Winter and kitchens go together~

                                     

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,                     

 




What a winter ! We've been back six days and I just don't believe this weather in Ohio. However... it's good to be in the kitchen.

                 

 

 In searching Pinterest after a month away, I've found some interesting things.  Pinterest has to be the best site on the web for people who like to cook, craft, or collect.

 

The coconut cake caught my eye right away because I am wild about coconut in any form.  Now that I have ventured back into the kitchen, I am thinking of making this cake.  By the way I made the orange juice cake for guest in Florida and it was well received although I had to do it in a glass baking dish because there was no bunt pan.  How can people do without bundt pans? I think this coconut cake will be beautiful in such a pan.  It put me in mind of the movie Babette's  Feast when she unpanned the swirled baba au rhum. (Uh oh, I read further and it said a bundt pan was not recommended because the cake is so delicate. ) I can't think why, a pound cake is anything but delicate,  so I might just risk it.

Saturday.  I did risk it.  I took many risks and I like my results.  I used a bundt pan but I also used a French vanilla cake mix, two sticks of room temperature butter, five room temperature eggs and one cup of milk, with a half a bag of Baker's coconut.

 

                                                                  

                                                                   

 

 Recipe as shown of Pinterest:

Coconut Pound Cake Ingredients:

FOR THE CAKE:

 

Coconut Pound Cake - Recipe

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 eggs (at room temperature)
• 1 cup whole (or low-fat) milk
• 1 tsp coconut extract
• 3½ oz Angel Flake sweetened, shredded coconut (used half a bag of Baker's coconut.)

FOR THE GLAZE:

• 2 tbsp unsweetened coconut milk (or regular milk)
• 1/2 tsp coconut extract
• 1/2 – 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and lightly flour a 9- or 10-inch tube pan. This cake is delicate so I wouldn’t recommend using a bundt pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer (on medium speed) to cream the butter and sugar until fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add in eggs, one at a time, and mix well. Stir in the milk, coconut extract and shredded coconut. Finally, add the flour, baking powder and salt mixture, and stir to combine. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until golden brown, about 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze. Whisk together the coconut milk, coconut extract and confectioner’s sugar until smooth, adding more sugar as needed to thicken the glaze (or more milk if you want to thin it out).
5. Cool cake in pan for 5-10 minutes before removing. Drizzle with glaze while cake is still warm.