Chocolate Cake With Coconut Icing Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with nonstick spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• Sprinkle half of the shredded coconut on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until golden brown, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet.
• Combine the instant espresso and water in a measuring cup; stir until dissolved. Add to a medium bowl, along with the cake mix, vegetable oil and eggs. Beat for 2 minutes with a handheld mixer on medium speed. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and smooth the tops.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto a baking rack and let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, combine the cream cheese, butter, coconut milk, salt and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Beat with a handheld mixer on medium speed until light, fluffy and smooth, about 4 minutes. Stir in the remaining (untoasted) coconut with a rubber spatula.
• If the cakes have domed in the center, trim to level the tops. Place one cake layer, up-side down, on a platter or plate. Spoon one-third of the frosting on top and spread evenly, almost completely to the edge. Place the other layer, up-side down, on top, pressing gently to anchor. Using an offset spatula, evenly frost the entire cake; if the frosting gets too soft, place it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Gently press the toasted coconut around the outside of the cake and sprinkle it over the top.
• Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat butter and sugar until crumbly. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda; add to egg mixture alternately with coffee, beating just until combined., Pour into two 6-in. round baking pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For filling, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Beat in cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in the coconut, extract and food coloring if desired. Spread between cake layers., For frosting, in a small bowl, beat the butter, confectioners' sugar and cocoa until fluffy. Add the cream, chocolate and extract; beat until smooth. Frost top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with coconut. Store in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Make One-Bowl Chocolate Cake Batter and bake following the sheet cake instructions.
• Make the frosting: Whisk the sugar, egg whites, water, vanilla and coconut extracts, cream of tartar and salt in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Keeping the bowl over the simmering water, beat with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until thick, glossy stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan and beat until slightly cooled, about 30 seconds.
• Assemble the cake: Spread the frosting on the cake, making peaks with the back of a spoon. Toast the frosting with a kitchen torch until lightly browned. Top with toasted coconut flakes.

Steps:

• Make the cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl.
• Melt the 12 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the muscovado and granulated sugars and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Add the coffee, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla extract and continue whisking until smooth and just combined. Add the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 40 to 45 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the wire rack and let cool at least 1 hour before frosting.
• Make the frosting: Combine the whole milk, coconut milk and goat's milk in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Keep warm while you prepare the caramel.
• Combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over high heat and cook without stirring until a deep amber color, 8 to 10 minutes. Slowly and carefully whisk in the warm milk mixture and continue whisking until smooth. Add the vanilla seeds and corn syrup. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the sauce is reduced by half and the consistency of a caramel sauce, about 55 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, vanilla extract, salt and rum (if using). Transfer the sauce to a medium bowl and stir in the pecans and shredded coconut. Let the frosting cool to room temperature, stirring it occasionally, before frosting the cake.
• To assemble the cake, slice each cake in half horizontally. Place 1 cake layer on a cake round and spread one-third of the frosting evenly over the top. Repeat to make 3 layers, then top with the remaining cake layer, top-side up.
• Make the ganache: Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl, add the hot cream and the corn syrup and let sit for 30 seconds. Gently whisk until smooth. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
• Set the cake on a wire rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the chocolate ganache over the cake, letting the excess drip down the sides. Sprinkle the top with toasted coconut and pecans. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours before slicing.
• Slice the cake and top with a dollop of Coconut Whipped Cream.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of two greased 8-in. round baking pans with parchment paper; grease paper., In a large bowl, combine cake mix, coconut milk, eggs and melted butter; beat on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium 1-1/2 minutes. Transfer to prepared pans. Bake and cool as package directs., For frosting, in a small saucepan, combine butter, chocolate and coconut milk; heat and stir over medium heat until blended. Remove from heat; gradually stir in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Transfer to a bowl., Place bowl in an ice-water bath. Using a hand mixer, beat frosting on high speed 6-8 minutes or until spreadable. Spread between layers and over top and sides of cake. Cover with coconut.

Steps:

• Prepare the chocolate by melting it in the top of a double boiler, stirring until it is smooth. Add 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of the butter and stir until it is melted and blended. Add 1/4 cup of warm milk and stir until smooth. Set the chocolate aside to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Line the bottoms only of 3 9-inch cake pans with circles of parchment paper, or grease each pan bottom only with solid shortening and dust lightly with flour. Sift together the sifted and measured flour, baking soda, and salt.
• Whip the egg whites until stiff using the wire beater of the mixer. Transfer the beaten whites to a separate bowl and set aside.
• In the mixer bowl, cream the remaining 1 1/2 sticks of butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition (see "From Trisha," opposite). Add the melted, cooled chocolate and the vanilla. Mix well.
• With the mixer on very low, stir in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Do this by adding about a third of the flour and slowly stirring it in completely. Then add about half the buttermilk and stir it in. Continue adding flour and buttermilk in this manner, ending with flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and stir again. With a long-handled spoon or spatula, fold and stir the beaten egg whites into the batter until the batter is smooth with no visible clumps of whites.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Bake on the middle rack of the oven, allowing at least 1/4-inch clearance between the pans and the oven walls. The cake will rise above the pan edges as it bakes but will not spill over and will settle back down as it continues to bake. The cake is done when it begins to pull away from the sides of the pans and springs back to a light touch. Cool layers in the pans for about 8 minutes.
• Run a knife around the edges of each pan and turn the layers out onto wire racks that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Cool layers completely before frosting.
• To make the frosting, combine the sugar, egg yolks, and evaporated milk in the top of a double boiler. Stir with a wire whisk until the yolks are fully incorporated. Add the butter. Place over simmering water and bring to a boil (see Note). Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes longer, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Add the vanilla, coconut, and nuts. Cool.
• To assemble the cake, place one layer on a cake stand and spread with frosting. Frost each layer completely, top and sides, as it is added to the cake.
• From Gwen
• Refrigerate the cake after it's frosted. Before serving, touch up any frosting that may have run down the sides.
• From Trisha
• Separated egg yolks will slide easily and individually from a small bowl if the bowl is rinsed with water first.
• Shopping Hint
• For those cooks who use a lot of sweet baking chocolate, the chocolate used in this recipe can be purchased in bulk online at www.cocoasupply.com. Choose La Equatoriale-Dark Chocolate Coverture. The cost, including postage, is half what you would probably pay in grocery stores. Share the large bar with your friends who bake.
• Note
• You can also make the frosting in a regular saucepan, but be sure to stir it constantly, as it scorches quite easily. Also, you must use the finely grated fresh or frozen coconut, not canned or shredded, to be able to spread the frosting on the sides of the cake easily.

Steps:

• Beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth; beat in vanilla extract.
• Gradually beat confectioners' sugar into butter mixture until well blended. The mixture will appear dry.
• Stir enough milk into butter mixture to achieve desired consistency for icing.
• Fold half the coconut into the icing; spread icing over cake.
• Sprinkle remaining coconut and pecans over icing.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the butter, oil and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and cloves; gradually add to batter alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Fold in zucchini. , Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 325° for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. , Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the frosting ingredients. Spread over warm cake. Broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.