Look at this coconut wonder!!!! Mmm mmm…….

Welcome to the Birthday cake series, where my love for birthdays and cakes go hand in hand or should I say cake in mouth?

I love Birthdays! Well, really I just enjoy making and eating the delish cakes that I bake up for my family members on their special day. Here’s how it works: the B-day boy/girl chooses a cake that they would like me to make. If they are dumbfounded at the sheer choices or their desires run amuck – I provide them with a list of random cakes to choose from. Then I create the recipe & make it & bake it & mark it with a B (and eat it with the Birthday folks).
Sometimes people choose cakes that I have never made before. I love a challenge when it comes to creating cake recipes that are as unique as the person I am making it for.

I think you will find this Killer Coconut Cake to be a 4-layer coconut love story. This was the request of my sister in law Anne for the second year in a row! If you love coconut as much as she does then you’re in for a real treat. Here is my ode to Anne, Dear Anne, Thank you for making me make this cake for you. It is a masterpiece that soothes my soul and renders my heart and stomach completely unable to resist….

So people, I have broken this cake recipe into two parts. Part 1 contains the Coconut Cream Filling and the Coconut Frosting.  Part 2 contains the Killer Coconut Cake in all its glory, baked, assembled and ready to party (in my mouth.)

Though you will find that this cake is NOT difficult to make, it is rather time consuming and you may need to hunt down a few of the ingredients. This year I had to use coconut milk as I could not find the coconut cream anywhere. Do not fret dear coconut loving friends; the coconut cream is the top layer on the milk so you may need to buy a few more cans of the milk if you go this route.

Coconut Cream Filling

You will need:

Whipping cream, coconut cream, or coconut milk ( you will need to scrape off the top 2- 3″ creamy layer which is the cream of the coconut), plus coconut extract

and

sugar, butter, cornstarch, a bit of water and vanilla extract.  The stuff in the green glass container is my homemade vanilla extract.

First whisk together the bit o’ water and cornstarch to form a smooth paste – what a cute itty bitty whisk.  Set aside.

Add the whipping cream, coconut cream, sugar, butter into a medium heavy saucepan

Stir over medium high heat and melt that butter!

Stir constantly -

keep stirring….

and stirring…. Is your arm tired yet?

It’s almost ready!

Get it nice and bubbly,

now add the cornstarch/water mixture into the coconut milk.

Continue to stir until thickened and bubbly.

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and coconut extract.

Should look creamy with nice thick coating on the spoon.

Pour into a glass bowl, place saran wrap on top (to prevent a skin) and place in fridge.

See? that wasn’t so bad – C.C. filling now complete.

 Printable Recipe

Coconut Cream Filling

1 ½ cups whipping cream
1 cup coconut cream
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
Bring to a boil stirring constantly.

Mix together to form smooth paste and add to milk mixture:
2 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
2 ½ tablespoons water
Continue to stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in:
1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
½ teaspoons Coconut Extract (or to taste)

Make filling a day ahead of time and refrigerate. Place saran wrap on top to prevent a skin.

Now let’s make the Coconut Frosting

Familiar ingredients, eh?
You will need butter, whipping cream, coconut cream, vanilla and coconut extracts plus cream cheese and a pinch of salt.

Also some sifted powdered sugar.

Beat the cream cheese, and softened butter together. Add pinch of salt.

Add the coconut cream

and the extracts

Beat in the whipping cream and coconut cream until fluffy, stiff white peaks are formed

and add the sifted powered sugar

Beat in powdered sugar; adjust the amount to desired frosting thickness and sweetness.  At this point, I usually put it in the fridge covered overnight leaving it a bit runny. Right before frosting the cake, I rebeat and add more powdered sugar to get it just right.

Whew! Coconut cream filling check. Coconut frosting, check.  Now go kick your feet up ~or~  if you are cuckoo for coconut cake go to Part 2.

 Printable Recipe
Coconut Frosting

1 8 oz package cream cheese
½ cup butter
½ cup whipping cream
½ cup coconut cream
2-4 cups sifted powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoons Vanilla and Coconut extracts

Beat the cream cheese, and butter together. Add pinch of salt. Beat in the whipping cream and coconut cream until fluffy and stiff white peaks are formed. Add vanilla extract. Beat in the powdered sugar; adjust amount to desired frosting thickness and sweetness.

For more Zesty Coconut Love, click here for Part 2…  -  Robyn