Baking is my Zen: 04/05/10

Monday, April 5, 2010

Tropical Carrot Cake with Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting

The weather on Easter Sunday was heavenly!
At my family gatherings, I always bring a dessert…preferably a baked dessert.

I baked a Tropical Carrot Cake with Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting for our Easter dessert.
I saw this recipe on a food bloggers’ blog called Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats. Jaime wrote how this is the best Carrot Cake ever. I thought I’d give it a try.

The verdict…my family RAVED over it. Yay! I like successes in the kitchen. 

Below is the recipe by Rebecca Rather with MY variations in parentheses.
You can also check Jaime’s blog for her variations.

Tropical Carrot Cake with Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting
From the book THE PASTRY QUEEN By Rebecca Rather

OVEN TEMP: 350 Degress
YIELD: 12 to 14 Servings

Ingredients:
1 cup macadamia nuts (I use finely chopped toasted walnuts)
3 cups all purpose flour
3 cups sugar
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp ground cinnamon (I increased by 1 tsp)
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (I omitted this spice)
1-1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut (I used 1 cup)
4 large eggs
2 tbsp vanilla
1-1/2 cups vegetable oil, such as canola or safflower
1-1/2 cups shredded peeled carrots
1-1/2 cups diced fresh pineapple or drained crush canned pineapple (I used 1 cup)
1/2 cup sweetened cream of coconut, such as Coco Lopez

Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting:
3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar (I used 2 cups)
1/4 cup heaving whipping cream
1/4 cup sweetened cream of coconut, such as Coco Lopez
1/2 tsp salt

To Make the Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Arrange the nuts on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast them for 7 to 9 minutes, until golden and aromatic.
Set aside to cool.
Place one oven rack one-third from the bottom of the oven and the second two-thirds from the bottom.
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Line three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper rounds, grease with butter, and dust with flour (or spray with Baker’s Joy).
Stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, coconut, and nuts in a large bowl.
In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, oil, carrots, pineapple, and cream of coconut.
Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans.
Stagger the cake layers on the oven racks so that no layer is directly over another.
Set 2 layers on one rack and the third on the other.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
The cakes are done when they are golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool the cakes in their pans on racks for 5 minutes, then invert them onto the racks and cool completely, about 15 to 20 minutes.

To Make the Frosting:
Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a large bowl on medium-high speed about 1 minute.
Add the whipping cream, cream of coconut, and salt; beat until combined.

Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate and spread a thick blanket of frosting on top.
Add the second layer, spread thickly with frosting, and top with the third layer.
Cover the top and sides of the cake with an even layer of frosting.
If you’re feeling energetic and there is frosting left over, use a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip to pipe a decoration around the top rim of the cake.
The cake can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 4 days.
Let it cool in the refrigerator about 1 hour before covering, to ensure the frosting has hardened and will not stick to the plastic wrap.
Yield: 12-14 Servings.