The Husband turned a year wiser yesterday. And I baked him a 6 inch coconut cream cake. My few baking disasters happened last weekend, but I won’t dwell too much into it. This is after all, a post about the Husband and his birthday celebration.
He’d be the center of today’s blog post. Not the failed baking macaron attempts last weekend.
Two, to be precise.
My husband and I don’t like store-bought cakes. The frosting is usually thick and super sweet! And a whole cake for the two of us wasn’t enough to justify a purchase.
Though after the failed at baking attempts, I silently wished my horrid baking skills would have nudged us more into store-bought birthday cakes. Seriously, I’m a failure in the baking department.
But I’m known to always try again and again.
And again.
Looks like I wheeled off the topic — back to the Husband.
It took every ounce of me to NOT overdecorate this cake. I was envisioning a couple of spring flowers, but that would totally freak the Husband out.
I would’ve gotten “the stare”, if you know what I mean 😉
So I kept it simple, light and easy. We both love coconut and without a doubt, coconut flakes cannot bruise any male ego in the cake decorating department. That’s a guarantee.
I got my satisfaction of decorating the cake and the Husband had his by eating.
A win-win situation.
Ingredients:
Cake
- 1+1/3 cup of whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 cup thick full fat coconut cream
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp coconut rum
Meringue frosting
- 1 large egg white
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 oz agave nectar or honey
- 1/2 tsp coconut rum
Garnish : Lightly toasted coconut flakes
Directions:
- Place oven rack in the middle of oven. Preheat oven to 350F.
- Butter and flour the cake pan. I used coconut oil here, instead of butter. Set the pan aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a beater, add thick coconut cream and sugar. Beat on medium until fluffy, for a minute.
- Add eggs on at a time. Beat to combine.
- Drizzle in coconut rum and stir just until incorporated.
- Sift all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Remove the stand mixer bowl and using a spatula, make a few folds to combine all ingredients. Try not to overmix. Just enough until combined.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared 6 inch cake pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until tooth pick inserted, comes out clean.
- Remove cake pan to cool on counter for 15 minutes. Invert cake on a cooling rack to completely cool.
- To prepare frosting, add egg white into stand mixer fitter with a whisk.
- Gently whisk egg white on medium low for 1 minute or until frothy. Increase speed to medium and whip for 1 minute or until soft peaks.
- Add cream of tartar and continue to whip on medium. Meantime, heat agave nectar or honey in the microwave for 45 seconds. Make sure agave nectar doesn’t bubble over!
- Increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and slowly drizzle in very hot agave nectar. Continue to whip for a minute.
- Drizzle in coconut rum and increase the speed to high and continue to whip for 2 minutes until thick and glossy.
- Frost cooled cake with prepared meringue. Gently scatter toasted coconut flakes on the sides and top.
- Gobble it up immediately.
Happy Birthday to the love of my life! Wishing you more happiness, great health and prosperous years ahead — including renewed attempts on my behalf to better my baking skills 😉
Yours truly,
A foodie who is still learning how to pipe macarons. Yikes!
Any baking wreckers out there? Don’t tell me I’m all alone in this department.
Comments on this entry are closed.
Kiran – what a pretty and delicious looking cake…yummmm!
Ina gawne recently posted..CREAMY CHICKEN MUSHROOM CASSEROLE
Ina — thank you my dear friend 🙂
Happy belated Birthday to your husband!
That cake looks ever so pretty, soft and delicious.
Cheers,
Rosa
Rosa — thank you so much my dear 🙂
Happy birthday to your husband Kiran! This cake is the perfect way to celebrate! my husband loves coconut too!
Katerina recently posted..Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies
Katerina — thank you so much, dear friend. Truly appreciate your wishes 🙂
happy birthday to your hubby! looks like a great cake and i love that you didn’t add oil or butter, but used coconut cream. must have been moist and delicious. i love coconut too, i’m baking up a similar cake I recently made this weekend. 🙂
Baking disasters? of course.. i’m a novice, you’re the baker!!!
Honey What’s Cooking recently posted..Blueberry Banana Coconut Oatmeal Bake… bressert!
Honey — thank you so much for the birthday wishes. And I refuse the title of a “baker”. No way 😀
Happy Birthday to your husband and this looks so delectable!
Donalyn recently posted..Creamy Spinach Feta Soup
Donalyn — thank you so much, my dear 🙂
lovely cake and with coconut the flavors won’t go wrong. and even i have had some baking disasters…. crumbled cookies, dense gluten cake, icing going over the top and what not. wish you a happy holi kiran. also belated happy birthday wishes to your husband.
dassana recently posted..mango kulfi
Dassana — thank you so much! I am so glad we all share similar hiccups in the baking department 😉
My baking disaster has also been the macarons. But I always blame it on the altitude and move on :)) Living in Denver is not easy for bakers.
Loved that you did not give up. And who doesn’t love a coconut cake!!
Ansh — wow, altitude and humidity problems definitely affects baking. Hmph!
The cake and pictures are beautiful. I love making little 6″ cakes…and love those adorable “cake” forks!!
Monica recently posted..Cocoa brownies
Monica — thank you so much! I got the forks at Amsterdam as a gift while visiting my sister 🙂
this is the perfect way to celebrate a birthday together 🙂 Happy Birthday to the hubby. I love everything about this cake… Baking disaster- I am very good at that 😛
dixya@food, pleasure, and health recently posted..Sweet MIMM
Dixya — thank you so much! I think we all share similarities in the baking department 🙂
what an utterly gorgeous cake my friend and Happy birthday to your husband!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
CCU recently posted..Guest Post #4: Satisfying a Craving, The Healthy Way
CCU — thank you so much my dear 🙂
Happy Birthday to the Hubs. And don’t worry, you are not alone. Even us trained Pastry Chefs have failures in the baking dept (i had 2 this past week also). Just have to keep baking.
Terri/LoveandConfections recently posted..Kennebec – A Big Wheel Pop-Up
Terri — thank you! A little relief to read that I’m not alone, failing in the baking department 🙂
This looks freaking amazing!
Matt @ The Athlete’s Plate recently posted..Sunday Breakfast
Matt — hahaha, thanks 🙂
What a gorgeous cake (and photos too)!!! I absolutely love that you used whole wheat flour! Happy Birthday to your husband!
Carol | a cup of mascarpone recently posted..meyer lemon ricotta pancakes with macerated strawberry coulis
Carol — thank you so much!!
I want to bite into that slice of cake so bad, it looks amazing! I love that you used coconut rum into it to infuse more coconut flavour, I’ve never thought of that before! Gorgeous cake, and as usual, gorgeous photography!
Natalie — thank you so much, my dear. I had some leftover coconut rum after making pina colada’s so I thought a few splashes won’t hurt 😉
Such a sweet cake for your husband! I love your styling :).
Laura (Tutti Dolci) recently posted..cadbury easter egg phyllo cups
Laura — thank you so much, my dear friend 🙂
Happy Bday to your Hubs! I love, love, love coconut cake (even our wedding cake was a Triple Coconut!) and that you added the rum in there.
Alyssa (Everyday Maven) recently posted..Broiled Pineapple with Coconut Whipped Cream
Alyssa — thank you so much! Hope you are enjoying Easter 🙂
Super Duper cute! Love this. Coconut cake is the best. I usually toast mine and match it with vanilla. nom 🙂
Cass @foodmyfriend recently posted..Chickpea Curry served on Pappadums
Cass — thank you so much!
love the banner for the cake. Makes it even cuter:) I love coconut anything much less a cake devoted solely to it. You are a dream at baking my friend. this looks amazing! Happy birthday to the man who makes you so happy:)
Kitchen Belleicious recently posted..Chocolate Roasted Salted Almond Butter
Jessica — thanks a lot my dear. I try to bake and I fail at it most of the times 🙂
Belated wishes to your husband! The cake looks and the recipe sounds fabulous. Love the use of Whole Wheat flour.
Poornima recently posted..The Minnie Mouse Party – Cakes, Decorations and Games
Poornima — thank you so so much for the birthday wish 🙂
Happy Belated Birthday to your hubby! What a lucky husband to get this gorgeous cake for birthday… I am also very picky about the store bought cake too. I rather pay good price to get even smaller size cake. I don’t need quantity but quality is important… your cake is so nice. If you are not satisfied with your baking skills, what am I going to do… 🙂
Nami | Just One Cookbook recently posted..Garlic Miso Chicken Bento ガーリック味噌チキン弁当
Nami — thanks for all the sweet things in your comment. And yes, I am still grunting about my baking skills. Really 😀
This looks delicious, I like the minimalism. I love coconut!
Yohann — thank you so much! We are minimalist ourselves 🙂
I think you are definitely being too hard on yourself my dear Kiran- the cake is stunning! I bet the birthday boy is beaming with delight. I should really learn not to take the abundance of fresh coconut here for granted, this beauty is worth the bake! And yes- count me in on macarons disasters, unsmooth fondant, runny buttercream…hmmph
jehanne@thecookingdoctor recently posted..Oregano, Coriander and Parmesan Pizza Balls
Jehanne — your words definitely boosts my baking confidence. And yes, there’s nothing better than using freshly grated coconut in any coconut recipes 🙂
Happy Birthday to your husband! What a stunning cake to have made him 🙂
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella recently posted..Cooking For A President: Haute Cuisine’s Danièle Mazet-Delpeuch
Lorraine — thank you my dear!
Belated Happy Birthday to your husband.
The cake looks fantastic! Where did you get those cake forks. They are adorable.
For a long time, I have been wanting to bake macaroons. On my recent trip to New York, I looked up for a baking class that would teach it. Unfortunately there weren’t any.
Asmita recently posted..Tea Bag Cookies
Asmita — thank you! I got the forks as a gift while visiting my sister in Amsterdam. Perhaps you can try searching in your city where you live, if there’s any classes? I’m searching as I type this. Crossing my fingers 🙂
Looks great!
mycookinghut recently posted..Bukhara & Taj Mahal
Leemei — thank you!
Happy belated birthday to your husband, Kiran! What a wonderful, special cake and a lucky guy he is for you to make it for him! Thank you for sharing.
Georgia — thanks a lot for your sweet wishes 🙂
Great cake for a great person indeed 🙂 very cute cake and the banner is really cute…. yes bakers like us keep trying and sometimes its a great success 🙂
Maria recently posted..Paan Kulfi
Maria — thank you so so much 🙂
Simple yet lovely 🙂 I love a good coconut cake.
Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence recently posted..Homemade Crème Fraîche
Brandon — thank you!!
Happy Birthday to Hubby! Great looking cake – I love coconut. I’m OK with overdecorated cakes, but at heart I prefer simpler ones, too. Good job with this! Thanks so much.
john@kitchenriffs recently posted..Eggs Benedict
John — thank you so much for the wishes. And for now, simpler cakes are the only ones I can actually handle in the baking department 🙂
This is stunning! Beautiful photography <3
Gemma @andgeesaid recently posted..The Liebster Award (:
Gemma — thank you!
Happy Belated Birthday to your husband Kiran…the cake looks delicious and I like the idea of using whole wheat flour and agave in the meringue…looks awesome.
Hope you are having a fun week 🙂
Juliana recently posted..Florentines Cookies
Juliana — thank you so much my dear! I love experimenting with healthier ingredients from time to time. Hope you had a great week!
This cake looks delicious! I like that you used whole wheat pastry flour.
Natasha recently posted..Peanut Butter Oreo Cupcakes
Natasha — thank you so much 🙂
Coconut cake is what my mom always made for my birthdays when I was a kid. I don’t know where that tradition fell off, but now it seems the only way it happens is if I make it for myself…which is exactly what I like to do. This recipe looks so good and your photographs are beautiful! And you obviously have excellent skills at negotiation too: win-win is the best way to go…especially with hubbies!
Marly recently posted..Gluten Free Molten Chocolate Cake
Marly — thank you for sharing your memories with coconut cake. And as far as my negotiations skills go — well, there’s only so much I can compromise 😉
Happy birthday to the hubs…and I LOVE this cake + the bunting!!
TSM — thank you so much!!
You are not alone Kiran. Even when everything comes out good, I have screwed up the cake by not lining the pan. And the swiss meringue butter cream still seems like a dream that doesn’t come true. But as you said I am not giving up 🙂
Beautiful cake and belated wishes to your husband. Hope you guys had a bash.
Radhika Vasanth recently posted..Weekly Meal plan – Making everyday cooking easy
Radhika — thank you so much my friend. Glad to know I am not alone in the quest to “perfect” my baking skills 🙂
This can be renamed “Coconut Dream Cake”. It got stuck on my mind, I’ll probably dream of it!
Daniela @ FoodrecipesHQ recently posted..Lebanese Sweet Potato Wrap with Mint Tzatziki and Toasted Almonds
Daniela — lol, thanks a lot!!
What a delightful birthday treat, Kiran!
Viviane Bauquet Farre- Food and Style recently posted..Goat cheese soufflés with fresh thyme and lemon
Viviane — thank you so much!
What a great idea. I always make too much cake or any dessert and we toss too much away. That cake looks wonderful and we’re all proud you didn’t overdecorate and get the “look”. We all know what that is. We are unafraid. 🙂
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef recently posted..Easter Memories
Maureen — thanks so much for the words of encouragement. It totally made my day 🙂
I just pulled a coconut cake out of the oven, my friend. Thank you for the inspiration!
Monet recently posted..Sweet Potato Crumb Muffins
Monet — bon apetit and you are welcome, my dear 🙂
That looks delicious! Way to go, persevering through what you consider a lack in baking skills. From the looks of it to me, you’re great at baking. And yes, homemade is much better than store-bought. Way to go!
(And thanks, by the way, for stopping by Outside Oslo and leaving a comment. I hope you’ll check back soon for more Scandinavian recipes and stories!)
Daytona @ Outside Oslo recently posted..Travel: New Zealand
Daytona — thank you so much for such sweet comments & words of encouragement 🙂
I dont know why i dont make coconut cakes more often; yours look so pretty and I love that you baked it in a 6 inch pan, it makes it even prettier!
Joumana — thank you so much, my friend 🙂
Aw, Happy Birthday to the hubs. He’s a lucky man, that’s one delicious sounding and looking cake. Oh and the cake forks are adorable by the way!
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen recently posted..Fresh Herb Aïoli with Spring Vegetables | Le Grand Aïoli
Sylvie — thank you so very much my dear 🙂
This looks like my size and I love coconut so I think I will need to try this.
Ms. Lemon — thanks and do let me know how it tastes 🙂
Mmmm I love coconut cake and your recipe looks wonderful, the cake looks so good! And pretty. Happy birthday husband!
Jamie recently posted..Passover Lemon Almond Sponge Cake with Warm Lemon Sauce
Jamie — thank you so much, dear friend 🙂
Happy Birthday to your husband! And what a perfect dessert – he’s one lucky guy!
Amy — aw, thanks a lot my dear 🙂
Happy belated Birthday to your husband Kiran!
That cake looks ever so pretty, soft and sinfully delicious in its gorgeous white frosting! I loved your simplicity in the frosting, that snowy white frosting brings out such grandeur and elegance.
Mallika recently posted..Garlic Spaghetti in Basil Almond Pesto
Mallika — thank you so much! I love simple frosting too. Nothing too thick and rich! That way, I can justify eating more slices 😉
Can I have some slice of those, that looks so amazingly good
Raymund recently posted..Orange Chicken
Raymund — I seriously wish we could deliver!
What a fabulous cake and what a great wife you are! I love that our husbands are birthday twins! 😀 So fun!
Caroline @ chocolate & carrots recently posted..Chocolate Beet Cakes for Two
Caroline — aww, thank you so much. And we have birthday twins in our life. That makes our friendship even more special!!
ps: Can’t wait to meet you and your cute little fella at FBFORL 2013!!
I love that! Can’t wait to meet you too! 😀 Weeee!
Caroline @ chocolate & carrots recently posted..Caprese Panini
Sounds yummy.
Heide — thank you!!
A happy beltaed Birthday to the Birthday husband! yeah!
What a fantasticly looking coconut cake! So lovely decorated too! 🙂
MMMMMMMMMM!
Sophie recently posted..Happy Easter from Sophie’s Foodie Files!
Sophie — the Husband conveys his “thank you so much”!! 🙂
One of our baking disasters involved cookies with only egg yolks, no whites. They were definitely not the best, but definitely not the worst. You’ve probably never done anything as silly as that. Love the coconut cream in the cake. That makes for a great flavor and very tender crumb.
The Duo Dishes recently posted..Pumping Up Our Fruits and Veggies
TDD — Can I say how glad I am that we all sort of share similarities in baking disasters? So so glad, in a right way. 😀
I’m bit late for party. Wishing you a belated happy birthday to your hubby! The cake looks so divine and beautiful. Should try for sure 🙂
Sonia recently posted..How To Make Phulka (Roti/Chapati) At Home | step by step | Tips
Wow, this is a stunning cake!! I totally wish I had some celebration cake skills. Absolutely beautiful!
Looks utterly delicious
My Kitchen Stories recently posted..Slow cooked Lamb with Black Tahini and Quinoa Salad