Covered in White Roses

Coconut Pecan Cream Cake

Finally, I completed my third year of dental school!  Only one more to go!  With a few weeks off, I planned a trip to visit my family in Ohio.  It was my step-mom's birthday the weekend before, so I wanted to make a cake for her since I'm rarely in town to celebrate family birthdays.  I brainstormed for a few days and took an informal poll of my friends for ideas.  I finally decided on a coconut and pecan cake with a creamy coconut custard filling.

I really wanted to decorate the cake without just piping out designs and a 'Happy Birthday' message.  I looked to a blog that my cousins discovered for making beautiful roses (and it's so fast and easy!).  You can find the tutorial here.  It didn't turn out as well as the one in the tutorial, but it still looked pretty.  

The cake recipe is my version of a coconut cake.  It's essentially no more than a simple white cake with toasted coconut in it.  Toasting the coconut is key so it doesn't get lost in the cake.  Just spread it on a baking sheet and toast it in the oven at about 375 degrees until you start to smell it (or as soon as it turns golden brown).  Be careful, it burns quickly!

This is the golden brown and toasty coconut we want to maximize its flavor.

 And, of course, you'll toast the pecans the same way...

I wanted a really creamy filling, so I used a basic vanilla custard recipe from Food Network's website.  I just added coconut and coconut rum to the custard to add more flavor and texture to the creamy filling.  

I chose to do a three layered cake to get the most out of my filling.  I just layered as much custard as I could between the three layers.  Make sure you chill it after this step so that the custard isn't oozing everywhere when you are trying to frost the cake.  

Finally, I made a very stiff frosting and covered the cake in a crumb coat.  After letting that chill, I attempted the roses...I need to buy a larger tip to make bigger roses, but this will do for my first attempt.  I know my family won't judge too harshly ;).

It looked a little better after a trip to the fridge...

 Coconut Pecan Cream Cake

Ingredients:

4 egg whites (at or near room temperature)
2 1/4 C flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1/2 t salt
1/3 C vegetable oil
1 3/4 C sugar
1 1/3 C buttermilk
1/2 C toasted coconut
1/2 C chopped toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour 3 round cake pans and set aside.  Stir/sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  In a mixing bowl, beat oil and sugar together.  Add vanilla.  Add egg whites, one at a time.  Alternatively add flour and buttermilk (ending with buttermilk).  Mix in toasted coconut and pecans.   Spread batter evenly into 3 prepared pans.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Allow cakes to cool completely.

While cakes are cooling, make the coconut custard and  frosting (recipes below).

Placed about 1/4 to 1/3 C of coconut custard filling between the layers of cake.  Allow stacked cake to chill for 1 hour.  Cover with a thin layer of frosting (crumb coat) and chill for another hour.

Take the cake out of the fridge and decorate with the roses using the Rose Cake Tutorial or frost however you desire!

Keep the cake in the fridge.  About 2 hours before you are serving the cake, let it stand at room temperature.

Frosting Recipe (you can use your own frosting recipe, just make sure it's a stiff frosting if you're doing the roses!)

Ingredients:
8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 C butter, softened
1-2 T milk
1 1/2 T vanilla extract
4 C powdered sugar (maybe more)

Directions:
Beat cream cheese and butter to combine.  Add 1 T milk and vanilla.  Add powdered sugar in gradually until a smooth, stiff frosting comes together.  Add more milk if it becomes too thick and more powdered sugar if it doesn't quite hold peaks.  This is a very sweet frosting, so I don't recommend it on an overly sweet cake recipe.


Coconut Custard Recipe from FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients:

2 C milk
1 t vanilla extract
6 egg yolks
2/3 C sugar
1/4 C cornstarch
1 T butter
1 C cream
1 T coconut rum
1/2 C sweetened coconut (I used untoasted here)

Directions:
Heat the milk and vanilla to a simmer over medium heat.  Remove pan from heat and set aside.  In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until it's light and fluffy.  Add the cornstarch and whisk until it's smooth.  Whisk in 1/4 C of the hot milk mixture to bring it up to temperature (you don't want to scramble the egg yolks).  Whisk in the rest of the hot milk.

Strain mixture back into the saucepan.  Whisk constantly over medium-high heat until it is thick.  Remove from the heat and stir in the butter.  Chill custard in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.