Here is my annual Cake Day cake. I mention this every year, but I don’t make cakes all that often — I’m not very good at decorating / frosting, and even more so in the days of a global pandemic, making cupcakes as not to share food is better anyway. That said, one day out of the year, I do make a cake, so this year is no different. I love the combination of coconut and chocolate so this celebratory has both cake types and frosting types, in addition to garnet-colored sugar flowers as they are the January birthstone color. Here’s to being 50, I guess!
Ingredients
For the chocolate cake
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
for the coconut cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons table salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened but slightly cool, cut into 12 pieces
3 large eggs
3/4 cups milk
2 teaspoons coconut extract
for the chocolate frosting
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
for the coconut frosting
1 1/2 cup (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 can coconut milk, reduced to 1/3 cup (Reducing instructions below)
Seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
for decoration
coconut malted milk balls
chocolate shavings or sprinkles
sugar decorations (optional), i.e. garnet-colored flowers
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a 2 7-inch round cake pans with butter and flour
For the chocolate cake part: In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at time, then stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture, ending with the flour. Fill the cake pans three-quarters full, being careful not to overfill. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the coconut cake part: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar on low speed. Add the butter, 1 piece at a time, and combine until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add the eggs, 1 at time, and mix until fully combined. Add the milk and coconut extract, increase the speed to medium, and mix until the batter is light, fluffy and free of lumps. Fill the cake pans three-quarters full, being careful not to overfill. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Fill the cake pans three-quarters full, being careful not to overfill. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
I would make the cake rounds 1 day in advance of the frosting and decorating.
To make the chocolate frosting: Cream butter in small mixer bowl. Add cocoa and confectioners’ sugar alternately with milk; beat to spreading consistency (additional tablespoon milk may be needed). Blend in vanilla.
To make the coconut frosting: First, make your reduced coconut milk: Bring coconut milk to boil in large deep saucepan over medium-high heat (coconut milk will boil up high in pan). Reduce heat to medium-low; boil until reduced to 1/2 cup (you will only need 1/3 cup for the recipe), stirring occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat; cool completely. Transfer to small bowl. Cover and chill. Can be made 2 days ahead and kept chilled. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add sugar, 1/3 cup reduced coconut milk, seeds from vanilla bean, and salt. Beat on medium-low speed until blended, scraping down sides of bowl. Increase to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy.
Finally, to assemble. Cut each half of the cakes in half and build your cake with four alternating layers, between which there should be coconut frosting. Frost the outside with the chocolate frosting. Decorate as you like, in my case using coconut frosting as the accents and coconut malted milk balls, chocolate sprinkles and sugar flowers. You could also use toasted coconut.
