Jane’s Sweets & Baking Journal -- janessweets.blogspot.com--May 2011

Triple Coconut Cake with Dark Chocolate Glaze

(These two recipes were adapted from the book, Kiss My Bundt, by Chrysta Wilson; Life of Reiley, 2009. See pages 32-33, and 142.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 10-12 cup bundt pan by thoroughly greasing and flouring, making sure it's coated completely, or by spraying liberally with baking spray. (I used a light colored metal bundt pan, and I used baking spray.)

2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 and 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt (I used kosher salt)

3/4 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened

1 and 3/4 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 tsp. coconut flavoring blend or "extract" (I used several drops of a concentrated coconut flavoring called LorAnn's; available in cake decorating supply stores or sometimes in craft stores like Michael's.)

1 and 1/4 cups coconut milk (Available canned, often found in the grocery aisle with Asian food ingredients. Shake it well before opening the can! Beware: Not the same thing as coconut cream.)

⅔ cup finely shredded sweetened coconut (I pulsed it in my food processor a few times.)

In a medium size bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the large bowl of your mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter for two minutes, or until completely soft. Pour the sugar in slowly, and mix again for two more minutes on medium-low speed.

One at a time, add in the eggs, beating on medium speed after each addition until well blended. When all the eggs are in, beat for two more minutes, scraping as needed.

In a separate small bowl, mix together the coconut milk and flavorings.

On medium-low speed, starting and ending with the flour mixture, alternately add in one third of the flour, then half of the coconut milk until it's all combined.

Add in the shredded coconut on low speed until combined.

Fill your prepared bundt pan no more than 3/4 full. Bang the filled pan firmly on your work surface a couple of times to close up large air pockets.

Bake the cake for at least 40 minutes. Don't open the oven door at all until quite late in the baking cycle. It’s done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Be sure to cool the cake in the pan, on a rack, for at least 15 minutes or far more before you even attempt to invert it onto the cooling rack. (Some bundt cake recipes will even tell you to cool the cake entirely in the pan. Use your own judgment, but be careful. Don't make the mistake I did!) Let the unpanned cake cool completely.

Prepare the glaze shortly before you’ll be using it. Apply the glaze only after the cake has completely cooled. It will begin to set up quickly.

Dark Chocolate Glaze

3/4 cup unsalted butter

6 oz. premium dark chocolate (I used a combo of Scharffenberger and Ghirardelli), chopped into small pieces

2 Tbsp. light corn syrup

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat.

Remove the pan from the heat and add in all of the chocolate; let it melt in the pan, stirring gently as needed until completely melted.

Add in the corn syrup and stir well with a whisk, until completely combined.

Let the glaze sit for a couple of minutes before spooning or pouring it over the cake.