My friend Amy and I share a disturbing obsession with food. This year I asked her what I could make for her birthday and she chose a Coconut Ginger Layer Cake from her Food Network Cookbook. The recipe presented some challenges: it used all cake flour (sometimes a problem at high altitudes), called for coconut-flavored white rum (I'd have to substitute that), and used a swiss meringue buttercream (something I'd never done before).
First, the rum. Lucky for me, it didn't go directly directly in the cake. Rather, it was part of the ginger sugar syrup that both coated the coconut chips and was added to the buttercream. So I substituted water, 1 T. rum extract, and 1 t. coconut extract for the 3/4 c. rum. I have no idea if it even comes close, but there you go.
Using all cake flour can pose problems when there is not enough structure in the batter and, at high altitude, the cake rises too quickly and then falls. I decided to use all cake flour anyway (sometimes I'll swap out a few tablespoons for all-purpose flour) because I wanted a nice, tender crumb. In the oven the batter rose really high but then settled down to a nice even top. At least there was no "dip" in the cake and I wouldn't have to even out the tops (Dang - no scraps for me!).
The swiss meringue buttercream provided the most excitement of all. I made the swiss meringue and was waiting impatiently for the butter chunks to soften so I could beat them into the meringue. I was in a hurry as we were heading out the door to a family event, so against my better judgement I started incorporating the butter while it was still cool to the touch (but not "refrigerator cold"). The result was a soupy, curdled-looking mess, but I threw it it the fridge to deal with it later. Upon returning later that night, it was still soupy and curdled. I searched for information on how to correct it and many sites instructed to just keep beating the mixture. I had that stuff whirring away in my KitchenAid for a good 20 minutes to no avail. Then I found a site that said to melt 1/4 of the frosting and reincorporate it back into the mix. So I scooped out some into a bowl, microwaved it for a few seconds, and added it back into the frosting. That did the trick. While it was beating, it thankfully (I did not want to chuck out over a pound of good butter) transformed before my eyes into a lovely buttercream.
The final verdict? The rich cake had a nice, tender, tight crumb. The coconut chips were great for both flavor and texture. We were disappointed that there was only a faint whisper of ginger flavor, though.
First, the rum. Lucky for me, it didn't go directly directly in the cake. Rather, it was part of the ginger sugar syrup that both coated the coconut chips and was added to the buttercream. So I substituted water, 1 T. rum extract, and 1 t. coconut extract for the 3/4 c. rum. I have no idea if it even comes close, but there you go.
Using all cake flour can pose problems when there is not enough structure in the batter and, at high altitude, the cake rises too quickly and then falls. I decided to use all cake flour anyway (sometimes I'll swap out a few tablespoons for all-purpose flour) because I wanted a nice, tender crumb. In the oven the batter rose really high but then settled down to a nice even top. At least there was no "dip" in the cake and I wouldn't have to even out the tops (Dang - no scraps for me!).
The swiss meringue buttercream provided the most excitement of all. I made the swiss meringue and was waiting impatiently for the butter chunks to soften so I could beat them into the meringue. I was in a hurry as we were heading out the door to a family event, so against my better judgement I started incorporating the butter while it was still cool to the touch (but not "refrigerator cold"). The result was a soupy, curdled-looking mess, but I threw it it the fridge to deal with it later. Upon returning later that night, it was still soupy and curdled. I searched for information on how to correct it and many sites instructed to just keep beating the mixture. I had that stuff whirring away in my KitchenAid for a good 20 minutes to no avail. Then I found a site that said to melt 1/4 of the frosting and reincorporate it back into the mix. So I scooped out some into a bowl, microwaved it for a few seconds, and added it back into the frosting. That did the trick. While it was beating, it thankfully (I did not want to chuck out over a pound of good butter) transformed before my eyes into a lovely buttercream.
The final verdict? The rich cake had a nice, tender, tight crumb. The coconut chips were great for both flavor and texture. We were disappointed that there was only a faint whisper of ginger flavor, though.
6 comments:
Cathy,
I love this blog! I know you cook/bake a lot so post as much as you have time for. It gives people like me a glimpse into a foreign world!!
Happy Birthday Amy...and thanks for inviting us over for cake! Maybe next time :( Over a pound of butter?! I bet that was tasty.
Ease off, Sam! Though Cathy made the cake in honor of my birthday, I asked her to bake it as the dessert for my parents' 40th anniversary dinner, so it was shared amongst an assortment of my family members. My sister Erin, who hasn't eaten sugar, dairy, or wheat flour all year, asked for a secret, diet-busting piece. My sister Allison called Cathy the "Ace of Cakes," because this creation was not only delicious, but also looked like it came from a bakery.
By the way, if you have any ideas about what to do with the 10 remaining cups of coconut chips, let Cathy know.
Lol...Okay, Amy. I should have known you would have shared with us if you could have :) It sounds like that cake was pretty amazing. I'm sure Carrie's dad could help get rid of those coconut chips. They made some nasty avocado ice cream a while back, coconut could only be an improvement.
That looks TASTY Cathy. You are AMAZING!!! I'll admit, I wouldn't have attempted it...BUT, if I had, I would've tossed it and tried again.....LOL!!!!! I guess you could make another one and use those up a few of those coconut chips :) LOL
Got any wedding cake skills?
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