27 Apr 2015

white chocolate coconut cakes

 

I am a chocolate snob: it’s dark or it’s nothing. So I quite surprised myself when I tore this recipe out of a magazine. There’s coconut in there too — another surprise, because apart from lamingtons, I’m not a huge coconut lover either. Maybe it’s because the magazine’s picture looked like a giant blanc lamington I was tempted.

These cakes (I made cupcakes and mini loaves rather than one large round cake) are a doddle to make: melt the butter and white chocolate, then stir thru the remaining ingredients. As they bake, they fill the kitchen with that intoxicatingly sweet coconut aroma. They are dense and not-too-sweet; you can top them with a white chocolate ganache and sprinkle them with shredded or toasted coconut, but I like them as they are, with a cup of tea, or after dinner served warm with a spoonful or two of stewed fruit. Something sharp like F’s summer greengages or rhubarb really complements the fudginess of the cakes, and a spoonful of tangy frozen yoghurt doesn’t hurt either.

So here’s for overcoming chocolate prejudices and realising that white chocolate cakes are a good thing! Though you still won’t find me eating a block of it …
White chocolate coconut cakes
Adapted from the Woolworths April magazine. I have made this using my mini-loaf tin and cupcakes, so the final quantity varies each time, but the recipe specifies a deep 20cm round cake tin.
  • Preheat oven to 180 and prep your baking tins.
  • In a large saucepan, melt over a gentle heat 220 gms white chocolate, 180 gms butter, and ¾ cup water, stirring til smooth.
  • Remove from heat and stir in 1 scant cup sugar. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
  • Whisk thru 2 large eggs (or 3 small bantam eggs!) and 1 tspn of vanilla (I have also used the speckled vanilla essence, and the vanilla paste).
  • Sift in 1 ½ cups plain flour, ½ cup SR flour, and ½ cup desiccated coconut.
  • Pour or ladle into your chosen baking tins – it’s a pretty runny batter.
  • For cupcakes or small cakes, bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean and the cakes shrink away from the sides a little. Rest on a wire rack, then remove from tin and cool, especially if you wish to ice.
  • For the ganache, the recipe specified 440 gms white chocolate and 2/3 cup thickened cream — but I halved this, and still had oodles of ganache left over (keep in fridge and then eat it as is for a decadent treat. Warning: addictive). To make the ganache, combine the two ingredients in a bowl suspended over a gently-simmering saucepan of water and stir until combined. Allow to cool until thick and spreadable.

14 comments:

  1. Delicious as always e! Coconut is something I am liking more as time goes on, especially in baking. I am a huge dark chocolate fan too, but white is great for baking. Have a lovely week x

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    1. Thank you jane, and lovely to read that we are on the same wavelength re coconut and the chocolates!
      I hope you have a wonderful week too.

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  2. Like you I only like dark chocolate, but these look delicious, and I'm a big fan of coconut too. I'll make a note of the recipe, they look nice and easy to make. CJ xx

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    1. a melt-and-mix is the easiest thing in the world, isn't it CJ - and their fudginess makes them a winner on the taste front too!

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  3. E, why do you have to post such delicious looking cake recipes, particularly as the weather cools and makes me want to hole myself up in my kitchen and bake warming foods. I love the look of this recipe! Can I find the strength to only make a half recipe and even then not eat it all myself. We shall see..

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    1. oh bek, I take that as a compliment! if it helps, the cakes freeze well - I love eating some fresh, but squirrelling away some for later peckings. Though the topping, really is another thing. It truly is a tempting siren luring you to the rocks... yes it is that addictive! :-)

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  4. I don't mind white chocolate here and there... and I love these little cakes! Just dandy!

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    1. dandy is a good word for them lizzy - and yes, I have been converted to a little white chocolate 'here and there'!

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  5. I rather like white chocolate in cooking and have gradually come round to enjoying coconut. Looks as though I shall have to try these.

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    1. you may enjoy these perfectly, anne! I hope you do.

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  6. I used to only eat milk chocolate until my daughter and I started eating healthy a la Gwenyth Paltrow a few years ago (we're back to normal programming now) and started eating dark chocolate. I love it and now enjoy indulging in all three, white, dark and milk choc!

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    1. oh Catherine, you are my kind of woman - a chocolate multi-tasker! :-)

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  7. I could relate to that first sentence...I'm definitely into very dark chocolate! I trust how yummy these look though :)

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    1. it's a leap of faith for a dark chocolate lover, jem, to go over to the 'light' side! but these are worth it for sure.

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