"Toasted Coconut & Vanilla Bean Cake" & other musings

I don't like coconut cake, really. But this one is very, very good.

I have always felt like coconut cake is for people in their 60’s. No tea, no shade. But it does give elder Black. I call back to my aunties cutting a slice of a mile-high fluffy white cake before sitting down to watch a movie with an in-his-prime Denzel in it. I remember the loud crunch then pop of the plastic dome container. I remember the cloyingly sweet scent of fake coconut flavor wafting through the air next to me on the couch. And I’ve never been able to enjoy it. Of the thousands of cakes I’ve made as a bakery owner since 2012, I’ve made less than 12 of this flavor in my entire life. Of the 4,022 cakes I made in the stretch between 2012 and 2016, 6 of them were coconut. The others, a plethora of rich red velvet cakes, decadent salted caramel vanilla bean cakes, and rich french chocolate cakes.

Whenever a coconut cake threatened to darken my doorstep, the client was always 30 to 40 years my senior. My beef with coconut cake has more to do with the texture of shredded coconut than the dreaded artificial taste from the extract. But whatever my reasoning, it’s still my least fave cake flavor… that, and hummingbird cake. So, of course, the father of the man I’m due to marry in a year would ONLY love coconut cake.

I’ve been able to go four years without anyone requesting one from me until I met Femi’s dad. He doesn’t ask for much, but has requested the cake a few times, so I surprised him with one all to himself on Thanksgiving last year. At that time, I was feeling rusty and unconvinced so I poured a glass of sauvignon blanc and got to work on recipe development. I wanted rich vanilla, present but subtle coconut, tender crumb, and a little toothsome quality. After 2 attempts and lots of cake slices given away to neighbors, I nailed it with the toasted coconut vanilla bean powder.

The shit we do for love. Enjoy. (check out the vid here)

Toasted Coconut & Vanilla Bean Layer Cake

• 1 whole vanilla bean, split lengthwise

• 1/4 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened

• 1 ½ cups white sugar 

• 2 eggs 

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 

• 2 teaspoons coconut extract (optional, but not really LOL) 

• 1 ½ cups vegetable oil 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour 

• 3 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp salt 

• ½ tsp baking soda 

• ½ cup buttermilk

• ½ cup whole fat coconut milk

Salted Vanilla Bean Frosting (yields 6 cups)

• 1 cup vegetable shortening

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened (sub with vegan butter)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

• up to 1 cup Heavy whipping cream (sub with non-dairy whipping cream), VERY cold

• pinch of sea salt (more, as desired)

• 2 pound bag of powdered sugar

• shredded coconut, sweetened (toasting, optional)

Toasted Coconut & Vanilla Bean Powder

1. Place shredded coconut in a large pan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the flakes are mostly golden brown. When coconut is toasted to your liking, remove it to a bowl to cool and to stop the cooking process.

2. In a spice grinder or mortar & pestle, add vanilla bean splits and toasted coconut. Grind into a coarse powder. Set aside.

Toasted Coconut & Vanilla Bean Cake Layers

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour 2 8-inch cake pans or a large bundt pan.

2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.

3. Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the sugar and eggs together on high speed until smooth and light pale yellow in color, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract, coconut extract, and vegetable oil. Beat at medium speed until thoroughly combined and an even lighter pale yellow (like the inside of a banana peel).

4. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. With the mixer still running on low, add buttermilk and coconut milk. Mix until combined. The batter will be slightly thick. 

5. Add the toasted coconut powder to the batter and gently fold or whisk until evenly speckled throughout.

6. Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Bake for around 24-25 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. If making cupcakes, fill each tin 2/3 to the top and bake for 12-15 minutes until just golden brown.

7. Allow to cool completely.

Salted Vanilla Bean Frosting:

In your stand mixer using the whisk attachment, beat the vegetable shortening, butter, and salt together for 1 to 2 minutes on high speed until completely smooth. While still on medium, slowly pour in ½ cup of heavy cream and vanilla bean paste, scraping the sides down. The mixture should lighten in color and become fluffy, like a whipped cream.

With the mixer off, add the powdered sugar 2 cups at a time and mix on low until just combined. Once all powdered sugar has been added and incorporated, turn the mixer to high to whip the frosting, slowly adding in a splash of heavy cream at a time until light and fluffy. Taste, then add another pinch of salt if needed. Yields about 6 cups of frosting. 

To frost, place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with frosting. Repeat with 2nd layer and spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. Pack sweetened shredded coconut on the sides of the cake, or all over! Have fun with this bit of mess and enjoy!