Coconut Gingerbread Cake Food

GINGERBREAD CAKE WITH CARAMEL BISCUIT ICING

Steps:

• Measure the milk and treacle into a saucepan (grease the measuring spoon with a little oil first and the treacle will easily slide off). Bring to a gentle simmer and stir until combined, then set aside to cool. Meanwhile, grease 3 x 20cm loose-bottomed cake tins with a little oil and line the bases with baking parchment (if you don't have enough cake tins, see tip). If the tins are any shallower than 4cm, line the sides with a deep collar too. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
• Measure the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and spices into a large bowl, then add ½ tsp fine salt. Mix the dry ingredients together with a large whisk; if there are any large lumps of sugar, squeeze these through your fingers until you have an even, sandy-textured mixture.
• In a jug, whisk the oil, buttermilk, eggs, rum and vanilla. Add the milk and treacle mixture, and mix well. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and whisk into a smooth batter. Divide between the tins and bake for 25-30 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. You may have to swap the cakes over to cook evenly, but don't do this until they've had at least 20 mins cooking. Cool the cakes in their tins for 10 mins, then transfer to a wire rack, peel off the parchment and leave to cool completely. Once cooled, you can wrap the sponges in cling film and store in a cool place for 4 days, or freeze for up to 2 months - the texture and flavour will be all the better for it.
• To make the icing, put the butter and half the icing sugar in a large bowl. Mash together roughly with a spatula, then whizz with an electric hand whisk until smooth. Add the remaining icing sugar, the cream cheese, vanilla bean extract and biscuit spread. Mix again until smooth and evenly mixed. Transfer half the icing to another bowl and set aside. Use the remaining icing to stack the cakes and cover the entire outside in a thin layer - don't worry about making the cake look too neat at this stage, as any crumbs trapped in the icing will be covered in the final coat. Chill the cake for 30 mins and the remaining icing for 20 mins (remove the icing from the fridge 10 mins before the cake to soften a little).
• When the icing on the cake is firm, remove it from the fridge and use the remaining icing to cover the cake. Smooth the sides using a palette knife, but leave peaks and dips on top for your snow scene. Top the cake generously with desiccated coconut, a dusting of sieved icing sugar and some edible glitter, if you like, then decorate the top and sides with gingerbread shapes (see tip). If you're not eating the cake within a few hours, store it in the fridge, but bring back to room temperature before serving. Wlll keep for 2 days.

GINGERSNAP COCONUT ICEBOX CAKE

Steps:

• Line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with parchment to overhang the edges and set aside. Carefully remove the coconut milk cans from the refrigerator so the fat and liquid remain separated. Spoon the hardened coconut cream from the can and place in a large bowl (save the liquid for another use, such as smoothies).
• Beat the coconut cream in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy and medium peaks form. Reduce the speed to low and add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, ground ginger, zest of 1/2 lime and salt and beat until just combined. Gently fold in the crystalized ginger with a rubber spatula.
• Place 8 of the Gingersnap Cookies in an even layer on the bottom of the prepared loaf pan (they may overlap just slightly and that is okay). Spread a heaping 1/2 cup of the coconut cream mixture on top, then repeat the process 4 more times, ending with the remaining coconut cream on top. Garnish with the zest from the other lime half, the toasted coconut and sprinkles (if using).
• Cover and refrigerate until the cookies are completely softened, 6 hours and up to overnight.
• Stir together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, allspice, baking soda, cloves and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed until light, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and add the egg and molasses. Beat until well combined. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until the dough comes together and cleans the sides of the bowl.
• Divide the dough into 2 portions. Lay out a piece of plastic wrap about 16 inches long. Form one portion of the dough into a log and place at one end of the plastic. Roll the plastic around the dough and roll with your hands to make a log about 8 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Twist the ends to seal well. Repeat with the remaining dough. Chill until firm, at least 2 hours. (You can also freeze the dough, using directly from the freezer.)
• To bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with a rack in the top and bottom thirds. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Remove the plastic from a dough log and cut 1/4-inch-thick rounds (a serrated knife works well), placing them about an inch apart on the baking sheets. Bake, rotating the sheets from top to bottom halfway through, until the cookies are crisp and golden on the bottoms and edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough.

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.

GINGERBREAD CAKE WITH SNOW SUGAR

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the bottoms and sides of two 9-by-3-inch loaf pans with oil. Line the bottoms with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides, then brush the paper with oil.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the whole eggs, egg yolks, molasses and vanilla until smooth. In a small bowl, mix the buttermilk with 1/3 cup of hot water.
• In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg and cloves. Add the brown sugar and mix very well. Add the butter and oil and mix until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Slowly drizzle in the egg mixture and stir until incorporated, then whisk in the buttermilk mixture until smooth, scraping around the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans, then sprinkle half the candied ginger on top of each cake. Bake until the cakes feel bouncy and a tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the cakes to a rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Unmold the cakes, being sure to peel off the parchment paper, and cool completely on the rack, right-side up.
• When ready to serve, place a gingerbread cake on a serving platter, then sift 1/2 cup of the Snow Sugar in a sieve over the top of the cake until dusted.
• Place the sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in the coconut oil while whisking until the mixture comes together; it may clump together slightly but should redistribute fairly evenly to look like coarse breadcrumbs. If you are going to use the snow sugar immediately, place the bowl in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the coconut oil to solidify; it can also be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. When you are ready to use, break up any large clumps, then place the snow sugar in a fine sieve and press lightly on the sugar to sift over the top of the cake to create a snowy effect.

COCONUT CHAI TRAYBAKE

Steps:

• Grease a 20 x 30cm baking tin with a little oil, and line the base and sides with baking parchment. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Measure the coconut milk and oil into a jug. Crack in the eggs, add the vanilla and whisk with a fork to combine.
• In a large bowl, mix the sugar, flour, coconut, spices and a pinch of salt. Squeeze any lumps of sugar through your fingers, shaking the bowl a few times so they come to the surface. Pour in the wet ingredients and use a large whisk to mix to a smooth batter. Pour into the tin, scraping every drop of the mixture out of the bowl with a spatula.
• Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 25 mins or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. If there is any wet mixture clinging to it, bake for a further 5 mins, then check again. Leave to cool for 15 mins in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack and drizzle over the ginger syrup.
• To make the icing, mix the coconut milk with the icing sugar until smooth. Drizzle the icing over the cake in squiggles, then scatter with the chopped ginger, pistachios and coconut flakes, if using. Eat warm or cold. Will keep for 3 days in an airtight container.

COCONUT-GINGER PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Lightly spray 9-inch round, 2-inch deep cake pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
• Pineapple topping:
• Combine pineapple, brown sugar, and ginger in 10-inch skillet; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally during first 5 minutes, until pineapple is translucent and has light brown hue, 15 to 18 minutes. Empty fruit and juices into mesh strainer or colander set over medium bowl. Return juices to skillet, leaving pineapple in strainer (you should have about 2 cups cooked fruit). Simmer juices over medium heat until thickened, beginning to darken, and mixture forms large bubbles, 6 to 8 minutes, adding any more juices released by fruit to skillet after about 4 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter and vanilla; pour caramel mixture into prepared cake pan. Set aside while preparing cake. (Pineapple will continue to release liquid as it sits; do not add this liquid to already-reduced juice mixture.).
• Cake:
• Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl; set aside.
• In bowl of standing mixer fitted with flat beater, cream butter, sugar and coconut at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, add vanilla, and beat to combine; one at a time, add whole eggs then egg white, beating well and scraping down bowl after each addition. Reduce speed to low; add about one-third of flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Add half of coconut milk and beat until incorporated; repeat, adding half of remaining flour mixture and remaining coconut milk, and finish with remaining flour. Give final stir with rubber spatula, scraping bottom and sides of bowl to ensure that batter is combined. Batter will be thick.
• Working quickly, distribute cooked pineapple in cake pan in even layer, gently pressing fruit into caramel. Using rubber spatula, drop mounds of batter over fruit, then spread batter over fruit and to sides of pan. Tap pan lightly against work surface to release any air bubbles. Bake until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool 10 minutes on wire rack, then place inverted serving platter over cake pan. Invert cake pan and platter together; lift off cake pan. Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours; then cut into pieces and serve.

CARROT COCONUT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Mix flour, baking powder and cinnamon until blended.
• Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each until well blended. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Add carrots, coconut, nuts and pineapple; mix well. Pour into 2 (9-inch) round pans sprayed with cooking spray.
• Bake 40 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans 10 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely. Fill and frost cake layers with PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese Frosting.

GINGER - MACADAMIA - COCONUT - CARROT CAKE!

Steps:

• preheat oven to 350 and have ready 2 8 inch round springform cake pans lightly greased.
• in a large bowl, sift together flour, bakinh powder, baking soda, salt, and ground spices.
• in a separate mixing bowl, mix together pineapple juice, oil, sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla.
• add dry ingredients to wet ones until smooth.
• fold in the macadamias, ginger, coconut, and carrots.
• divide the batter evenly between the 2 round cake pans and bake for 40 - 45 minutes.
• let cool in pans.
• frost with coconut frosting and serve!
• for frosting:.
• cream the margarine until light and fluffy.
• add the coconut milk and vanilla and combine.
• add the sifted confectioners' sugar and mix till smooth.
• add unsweetened coconut and combine.