"CoconutCake" news and stories

Of all the sweet treats my grandmother made so well, fresh coconut cake always seemed to be my father's favorite. I detested grated coconut until sometime after her death, so I never tried hers. However, this Christmas seemed like the perfect time to bake one for my father.

At a glance, the recipe sounded easy enough, given that the first ingredient was Duncan Hines Golden Butter Cake Mix. I baked that according to the instructions. Actually, I baked two boxes to make four full layers, so the rest of my instructions will work for that adjustment.

While the layers baked, I faced the coconut. There's got to be a better way than what I tried, basically gouging a hole to drain the liquid out by tapping a thin serrated knife into it with a meat tenderizer. Still, I managed to drain the thing and reserve the liquid. Next I endeavored to crack the coconut open. I will spare you those gruesome details. Look here, as I should have done, for help on cracking the coconut , and then find out the rest of the recipe after the jump.

These lovely little cupcakes called out to my spring-starved soul, lost in a sea of grey skies and 90% chance-of-showers. They sing of sun and tropical breezes, with their papaya and their lime and their coconut. Chockylit has the recipe; the cupcakes are made with coconut milk, with chopped papaya and shredded coconut stirred in before baking; and the icing is made of cream cheese, the usual butter and sugar, and flavored with fresh grated ginger, ground ginger and lime juice. You should also check out the whole photo essay on flickr.

[Photo chockylit, via Cupcake Takes the Cake flickr pool]

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