Monday, April 11, 2011

Heavenly Cake Baker: Southern Coconut Cake...oops...

heavenlycakeplace This week's Heavenly Cake Baker cake was Miette's Tomboy on page 145 of Rose Levy Beranbaum's Rose's Heavenly Cakes, but for some unknown reason I thought this week was the Southern (Manhattan) Coconut Cake with Silk Meringue Buttercream, on page 23. I'm not sure exactly what happened but I must have had coconut on the brain and so it was coconut in the oven as well!

I was craving chocolate and thought it would be a good combination with the coconut so I made a ganache frosting instead of a buttercream. The combo was delicious at first, when the ganache was still pretty soft and liquidy, but I should have listened to the professional because once it set up, the ganache was way too heavy for the tender crumb of the coconut cake. So, overall - besides the fact that I made the entirely wrong cake - this week was kind of hit and miss for me. I am glad though to be able to read through the other HCBers' experiences with Miette's Tomboy before I get started on that one for next week.

mise en place for the ganache...a splash of framboise can't hurt

smooth and silky ganache

mise en place for the coconut cake

adding the coconut flakes

the batter made cupcakes...and

...two 6" rounds. That's a lot of batter!

smells delicious

the 6" cakes are so adorable!

topped with some ganache and coconut flakes

looks great!

a light and tender crumb







Bye for now...

5 comments:

  1. WoW! What a LOT of cake batter. Love your little cupcakes and the 6-inch cake is truly adorable! I am looking forward to baking this one, but maybe with a light coconut frosting flavored w/coconut milk.

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  2. It happens! It looks quite tasty with the chocolate.

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  3. Hi Shandy - yes, you should definitely go with your plan of the lighter frosting. I think even just whipped cream would be really nice.

    Vicki - while the chocolate-coconut combo was delicious, it was a little too heavy in the end...oh well, live - and experiment - and learn :)

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  4. I had the same experience with the other coconut cake and chocolate ganache. I really want them to work well together but the ganache is just too much for the cake. i love how you decorated your cupcakes and cake!

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  5. ECL - I know, right?! It really seems like it's a wonderful combination (coconut and chocolate) but just didn't work in the end :( Maybe more of a whipped ganache or chocolate buttercream would work better.

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