Coconut And Cherry Cake Delia Food

THE BEST COCONUT LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Position racks in the middle and lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; butter the parchment, dust with flour and tap out the excess. Set aside.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the buttermilk and cream of coconut in a small bowl. Beat the butter and 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla and coconut extracts. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, until combined.
• Beat the egg whites and the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl with clean beaters on medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the batter in three batches until just combined (do not overmix). Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cakes are lightly browned and the centers spring back when lightly pressed, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 20 minutes in the pans, then run a small knife around the edges of each cake and carefully invert onto the racks; remove the parchment and let cool completely.
• For the frosting: Beat the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in about half of the confectioners' sugar until combined. Add the remaining confectioners' sugar, salt and vanilla and coconut extracts and beat until combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium high and continue beating, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Place one cake layer on a cake stand or platter and top with a heaping 2/3 cup frosting. Add another cake layer, more frosting and the last cake layer. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle the coconut all over the top and sides of the cake, gently pressing to adhere.

FRESH COCONUT LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Before you start this cake, you'll first have to deal with the coconut. Not half as impenetrable as it might seem, as all you do is first push a skewer into the 3 holes in the top of the coconut and drain out the milk. Then place the coconut in a polythene bag and sit it on a hard surface - a stone floor or an outside paving stone. Then give it a hefty whack with a hammer - it won't be that difficult to break. Now remove the pieces from the bag and, using a cloth to protect your hands, prise the top of a knife between the nut and the shell. You should find that you can force the whole piece out in one go. Now discard the shell and take off the inner skin using a potato peeler. The coconut is now ready to use. The best way to grate coconut flesh is with the grating disc of a food processor, but a hand grater will do just as well. Click here to see How to Crack a Coconut To make the cake, sieve the flour and baking powder into a large bowl, holding the sieve high to give them a good airing. Now just add all the other ingredients, except the grated coconut, to the bowl and go in with an electric hand whisk and combine everything until you have a smooth mixture, which will take about 1 minute. If you don't have an electric hand whisk, use a wooden spoon, using a little more effort. What you should now have is a mixture that drops off a spoon when you give it a tap on the side of the bowl. If it seems a little stiff, add a drop of water and mix again. Finally, stir in the 3 oz (75 g) finely grated coconut and divide the mixture between the tins. Now place them on the centre shelf of the oven for 30-35 minutes. To test whether the cakes are cooked, lightly touch the centre of each with a finger: if it leaves no impression and the sponges spring back, they are ready. Next, remove them from the oven, then wait about 5 minutes before turning them out on to a wire cooling rack. Carefully peel off the base papers, and when the cakes are absolutely cold, carefully divide each one horizontally into two halves using a very sharp serrated knife. Now make up the frosting by simply whisking all the ingredients together in a bowl to combine them. Next select the plate or stand you want to serve the cake on - you'll also need a palette knife - then simply place one cake layer on first, followed by a thin layer of frosting (about a fifth), followed by the next layer of cake and frosting, and so on. After that, use the rest of the frosting to coat the sides and top of the cake. Don't worry how it looks: the good thing is that it's all going to be covered with the rest of the grated coconut next. And that's it! You can also watch our Cookery School video for Layering and Icing Cakes here.

CHERRY COCONUT DREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat over to 350 degrees. Coat two 9inch round cake pans with cooking spray.
• Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt.
• At medium-high speed beat sugar with butter until fluffy, 2 minute Beat in eggs and extract. At low speed alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk, starting and ending with flour mixture. Stir in ground almonds. Bake 25 minute Cool 10 minute Remove from pans and cool completely.
• At high speed beat cream with sugar until stiff peaks form, 2-3 minute Place 1 cake layer on serving plate; spread with 1/4 cup jam. Spoon pie filling over jam. Spread remaining cake layer with remaining jam; place jam side down over cherry filling.
• Transfer 1 cup whipped cream to pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Spread top and side of cake with remaining whipped cream. Gently press coconut onto side of cake. Pipe rosettes onto top of cake. Garnish with maraschino cherries, if desired.

CHERRY AND COCONUT CAKE

Steps:

• Cream the butter or margarine with the sugar
• beat in the eggs and milk with a whisk (electric or hand)
• stir in the coconut and cherries
• fold in the self raising flour until mixture is a nice consistancy (not too runny not too stiff)
• line a loaf tin with greaseproof parchment paper and fill with mixture - sprinkle some more coconut on the top of the mixture
• place in preheated oven of 180 degrees C and cook for about 30 mins....after 30mins place some whole cherries onto the top of the cake and cook for another 10-15 mins...or until once cocktail stick comes out clean

CHERRY, CHOC & COCONUT TRAY BAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 20 x 30cm baking tray with baking parchment. In a large bowl, mix the desiccated coconut, sugar, eggs, white chocolate and glacé cherries until combined. Cook for 20 mins until golden brown and set, then cool in the tin before slicing into bars.

CHERRY COCONUT DUMP CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees for glass pan).
• In a 9x13 pan, dump in cherry pie filling if using add almond extract and stir together.
• Empty entire can of crushed pineapple on top of cherries (no need to stir).
• Sprinkle cake mix evenly over top of fruit layers, do not stir.
• Dot with ¼ cup cut up butter.
• Pour ½ cup melted butter over top of cake mix.
• If using, sprinkle coconut and pecans over top of cake.
• Bake for one hour or until tester comes out clean.

CHERRY, PISTACHIO & COCONUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9 in/24cm diameter ring cake tin with butter.
• Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour over the melted butter and mix in the eggs. Spoon the batter into the pre-greased tin and smooth down.
• Remove the pits from the cherries-you can do this with a cherry pitter or by just pulling them apart and popping the pits out with your fingers. I like to do this over the cake tin, so that any juice drips onto the cake and adds color. Drop the pitted cherries onto the batter and sprinkle the top of the cake with the remaining 1 1/2 tbsp/20g of sugar and the roughly chopped pistachios. Bake in the center of the oven for 25-30 minutes, then turn the cake around and bake for a further 8-10 minutes, until the cake between the cherries goes all golden.
• Allow the cake to cool in the tin, as it needs time to settle, then gently remove by running a knife around the edges. Covered well, it will keep in the fridge for up to a week (not much chance of that happening), but for the best flavor, allow it to return to room temperature before eating.