TROPICAL CARROT CAKE WITH COCONUT CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Cake
2 1/3 cups sifted all purpose flour (sifted, then measured)
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup dry-roasted macadamia nuts
3/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger
3 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups finely grated peeled carrots
2 8-ounce cans crushed pineapple in its own juice, well drained
Frosting
3 8-ounce packages Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup canned sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco López)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon (scant) coconut extract
14 whole dry-roasted macadamia nuts
1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger
For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1
1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper.
Combine 1/3 cup flour and next 3 ingredients in processor. Process
until nuts are finely chopped. Whisk remaining 2 cups flour,
cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in medium bowl to
blend.
Using electric mixer, beat sugar and oil in large bowl to blend. Add
eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
Beat in flour-spice mixture. Stir in coconut-macadamia mixture, then
carrots and crushed pineapple.
Divide batter among pans. Bake until tester inserted into center of
cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 1
hour. Run knife around edge of pans to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out
onto racks; cool completely.
For frosting:
Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in
powdered sugar, then cream of coconut and both extracts. Chill until
firm enough to spread, about 30 minutes.
Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread 3/4 cup frosting
over top of cake. Top with second cake layer, flat side up. Spread
3/4 cup frosting over. Top with third cake layer, rounded side up,
pressing slightly to adhere. Spread thin layer of frosting over top
and sides of cake. Chill cake and remaining frosting 30 minutes.
Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Arrange whole
nuts and ginger around top edge of cake. Chill 1 hour. (Can be made 1
day ahead. Cover with cake dome and chill. Let stand at room
temperature 1 hour before serving.)
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Bon Appétit
April 2003
Notes:
1. If you really like ginger, leave the amount requested, if not I
would definitely decrease the amount of ginger by at least half
2. Add more (1/2 tsp) nutmeg to the cake mixture.
3. My only addition was about 1/2 cup of raisins.
4. I had lots of frosting left over. 1/2 to 2/3 of a recipe is plenty
for me...
5. Refrigerate the Coco Lopez for a few hours before adding it to the
other frosting ingredients.
6. I also made a filling from 20 ozs of crushed pineapple with juice,
2 Tbsp sugar and 2 Tbsp of cornstarch. Simmer until thickened and
then cool. Once cooled, mix with about 1/2 c frosting and spread
between the layers.
7. I omitted the coconut extract from the frosting
8. I didn't drain the pineapple completely and the cake was sooo
moist..
9. Ran out of Coco Lopez. So I used 1/2 cup lite coconut milk (what I
had on hand) and 1/4 cup heavy cream (also had on hand). The frosting
was light and creamy - not too much coconut flavor.
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