Celebrating… Coconut Cake!

“You'll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties” is an outrageous lie! Whilst I liked the 1980’s quirky song by Jona Lewie — and I love food — I loathe cooking! Parties = People. When push comes to shove, I will always choose fraternising over food. You might find me in the kitchen at some parties, chatting as I roll up my sleeves to splash around in the sink. I’m never alone and definitely not hiding out in the kitchen! Abhorrent thought!

So… having firmly established my strong dislike of cooking experiences, this was quite a ‘Work-out’ as I wracked my brains, long and hard! Considering cooking recipes meant allowing ‘Trains of Thought’ free reign in areas boldly signposted “Hazard! No Admittance! Keep Clear! Danger!” Some strangely bewildering people actually relish creating edible masterpieces in the kitchen! Unfathomable! However, I am extremely grateful to those impressive members of society, many of whom are my friends. Clearly a case of opposites attracting.

Quite some time down the track, my wildly careening Train of Thought pulled into a rustic, sweetly aromatic station, with the unassuming name of Profiteroles “Coconut Cake”. This long time, family favourite recipe requires minimal skill or effort to create a tasty treat. I believe it is fool proof. Despite my best worst efforts, it always winds up being delicious! Unbelievable… but true! It’s almost magical…

Unsurprisingly, given my reprehensible attitude towards cooking, each and every one of my recipes originate from family or friends. Most were my mother’s or Nana’s raging successes. They were amazing cooks! Sadly, this apple dropped a long way from the tree and rolled far downhill, into a ditch!

Coconut Cake and I first became acquainted almost four fleeting decades ago. It was an all-time favourite of my sister-in-law, Joan’s family. I have a vague recollection of lemon icing decorating their delicacy. However, given my tendency to add a generous sploosh of water, when recipes decree “Add a small amount of water”, my icing has the annoying habit of rapidly running off said cake, down the bench and coming to rest, stickily on the floor. Needless to say, I tweaked things to jettison the lemon icing and instead whip up fluffy Vienna Cream to top the cake. I find Vienna Cream to be a far better-behaved ingredient.

Birthdays and Christmases are occasions when you are most likely to bump into Coconut Cake in our vicinity. Once, my teenaged niece promised me that she would bake a coconut cake for my birthday. The ‘Great Day’ arrived… and so did she, without any sign of a coconut cake. It turned out, she’d made the cake but was running late. So, she attempted to add the cream before the cake was cool enough to cope with the ordeal. The cream refused to play her game and ran off the bench… much like icing does in my kitchen. (Yes, I did mention she is my niece… maybe it’s a genetic condition.) Disappointingly, she left that scrummy but less than perfect looking treat languishing on her kitchen bench. What a tragic tale!

One reason for this recipe’s high success rate is that its butter is gently melted — rather than vigorously beaten — rendering it obligingly compliant in any season. Winter can be a nightmare for tricky recipes requiring butter and sugar to spin and twirl, until they blend into one smooth snowy white cream. In this recipe, all the ingredients cheerfully oblige in joining together for the good of any celebration seeking a scrumptious cake.

When the cake has ‘done its time’ in the oven, tastebuds water as the clock slows to the pace of a sloth. Unless you fancy a burnt tongue, it is wise to allow the minute hand at least five laps around the watch face, before sampling the tantalising cakes. Typically — I make a double batch — keeping the ring cake to decorate with Vienna Cream. The Paddy Patty Cakes are fair game for snaffling pronto! When eaten soon after exiting the oven, golden Coconut Cakes are encased in a delightfully crunchy crust, enveloping a soft, fluffy centre.

When cooled, Vienna Cream is slathered over the top and sides of the cake. Apparently, the cake mix can be coloured, but I have never been organised adventurous enough to try it. I do colour the cream, even though yellow butter renders it near impossible to achieve any blue colours. Green, yellow, pink and purple are frequent hues brightening our party cakes. Given my artistic limitations, I usually find a small ornament or toy to grace the top of our cake. Tech Deck Dudes and their magnetic Finger Skateboards were favourites when my boys were young and made bright cake decorations.

Once chilled, the cakes become firm and hold together well, unlike their original crumbly form when hot. The cream sets firm… perfect for teeth to slice smoothly through. It lends itself to being cut into fantastic shapes. My sole attempt at forming the cakes into the shape of an 80 for my dad’s birthday, was a spectacular flop! I guess I should have done a practise run!

Coconut cakes and patty cakes cope well with a lengthy stay in the freezer. They are almost indestructible! On one occasion, we assumed the cake had been completely devoured… only to discover it lurking in our car a week later. Disaster and despair! All that effort and to see it wasted! But all was not lost! Incredibly, the misplaced cake still slid tastily over the tonsils.

In so many ways, on so many days… Coconut Cake has proven its worth as ‘edible Gold’… something our family truly treasures.

We’d love you to share in its bounty.

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Coconut Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Self Raising Flour

• 1 Cup Desiccated Coconut

• 2/3 Cup Raw Sugar/Castor Sugar

• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla

• 125 g melted Butter

• 2 small (45 g) Eggs

• ½ Cup Milk

Method:

1. Mix dry ingredients.

2. Add melted butter, eggs, milk and vanilla.

3. Beat until smooth.

4. Pour into Patty Papers in tray/s or greased, floured cake tin (base lined with Baking Paper).

5. Makes 2 dozen muffin sized patty cakes or a ring cake and 1 dozen patty cakes.

6. Bake at 180°C approximately 10-12 minutes for patty cakes or until cake shrinks away from sides of tin and cake tester comes out clean.

7. Ice with lemon icing and sprinkle with coconut; eat plain or decorate with Vienna Cream.

8. Cake Mix and cream can be coloured and cakes cut into shapes.

Vienna Cream:

Ingredients:

• 125 g Butter/Margarine

• 2 Cups Icing Sugar

• 2 Tablespoons Milk

• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Method:

1. Beat butter until white and creamy.

2. Gradually beat in sifted icing sugar, vanilla and enough milk to give a good spreading consistency (add food colouring if desired)

3. Spread over cake/s and add decorative touches.

Happy eating!

Written for A Taste of Home challenge, below.

Also, I finally learnt the correct name for Paddy Patty Cakes, thanks to Rachel Deeming being flummoxed by my incorrect spelling! Thanks Rachel!

Another of my ridiculous recipe yarns..