Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Coconut chocolate birthday cake from @AveryAames

Say cheese!


I'm gearing up for the next Cheese Shop Mystery release: As Gouda As Dead. For the month of January, every Wednesday, if you leave a comment, you'll be entered to win one of these Cheese Shop Mystery titles: THE LONG QUICHE GOODBYE, LOST AND FONDUE, CLOBBERED BY CAMEMBERT, TO BRIE OR NOT TO BRIE, DAYS OF WINE AND ROQUEFORT.
See below for details...



By the way:
Have you signed up for my newsletter? Big giveaway Feb 2.
Goodreads giveaway? One going on right now.
Facebook contest? Big giveaway Jan. 31

And:
Get ready for some cheese-y recipes for the rest of the month of January!

But today, I must share a fun and easy birthday cake. No cheese!

My son, my step-son, and my nephew's son all have birthdays in the next week. [My dad did, too, the same day as my son and nephew's son. What a coincidence, right? Or do you believe in coincidences? May he rest in peace.] 

Yep, January, in my world, is packed full of Capricorn men!  I don't know if any of you read or adhere to horoscopes, but a Capricorn is responsible, patient, ambitious, resourceful, and loyal. Yep, the three boys (young men) are all that! They can also be dictatorial and inhibited. I have to say, yes, they might shows signs of those traits, too. They can be melancholy and crave structure. But they are loyal friends and fun and intelligent, and I adore them! 

So back to the birthday cake...I wanted to try coconut in a cake. I had a craving. I discovered a yummy recipe in a Bon Appetit Magazine, March 2014, that I saw in the doctor's office, of all places. What else was I going to read? I forgot to bring a book. And the wait was lo-o-o-o-o-ong. 

Like I said, this recipe is EASY-PEASY! Coconut is so good for you. And this tasted like a big Mounds bar. I bet if you added almonds, it would taste like an Almond Joy. It was delish!

Enjoy.

CHOCOLATE-COCONUT POUND CAKE
Regular Recipe
 *Gluten-free substitution possible

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, room temp
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (*if using gluten-free flour, add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes


I went simple and used packaged Betty Crocker chocolate frosting. Sprinkles, if desired

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 8 x 4” loaf pan; line with parchment paper. Make sure some of the parchment paper hangs over the side. This makes it VERY easy to remove the cake from the pan.

In a small bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and coconut flakes and set aside. [*If using gluten-free flour, substitute it for the regular flour and add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum.]

In a medium large blow, using an electric mixer, beat the butter, coconut oil, and sugar on medium-high until it’s fluffy, about 5 minutes. It takes a while for the coconut oil to mix so be patient. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating each time. The mixture will get very light and fluffy. Add the vanilla. Mix.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add in the dry ingredients, one-third at a time, alternating with the buttermilk, just until incorporated. Do not overmix as it will cause the cake to split. Pour the batter into the loaf pan. [I like to run a spoon down the middle of the cake to make a bit of a "furrow". This seems to help the cake rise evenly.]

Bake cake for about 60 -70 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. In my oven, it took 60 minutes. Then I turned off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes more. Remove the cake from the oven and let sit for 20 minutes before removing from pan.

Let the cake cool completely before frosting.

This will keep for a good week. Keep at room temperature.

Note: The Bon Appetit recipe asked for the coconut to be put in at the last (not in the dry ingredients) by making a canal in the middle of the cake batter, pouring in the coconut and topping with 1 tablespoon of sugar. I missed that instruction - oops! - which is why my coconut flakes were incorporated in the dry ingredients. 








Happy birthday, Jackson, Craig, and  Chase!


And now for that giveaway, tell me what your favorite birthday cake is and leave your email so I can reach you if you win. If you don't feel like leaving an entire email, you can try to go cryptic and I'll try to figure it out. I am a mystery writer, after all. I will not use your email for any other purpose other than to contact the winner. 

I'll pick a name tomorrow morning. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or else I'll pick another winner.

Good luck!

Savor the mystery!


******************

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NEXT BOOK OUT: AS GOUDA AS DEAD, coming February, 2015
pre-order here





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67 comments:

  1. My favorite birthday cake flavor is chocolate! (I think chocolate should be a food group) Thank you for the recipe. :)
    myrifraf(at)gmail(dot)com
    Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good Morning! My favourite birthday cake is Cream Cheese Carrot Cake. Thank you for the recipe and I look forward to reading the new book! Have a terrific day!

    ReplyDelete
  3. My favorite birthday cake is Chocolate Cake with White Chocolate Frosting.

    EMS591@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Liz, I happen to like white frosting a lot. Check out the Sparky cupcakes recipe coming in a few weeks with cream cheese frosting! :)

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  4. My favorite birthday cake is Key Lime Pie.
    sgiden at verizon(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yellow cake with mocha icing from yet one more Capricorn:). But have to love Sandy G's fave cake --key lime pie! xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lucy, sweet. Mocha icing, so decadent! Happy birthday...

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  6. My favorite birthday cake is chocolate cake with lots of chocolate frosting. I actually can eat just the frosting and be happy :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. forgot my email darholley1 at aol dot com

      Delete
    2. Darlene, I think a lot of people might follow your lead.

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  7. Am I right that you used chocolate frosting? Looks lovely.
    I look forward to the newest addition to your writing.
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep, I used packaged frosting but you could certainly make from scratch. :)

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  8. My favorite birthday cake is black forest.

    dmskrug3 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, yum, with the cherries and everything? My first intro to black forest cake was when I was at school in Germany for 6 months. Delish!!

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
    2. Daniele, you won the giveaway by random number drawing! Congrats. I'll email you. You have 48 hours to contact me! Savor the mystery!

      Delete
  9. I love Mounds Bars! So is the idea to have the coconut in the middle? Either way, this sounds terrific!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Krista, me, too! The coconut sort of spreads out in the baking, but most is in the middle.

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  10. My Grandma used to make a really good two-layer prune cake. It was so moist and the filling was so good! I would request that for my birthday cake. Until we started doing birthday breakfast because my birthday is Christmas Eve day. Then I would want a coffee cake that had a lot of real, thick cream in it. But this cake sounds very good! Maybe next year...

    ElaineE246(at)msn(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, Elaine, happy belated birthday! What a celebration. I know some people who have a Christmas birthday who celebrate 6 months later. :) A thick cream coffee cake sounds divine. Right Now!

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  11. As a child we could pick our birthday meal including cake and I would always ask for white cake with 7-minute frosting. Then I started to cook and discovered a Pink Lemonade Cake mentioned somewhere and Ann Pillsbury herself sent me the recipe :-) (yes, it was a long time ago, I was a very impressionable young teenager, and the cake was good!). Lately I've wanted carrot cake or German chocolate cake or pineapple upside down cake, probably because I am the only one who really likes those that much and it's my chance to have them. But a cake that tastes like a Mounds or Almond Joy just might be this year's favorite.
    sallycootie@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Obviously, you like coconut and flavors! What a treat to have such an active palate! :)

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  12. For me, any chocolate cake. This one sounds divine! cheers@marjimmanor.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. My favorite birthday cake is a lemon cake with lemon frosting. Some coconut would be a nice addition to it.
    suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. My favorite birthday cake growing up was strawberry with strawberry frosting. Now it would be unfrosted chocolate cake. Most frosting is too sweet for me now. Thanks for the chance! Happy Birthday boys! angelhwk68@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know lots of people who don't eat frosting for that reason. I love straight cake. ;)

      Daryl/Avery

      Delete
  15. My favorite birthday cake is homemade Coxsackie chocolate cake with homemade vanilla frosting. sclickner@ juno.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have no idea what that is. Fill me in. Love the name!

      Daryl/Avery

      Delete
  16. angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream!
    kim
    kjohnson952@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is my fave. And I can now make a delicious angel food gluten-free. Yay!

      Daryl/Avery

      Delete
  17. I wonder if you could make that without the chocolate. My favorite birthday cake is white cake with white buttercream frosting.

    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  18. For cake I would love a chocolate banana cake. haven't had one of those in years. It was my dad's favorite. For myself I would love to have a lemon meringue pie. My friend would make me one every year. Her pie was so good. Mine never compared to hers. thanks for the chance to win.
    txmlhl@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. My favorite Birthday cake is Carrot Cake! Can't resist!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Classic white cake and buttercream icing is my favorite cake, although I usually ask for my favorite pie for my birthday - cherry!

    ReplyDelete
  21. It would be a tossup between Boston cream pie and any kind of spice cake with a buttercream icing. Yum!

    pat dupuy@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pat, spice cake is so delicious. Krista shared a great recipe recently.

      Daryl/Avery

      Delete
  22. It's a toss up between spice cake with buttercream icing (I actually found a banana flavored one once and that was fantastic) or angel food with chocolate drizzled over it.
    momzillasteel at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  23. German chocolate cake!!! Although your recipe sounds great~may have to give it a try!

    Thank you for the recipes and contests!

    woodrumbetty@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Betty, you bet. I like German chocolate cake. It's such a light, fluffy chocolate, at least the ones I have tasted.

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  24. Red Velvet YUM! alilbitofaith@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Do you know I have NEVER had red velvet cake? I don't know why? I see it all the time! I should try making a gluten-free one, right?

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  25. That cake looks so good!!! But I have to stick with a box cake mix. Flour and I don't really go well together.

    My grocery store makes the REALLY REALLY good Strawberry Shortcake. They don't use Angle Foods Cake, they have real cake with strawberries and this whipped cream like icing.

    Good thing there's a kid's birthday coming up.

    kvmatlock (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Flour as in you need to eat gluten-free? Me, too! (Which is why I added the alteration in the recipe). Have fun at the kid's party.

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  26. My favourite birthday cake is black forest cake. Chocolate, whipped cream and cherries are a yummy combo!

    grace dot koshida at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, Grace, that is a fabulous combo! Good in ice cream, too. LOL

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  27. Happy birthday to those wonderful men in your life. My sister is a Capricorn, too, and she and I would both enjoy the cake you made today. Love using coconut oil as an ingredient, so great for flavor and nutrition. Thanks for sharing and have a great first week of the New Year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Cleo. Coconut oil is quite amazing. I had no idea of its benefits until this year. I guess I'm living in the Dark Ages. LOL Happy birthday to your sis!

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  28. Carrot cake with a ridiculous, stupid amount of cream cheese frosting!

    squibbery [at} g mail

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Stupid amount. Oh, yes, I have to fall into that category every once in a while. :)

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  29. My favorite has cannoli filling - gobs of it! I also have many birthdays this month, including mine and my anniversary.. pldnty of chances to make this cake. Thanks
    Bobntoni@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  30. I love your books and thank you for this awesome contest and recipe. happy Birthday to your men. My favorite birthday cake is ice cream cake. areewekidding@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Robyn, thanks for all! Ice cream cake. Nobody mentioned that today and I love it, too! I remember kid birthdays with a Baskin Robbins 31 rolled i.c. cake. Yum.

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  31. My favorite would be my mom's cherry nut cake with caramel icing. Sounds weird but is so good. Lucky for me she wrote down most of her recipes.
    MarshaMysteryreader@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What an interesting combo, Marsha. Would you care to share the recipe? Sounds fascinating! Sort of like a nature bar mixture. LOL

      Daryl / Avery

      Delete
  32. This recipe looks great Daryl thank you for sharing this I love pound cake. My favorite birthday cake is red velvet cake.

    ReplyDelete
  33. My favorite cake is a German Chocolate only made from scratch. Store bought cakes and mixes don't do it for me. Made fresh is so much better. Thank you

    ReplyDelete