coconut coconut coconut!

I am a true coconut lover through and through. It is by far one of my favorite things. It started a long time ago when my mom used to bring home coconut macaroon cookies from the hospital. Wrapped in a little white napkin....oh I miss those. Anyway, that is where my coconut love began. Over time I have found many coconut things that I enjoy including but not limited to the girl scout cookies with chocolate and caramel, and mounds bars, coconut macaroons and the cake that I made today. I do not know WHEN I will make this again, especially since I can't seem to leave it alone!!! It has now been wrapped up and is ready to go to work with Calvin in the morning, or I will consume the rest of the cake. Which I do not need!!!

My first intention for this cake was for the bakesale for the preschool on Saturday. I started making the cake and THEN read the list of ingredients...I decided that it was too expensive of a cake to just let walk out the door, so I decided that it was going to be a cake consumed by my family. My children hate it. I love it...that is a problem!! I did pass some along to my mother, and I am sure that she will love it as well. I was not going to try it. I have had pretty good will power, and I should have stuck with not trying it. Once I did...oh my.....

So, here you go...the recipe.

Coconut Bundt Cake
courtesy of :
www.foodlibrarian.blogspot.com
Ingredients

* 3 cups cake flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 2 1/2 cups sugar
* 6 large eggs
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
* 1 1/4 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk (I used light coconut milk)
* 2 cups (packed) sweetened flaked coconut (about 7 ounces)


* 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
* Additional sweetened flaked coconut (optional)


Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter 12-cup Bundt pan; dust pan with flour. Stir 3 cups cake flour and salt in medium bowl to blend. Beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add 2 1/2 cups sugar, beating until well blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then both extracts. Beat in flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with 1 cup coconut milk in 3 additions. Fold in 2 cups flaked coconut. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.

Bake cake until top is golden brown and tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool cake in pan 5 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack; cool completely.

Whisk powdered sugar and remaining 1/4 cup coconut milk in medium bowl to blend. Spoon glaze over cake. Top with additional coconut, if desired.


***** If you do not have cake flour, there is a way to make cake flour out of you all purpose flour, which is what I did here...very easy!!!!!

How to Turn All-Purpose Flour into Cake Flour

Step One: Measure out the all-purpose flour that you’ll need for your recipe.

Step Two: For every cup of flour you use, take out two tablespoons of flour and return it to the flour bin. Throw the cup of flour (minus the two tablespoons) into a sifter set over a bowl.

Step Three: Replace the two tablespoons of flour that your removed with two tablespoons of cornstarch.

Step Four: Sift the flour and cornstarch together. Sift it again, and again and again. The cornstarch and flour need to be well incorporated and the flour aerated. Sift the flour and cornstarch mixture about five times. Look at that! You just made cake flour!

And honestly....I did not sift it 5 times...only once. I just realized NOW that it said multiple times...that is what I get for baking with the 4 year old home!!