Puerto Rican Coconut Cake Food

PUERTO RICAN COCONUT CAKE

Steps:

• Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
• Cream butter.
• Add 1 cup of the sugar and cream well. Combine coconut milk or sweet milk and vanilla extract.
• Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
• In a small bowl, beat egg whites until foamy.
• Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat until stiff and glossy.
• Fold beaten whites into the batter carefully.
• Bake in 2 (9-inch) layer pans at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes.
• Frost with favorite seven-minute frosting and sprinkle with coconut.

COQUITO

Steps:

• Put the cream of coconut, condensed milk, evaporated milk, coconut milk beverage, rum, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg in a blender and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a pitcher, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very cold, about 1 hour.
• Give the coquito a good stir (the mixture may separate slightly as it sits). Pour into individual mugs or glasses, top with more nutmeg and serve with a cinnamon stick.

COQUITO (PUERTO RICAN COCONUT EGGNOG)

Steps:

• Combine the three milks with the cream of coconut in a large blender and blend until well combined. Add the rum, vanilla extract and ground cinnamon and blend together. (If your blender is small, do this in batches and pour into a large bowl as you go.)
• Pour the coquito into bottles and drop 1 cinnamon stick and vanilla bean half into each. Cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 2 hours.
• Serve straight in small glasses or over ice in larger ones. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a cinnamon stick. Leftovers will keep tightly sealed in the refrigerator for about 1 week (shake the bottle vigorously each time before serving; see Cook's Note).

PUERTO RICAN PINEAPPLE RUM CAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
• Make the glaze and pineapples:.
• In a small saucepan over moderate heat, combine the brown sugar and 1 cup rum, and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about 1/3. Whisk in the butter. Add the pineapple slices, gently stirring to coat them in the glaze, then let them sit for about 3 minutes. Transfer the pineapple slices to the bottom of a 9-inch square cake pan, arranging them to cover the bottom. Save the rum glaze for serving.
• Make the cake:.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and beat on high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat on medium until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla and rum, and beat for 30 seconds. Fold in the flour and salt. Scrape the batter (it will be thick) over the pineapples in the pan. Sprinkle the pecans over the batter and bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let the cake cool on a rack for 15 minutes then flip it onto a serving plate so that the pineapples are on top.
• Note, this cake can be baked in advance, covered, and kept at room temperature up to 10 hours.
• To serve:.
• In a small saucepan over moderate heat, combine the rum glaze and the remaining 1/2 cup rum and warm until heated through. Cut the cake into squares and serve with vanilla ice cream and warm rum glaze.

PUERTO RICAN COCONUT PUDDING

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add milk; stir until smooth. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Cook and stir 1-2 minutes longer or until thickened., Remove from the heat; pour into dessert dishes. Cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Just before serving, sprinkle with cinnamon.