Coconut Cake With Mascarpone Frosting Food

COCONUT CAKE WITH MASCARPONE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Line bottom of 9-inch diameter springform pan with parchment paper; butter paper and pan.
• Whisk flour and baking powder in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, 3/4 cup butter, and vanilla in large bowl until blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Add flour mixture alternately with milk in 2 additions each, beating until just blended. Stir in 1 1/2 cups finely grated coconut and 1 1/4 teaspoons lime peel.
• Transfer mixture to prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Cool cake in pan 20 minutes. Cut around sides to loosen; invert onto platter. Cool completely.
• Using electric mixer, beat 3 tablespoons butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons lime peel, mascarpone, and cloves in large bowl. Add powdered sugar; beat just until smooth.
• Spread mascarpone frosting over top of cooled cake. Garnish top edge with 1/2 cup shaved coconut. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.
• *An Italian cream cheese; sold at many supermarkets and at Italian markets.

COCONUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, then line them parchment paper. Grease them again and dust lightly with flour.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. The mixture might look curdled; don't be concerned.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula.
• Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.
• For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth (don't whip!).
• To assemble, place 1 layer on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with frosting. Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides. To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature.

COFFEE-CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE WITH MOCHA-MASCARPONE FROSTING

Steps:

• For cake: Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F Generously butter two 9-inch cake pans with 2-inch-high sides; dust with flour, tapping out any excess. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper.
• Sift 2 cups cake flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add brown sugar and beat until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions, beating just until blended after each addition. Gradually add hot espresso-water mixture, beating just until smooth.
• Divide batter between pans; smooth tops. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack 15 minutes. Run small knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes. Invert cakes onto racks; lift pans off cakes and remove parchment. Place wire rack atop each cake; invert again so top side is up. Cool completely.
• For frosting: Sift cocoa powder into large bowl; add espresso powder. Bring 1 cup cream to boil in small saucepan. Slowly pour cream over cocoa mixture, whisking until cocoa is completely dissolved, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup cream and sugar; stir until sugar dissolves. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours.
• Add mascarpone to chilled cocoa mixture. Using electric mixer, beat on low speed until blended and smooth. Increase speed to medium-high; beat until mixture is thick and medium-firm peaks form when beaters are lifted, about 2 minutes (do not overbeat or mixture will curdle).
• Using pastry brush, brush off crumbs from cakes. Place 1 cake layer, top side up, on platter. Spoon 1 3/4 cups frosting in dollops over top of cake. Using offset spatula, spread frosting to edges. Top with second cake layer, top side up, pressing to adhere. Spread thin layer of frosting over top and sides of cake. Chill 10 minutes. Using offset spatula, spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake, swirling decoratively. Top with chocolate curls, if desired.

COCONUT CREAM CAKE WITH MASCARPONE FROSTING RECIPE - (4/5)

Steps:

• To prepare the cream filling: In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and coconut and heat over high heat until the milk begins to boil. Remove from heat and set the mixture aside to steep for about 10 minutes. Strain milk through a sieve (press the coconut to get out as much liquid as possible). In a medium bowl, toss together the sugar and cornstarch. Add about 2 tablespoons of the cooled milk mixture and stir until the sugar and cornstarch dissolve and create a slurry. Whisk in yolks; set aside. In large pot, heat the milk mixture over high heat until it boils. Remove from heat and whisk about ½ cup of the hot milk into the yolk mixture. Add the yolk mixture back to the milk and return to medium heat, whisking constantly over medium-high heat until the mixture boils. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, whisking constantly, for about 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in the rum and butter. Cover immediately with plastic wrap, allowing the wrap to touch the surface of the custard. Set aside. The mixture can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. To prepare the mascarpone: Using a mixer, whip together the mascarpone, cream cheese, butter and sugar until incorporated. Add the vanilla and continue whipping on medium high speed until light and fluffy. To assemble the cake: Trim the crown of each layer with a large serrated knife so that they are uniform in size. Fill each layer with the coconut cream, then frost the cake with mascarpone frosting. Decorate the sides of the cake with the coconut. The cake freezes well.