Coconut cake

I've been testing out coconut cake recipes for a cupcake idea I had (check out my other post). I wanted to make a coconut cupcake, with dulce de leche frosting and chocolate covered pretzel/kettle corn bits.

Yummy cupcakes!

The cupcakes came out really well! The 2nd recipe, Coconut Loaf, was my first trial recipe in the search for coconut cake. Taste testing my cousin's coconut cupcake in Shanghai made me wary about using shredded coconut in the cake. The cake was dense, and gooey, and most of the shredded coconut had descended to the bottom of the cupcake.  But I felt that the Coconut Loaf didn't have enough of the coconut flavor I was looking for. Luckily I found a bag of desiccated coconut in my pantry, which solved my fear of shredded coconut. Desiccated coconut is finer than shredded coconut. You can pulse shredded coconut in the blender or food processor to break it into smaller pieces, or grated fresh coconut. 

Coconut cupcakes

Coconut cupcakes adapted from a recipe courtesy of the Polynesian Cultural Center

Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 35 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes; Yield: 30 cupcakes

Ingredient

2-1/2 cup cake flour

2-1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 cup sugar

1 cup butter, softened

5 eggs, separated

1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup coconut milk

3/4 cup desiccated coconut

1-1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind (optional)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line your cupcake/muffin pans. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Cream the butter in a separate bowl. Gradually add the sugar to the butter and beat until consistency is light. To the butter mixture, add one egg yolk at a time, beating in between additions.

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture at a time to the butter mixture, alternating with the coconut milk. End by adding the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beater. Add the coconut and lemon rind. *If you don't own an electric stand mixer, like me, fold in the milk and dry ingredients to prevent flour from flying everywhere and over-mixing. 

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Gently fold half the egg whites into the cake batter until thoroughly incorporated, and then fold in the second half. Spoon into lined cupcake tins, about 2/3s way full. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cakes (about 30-35 minutes) . Cool before icing.

*You can also use powdered coconut milk instead of canned coconut milk. Instead of mixing it with water, mix it with milk (or soy milk). If you want a more intense coconut flavor, used condensed coconut milk which you can make by reducing canned coconut milk. From epicurious - For 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 1/2 cups, stirring occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat; cool completely. Transfer to small bowl. Cover; chill (coconut milk will settle slightly as it cools). DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

Coconut Loaf

Coconut Loaf adapted from Epicurious
Ingredients
1 stick butter
2 cups flour
1 cup of sugar
3 eggs, separated
1 cup slightly reduced coconut milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preparation
Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Grease and flour two loaf pans. 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 egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Fold in half of flour mixture, and half of the cup of reduced coconut milk; mix just until blended. Fold in remaining flour mixture and coconut milk. Divide batter between the two loaf pans. Bake until tops spring back when gently touched and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 - 45 minutes. Transfer loaves in pans to rack; cool 10 minutes. Carefully remove loaves from pans and cool completely on rack.