with red velvet cake, and was intrigued when I first heard about red velvet cheesecake. I put it on my list of things to make and before I could get to it, The Cheesecake Factory came out with a version and sent one our way - along with a couple others. Was it the perfect hybrid of Southern red velvet and smooth cheesecake decadence? How was the cheesecake on a whole? Find out when you read more

Make A Cake!

partysugar — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 15:55:03 -0800

Cakes, cakes, cakes, I love making cakes! During 2006, I went crazy making homemade layer cakes for every event I hosted and all of the holidays in between. To me, making a cake is an enjoyable process and once you understand the basic technique, the flavor possibilities are endless! Many cakes are done by the classic creaming technique. You cream together the sugar and butter, add eggs and then alternate between both a wet and a dry mixture. The dry mixture contains flour, baking soda, etc. and the wet mixture is vanilla, buttermilk, etc. Once all of this is combined, extras can be added (chocolate, etc.) and voila! you have cake batter. Since today is National Apricot Day, I found a cake recipe that has an apricot marmalade filling. read more

White Chocolate Cake with Apricot Marmalade Filling
From Food and Wine magazine

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk
8 ounces white chocolate, melted
2 tablespoons apricot marmalade, very finely chopped if chunky
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
White Chocolate Buttercream, recipe below
1/2 cup Candied Orange Peels, dipped in white chocolate, optional for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter at low speed until smooth.
Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add the vanilla.
At low speed, alternately beat in the dry ingredients and the milk in 2 additions.
Add the melted white chocolate and beat just until incorporated.
Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pans and smooth the surfaces.
Bake the cakes in the center of the oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert them onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
In a small bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the orange marmalade and the confectioners' sugar into 1 cup of the White Chocolate Buttercream.
Set 1 cake layer on a cake plate, right side up, and spread the filling on top. Cover with the second cake layer.
Frost the sides and top of the cake with the remaining White Chocolate Buttercream.
Garnish with the white chocolate–dipped Candied Orange Peels, if using (or fresh shaved white chocolate) and serve.

Serves 12.

Make ahead: the frosted cake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

[recipe|nid=101036]

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