Two things influence my decision. Spring and Tradition.

This means carrot cake or coconut (tradition) and lemon cake or anything berries (Spring). But there always more. There’s fun and this means chocolate peanut butter, strawberry drip cake and lots of fruit garnishes. I personally love everyone one of these cakes, so please enjoy.

Carrot Cake is Always a Win

• Triple Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Carrot Cupakes

Depending on the company you keep, you need options. In some families peanut butter is out, and that’s where the good old chocolate with butter cream comes into play.

• Coconut Cake
• Keto Coconut Cupcakes

In some families, there’s always that person who hates coconut. Yep. It’s a love hate thing, and the haters I’ll never understand. But, for the lovers, this sugar free, gluten free coconut cake is the bomb and you can keep going by adding berries. Any berries work or keep going further by adding a medley.

Chocolate

• Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake
• Keto Almond Joy Cupcakes

Bake Lemon

If you can only make one cake and you care about making everyone happy, make lemon. I can tell you after 6 1/2 years of owning a keto bakery, EVERYONE loves lemon. Take this further by adding berries and again like coconut cake all the berries work. Be different and add a whole bunch of blackberries with sprigs of thyme. Why not?

Now if you are that person that always orders vanilla everything, go ahead and make a vanilla cake, but be bold and crown it with a wreath of berries.

Use Fruit

• Keto Cheesecake
• Strawberry Drip Cake

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More Easter Ideas

• How to Color Eggs
• Chocolate Coconut Cream Eggs (sugar free)
• Reeses Peanut Butter Cups (sugar free)

The post Seven Keto Spring Cakes appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

There’s also a traditional version of these cupcakes made with regular all purpose flour which placed me second in a cupcake contest. I’m pretty sure it’s the nutmeg that helped me win, because it adds another layer of flavor that works so well with the coconut.

Coconut cake is as much beloved in the south as fried chicken or fried corn. This almond flour keto coconut cupcakes recipe is just as good as the coconut cake I grew up on and this traditional recipe.

We use six whole eggs (not just the whites), sour cream (or coconut milk), and either avocado oil or olive oil. I’ve been preferring to use an organic olive oil in my keto baking and it works well.

Can You Bake Cakes with Olive Oil?

The short answer is yes. In the bakery I use organic extra virgin olive oil for almost all my cakes. Oil keeps a cake moist, but it needs to be healthy. I will use either olive oil or avocado oil and you cannot taste the difference.

Baking with Almond Flour

Baking with almond flour is sheer joy and miraculous. It’s hard to believe that almonds can be turned into a flour that can be baked to a very similar texture as wheat flour. It does not have gluten (obviously) but with enough eggs to give a good rise and xanthan gum to hold it together. I do add some coconut flour to the mix which helps to create a perfect cake texture.

Keto Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

What Kind of Coconut Do You Use for Keto Almond Flour Coconut Cupcakes

I use unsweetened coconut either from Publix (Unsweetened Greenwise) which sells both coconut flakes and shredded Coconut or Trader Joe’s Flaked unsweetened. I prefer the flakes when I can find them.

Variation for Flavors

• Nutmeg, freshly ground (this addition won me a cupcake contest second place)
• Lime Extract with lime zest (for a tropical feel)
• Chopped Pecans (why granola is so good) add one cup.
• Add Frozen Raspberries. (Raspberries and coconut go well together).

How to Color Coconut for Holidays

Coloring coconut is very easy. I have a post and a video for coloring coconut for Easter in this post, but you can easily switch that out to Christmas with red food dye and green food dye.

Cake Variations

• Make a Triple Layer 6-inch cake. You can make a triple layer six inch cake using this same recipe. You will probably have to double the ingredients for the frosting.
• Make a Bundt Cake. This version would be great with the addition of chopped pecans. Use this bundt cake technique with this batter recipe. You will find the tips you need for a perfect bundt cake there.
• Make Buttercream instead of cream cheese frosting using this vanilla buttercream recipe, adding in coconut flakes and coconut extract.

Keto Coconut Recipes You May Like

• Coconut Coconut Mounds Bar
• Coconut Flour Lemon Raspberry Cake
• How to Color Coconut
• Triple Layer Coconut Cake with Coconut Flour

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Keto Coconut Cupcakes, Keto Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

Keto Coconut Cupcakes, Keto Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

Course Dessert Keto

Cuisine American

Keyword keto coconut cupcakes

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

• 260 grams almond flour 2 1/4 cups
• 28 grams coconut flour 4 tablespoons
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut
• 1 cup Swerve granulated (Powdered Erythritol)

Wet Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup avocado oil
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract optional
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Keto Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 ounces cream cheese full fat
• 8 ounces butter room temperature
• 1 1.2 cups Swerve Confectioner's Sweetener more if needed to taste
• Dash salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
• Mix all the dry ingredients together. Set aside.
• Add eggs to mixer and beat for about five minutes.
• Stream in oil.
• Add Coconut milk.
• Add extracts.
• Add dry ingredients and mix on medium just until mixed.
• Pour evenly into cupcake liners, 3/4 full.
• Bake for 15 to 22 minutes, depending on oven and size of liners. Internal temperature should be 207 F for cake to be done,

Keto Coconut Cream Cheese

• Mix butter until mixed about a minute, Add cream cheese to butter and mix just until incorporated. If you over-mix, topping will get soupy and be too full of air.
• Add coconut extract. Add Swerve confectioner's 1/2 cup at a time.
• Top the cupcakes with the buttercream and top with plenty of coconut.

The post Keto Coconut Cupcakes with Almond Flour, Keto Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Triple layer keto friendly coconut cake recipe is my favorite celebratory cake. This is the cake the whole family will love and even those not following a low-carb diet. It has a seriously good coconut flavor, a moist (but not eggy) texture and doesn’t taste sugar free (no after taste).

We recently had our bathroom remodeled and the contractor saw the cake and asked for a piece. I told him that this was as sugar free cake made with coconut flour. He LOVED it. This makes me feel so good about making keto friendly desserts that are good enough to get cheers from everyone.

Spinach Tiger has a lot of coconut cake recipes here. I love them all, but I have to tell you, even Retro Rose loved this cake and she never eats anything gluten free!

I have reworked my Keto coconut cake recipe from last year by adding in the full fat coconut milk, which gives this cake flavor and a nice texture.

I make a LOT of keto friendly desserts and I get a lot of questions, especially about ingredients.

How can a cake this good be keto friendly?

It has to do with the grain free low-carb coconut flour and and sugar replacement, Swerve.

What is Swerve?

Swerve Sweetie is a small company out of New Orleans that produces it’s own brand of powdered erythritol. They make a granulated version, a confectioner’s version, and a brown sugar version. It has a net zero carb effect, does not spike blood sugar.

What’s the difference between carbs and net carbs?

Net carbs are typically carbs minus the fiber when people on a keto diet refer to their macros. In the case of erythritol, the sugar alcohols don’t make any carb impact in the body, so you can count them as zero.

I’ve often wondered about this, but I have eaten a dessert every day for over a year and have lost weight. That would not happen with a sugar-made dessert.

Where do you buy Swerve?

This is the number question people ask me. You can find it at your grocery store, or you can order it here on Amazon.

Disclosure: I am an affiliate and will earn a small commission on all sales from Amazon. I thank you for any orders, and know that your price is not changed.

What kind of pans do I use for this cake?

I love making this as a smaller triple layer cake using these six inch pans. I like this set from USA Pans. This is the only brand of baking pans that I use.

You can make this same cake as a 9 inch double layer cake. You could also cut this recipe in half and make cupcakes or a one layer cake.

What kind of coconut flour do you use?

Sometimes I buy it out of the bin at Whole Foods, but I also like Anthony’s you can buy on Amazon.

Why do I use xanthan gum in keto baking?

Xanthan gum helps hold alternative flours together by adding the elasticity you would get from gluten. You can skip this in the recipe, but the cake could be more crumblier. You can order xanthan gum here on Amazon or find it at your grocery store.

What is the difference between sweetened and unsweetened coconut?

This triple layer coconut cake recipe calls for unsweetened coconut because we are cutting the sugar. Sweetened coconut has sugar added to coconut before it dries, remaining more moist, sweeter with a stronger coconut flavor. Unsweetened coconut is dried coconut, which comes in small pieces or large coconut flakes. It has a milder coconut flavor, but adds coconut texture. I like the Anthony’s Organic Shredded Coconut (amazon).

Why are there so many eggs in this recipe?

Coconut flour absorbs liquid more than other flours. I use 2 eggs per 1/4 cup of coconut flour in my recipes. For this keto coconut cake, separating the eggs and beating the egg whites helps the cake rise and be less dense.

What is the carb content of this triple layer cake?

Calculating at 12 servings, there are 7 net carbs. This is a high calorie cake at over 600 calories per piece, and is recommended as a special occasion cake and would be wonderful at Easter time.  If this concern you, make 24 cupcakes  which reduces that quite a bit and is good for portion control.

More Keto Coconut Desserts from Spinach Tiger

• Keto Coconut Cupcakes  
• Keto Coconut Flour Ricotta Cookies
• Keto German Chocolate Cake

Spinach Tiger has an amazon shop with all my recommended kitchen tools and groceries. SHOP HERE. 

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Triple Layer Coconut Cake (Keto, Low-Carb, Grain Free)

Low Carb, Keto Friendly, Grain Free Triple Layer Coconut Cake. Also makes a double layer 8 or 9 inch cake or 18 to 24 cupcakes.

Course Keto Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword coconut cake, keto coconut cake, low carb coconut cake

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12 slices

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Coconut Cake Dry Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut flour plus more for dusting pans for preparation.
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup granulated swerve
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut

Wet Ingredients

• 8 eggs separated
• 1/2 cup avocado oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• 1 cup full fat coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste

Keto Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cup Swerve Confectioner’s Sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut divided
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mix all dry cake ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside (coconut flour, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum, swerve). Set Aside.
• Prepare 3 six inch pans with parchment and baking spray.
• Separate eggs.
• Beat whites until they form soft peaks that stick to the spoon but not all the way to stiff. If using your kitchen aid mixer transfer to a cold bowl. Set aside.
• Clean mixer and mix egg yolks for two minutes on high.
• Stream in oil and melted butter while mixer is running.
• Stream in coconut milk.
• Add in liquid stevia. Mix well.
• Add in coconut extract.
• Add the dry ingredients to this mixture. Mix on low just until mixed.
• Fold in egg white with a cake spatula.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees F. Check at twenty minutes. You want the cakes to be golden brown.
• Cool cakes prior to removing. Use a butter knife to go around each cake prior to removing.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Make sure both cream cheese and butter are at room temperature. Sometimes I'll microwave cream cheese for ten seconds to bring that temperature up. Butter should be at 70 degrees F. Soften by cutting in butter pats on a plate. Do not microwave butter.
• Mix cream cheese first until it’s very smooth.
• Add in butter, mix until really smooth.
• Add in vanilla paste or extract.
• Sift Confectioner's Swerve. Add 1/2 cup at a time.
• Add in heavy cream (or reserve some coconut cream for this).
• Add in 1/3 of the coconut. Reserve remaining coconut for topping the cake.

ASSEMBLY

• You may need to use a bread knife to make the cakes even. Do this once cakes are cool, but before freezing.
• Freeze the cakes on paper plates for about 15 minutes.
• Decide which layers will work best on top of each other.
• Frost each layer and save most for the top. You may not use all the frosting. You could use less and also make a naked cake not frosting the sides.
• Top with coconut.
• I like to refrigerate this cake several hours before serving.

Notes

Coconut Milk. I use the full fat. Make sure to shake the can well or put the contents of the can in the blender. You may even need to microwave for about 15 seconds to emulsify.

You can use almond milk instead of coconut milk in this recipe. I prefer the coconut milk.

The post Triple Layer Keto Coconut Cake Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

If you want to know how to color coconut for these coconut cupcakes, I’ve made it very easy for you. These were so cute and good tasting, I won a contest.

A few years ago, I made 180 mini cupcakes for Cupcake Palooza, a cupcake contest held in Nashville. I joined with a few bloggers just for the fun of it. I never expected to actually win second place up against professional bakers!

How to Color Coconut for the Best Coconut Cup Recipe

This is my all time favorite cupcake recipe.  It’s not the typical coconut recipe. It has a unique flavor from freshly ground nutmeg that is in the cupcake and in the frosting.

Usually I stick to white coconut, but today, to make the cupcakes stand out pretty and mesh with our Easter-themed table, I have dyed the coconut various colors. I usually stay away from food dye, but in this case, it’s just the tiniest smattering of food color, so feel free to make your Spring or Easter party more special with these delicious coconut cupcakes.



You can’t have Easter without chick yellow!

If you want to know how to color coconut in a really fun way, mix it up and make confetti coconut.

When you have a prize winning recipe and this kind of cuteness, you will see big smiles at your next Spring celebration!

We love the cupcakes and we love this coconut cake.

So tell me, what do you do to make Easter festive?

This site contains amazon affiliate links which earn a small commission, but does not increase prices.



More Cupcake Recipes

How to Color Eggs with Whipped Cream

How to Color Sugar

Spring Holiday Side Dishes & Desserts

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How to Color Coconut for the Prettiest Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

Make the most beautiful coconut desserts with colored coconut. Combine colored coconut and make coconut confetti.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 pint size mason jar
• 1 cup coconut
• 1 - 2 drops food coloring I especially like the neon colors currently available

Instructions

• Put water in jar. Add food coloring according to the color you want.
• Shake jar. Add coconut. Shake jar again, until completely mixed.
• Lay out on paper towel and allow to dry just a bit to make sure any extra moisture is gone. Store in plastic bags in refrigerator if not using right away.

Notes

If the coconut is too light, separately mix food coloring and water. Mix and add in a teaspoon at a time to darken.
If coconut is too light, add in more coconut and continue to shake until desired color. Experiment with combining colors to create new colors.
Yellow and Green for a more pastel yellow-green. Blue and red for a lavender. Blue and Yellow for various shades of green.

The post How to Color Coconut with Video appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I know right about now several weeks after Christmas, you need a sweet treat and I have something you’re going to love. Sugar free coconut cake using Swerve’s Vanilla Box Cake Mix will be just the thing to celebrate winter.

You can choose to make sugar free coconut cupcakes or a one sugar free coconut layer cake. The frosting can be a buttercream or a cream cheese coconut frosting using Swerve’s confectioner’s sugar. I replaced the water with coconut milk, used unsweetened coconut flakes, and a little bit of coconut extract.

What is Swerve or Who is Swerve?

Swerve is powdered erythritol that comes granulated and confectioner’s texture. I write about it a lot because it’s what I make all my keto friendly low-carb desserts with. It does not spike blood sugar and passes through the body without any carb or calorie count. Swerve is a tiny company in New Orleans, working very hard to bring really delicious sugar free options for people avoiding sugar, for diabetics and for those following the keto or low-carb diet.

Can I tell you something? I lost five pounds in the last year eating dessert every night like this sugar free coconut cake.

What is the Swerve Vanilla Box Cake Mix?

You can find these at your local grocery store or on-line at Amazon.

Is the Swerve Vanilla Box Cake Keto? 

The changes to the box cake mix add 23 calories,  1 carb and 2 fat grams to the recipe. This does not include the frosting.

Some question the use of tapioca flour. It is minimal adding under 7 carbs for the whole cake mix.  Carolyn at All Day Long I Dream About Food answers this thoroughly at this post,  and gives some additional thoughts on the Keto diet. She also has a killer Ding Dong Cake using the Swerve Chocolate Box Cake Mix.

If you want to make these cupcakes from scratch without tapioca scratch , I have a sugar free, grain free coconut cupcake recipe here.

More Swerve Box Cake Hacks

Keto Texas Sheet Cake (Using Serve Chocolate Cake Mix)

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Sugar Free Coconut Cake Using Swerve Vanilla Box Cake Mix

Low Carb Coconut Cupcakes using Swerve Vanilla Box Cake Mix.

Course Keto Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 Swerve Vanilla Cake Box Mix
• 1/3 cup coconut milk replaces water
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/3 cup avocado oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract see notes
• 1 cup of unsweetened coconut see notes
• dash of freshly ground nutmeg
• !Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe Here

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Prepare pan with parchment paper if making one layer cake or add paper liners to muffin pan.
• Whisk together eggs, coconut milk, 1/2 cup coconut, coconut extract, sour cream oil, and vanilla in a large bowl.
• Add Cake Box Mix and mix well.
• Pour into pan or cupcake liners.
• Bake cupcakes for 15-20 minutes (longer for a one layer cake).
• Frost with this Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting. Go Lightly. Top with remaining coconut. You

Notes

Microwave a tablespoon of batter to do a taste test. Adjust coconut flavoring as needed.

Regarding coconut flakes. You might want to use more than 1/2 cup topping. It's according to your taste.

The post Sugar Free Coconut Cupcakes Using Swerve Vanilla Box Cake Mix appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

We all love coconut cake with buttercream frosting around here, topped with lots and lots of coconut.

This beautiful cake was made for a special birthday along with an old fashioned southern dinner of fried chicken and mashed potatoes.

This same cake was made for Easter and it’s so beautiful as a naked coconut cake.

You Can Also Make a Naked Coconut Cake with a Buttercream Frosting

There are a few ways you can make the cake a “naked” cake. You can use three 6 inch x 3 inch cake pans and make a tiny cake, which still yields lots of cake, or you can increase the recipe by 1 to 1.5 (add in half measure of each ingredient) to make three big layers. You could also make two layers and cut them across in half. I made three layers here because it was a special occasion, but typically, I would do the three 6 inch layers.

I made the original coconut cake for a friend’s birthday. We both share our love for coconut cake and it matches our style. We are both girly girls and coconut cake is girly. It was the cake served at my wedding, and it was one thing I absolutely would not change in a wedding redo even if David Tutera planned it.

It’s pretty. It almost always looks good, even at the hand of cake-baking non-professionals and it’s white, my favorite color.  This batter is extra special and a little harder to make than some other cakes, but she and I would agree, high maintenance in some areas is worth it.

The cake itself is yellow, but very light because the egg whites are whipped to stiff peaks and folded in, but it has a nice body to it.  It was too dark to take a photo of the inside of the cake, but you can see what it looks like when I made it here with a lemon curd, which is another option.

You can Make this coconut cake with Buttercream Frosting from scratch gluten free. 

If you are needing a gluten free recipe, I have a delicious  gluten free yellow cake recipe here. Just make the cake according to those directions, add in one cup of coconut to the batter and continue here with the buttercream frosting.

Tell me, what’s your favorite cake?  When I don’t want chocolate I know I want coconut. I recently made these amazing low carb, sugar-free, gluten-free.  keto friendly coconut cupcakes. 

More Cake Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Scarlett O’Hara Raspberry Pie

Blackberry Cobbler

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Vanilla Pear Buttermilk Pie

Coconut Cake with Lemon Curd

Red Velvet Cake

Gluten free Yellow Cake

Gluten free Red Velvet Cake

Grain Free Coconut Cupcakes

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Coconut Layer Cake

Old Fashioned coconut layered cake, inspired from the Joy of Baking.

Course Cake

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups 325 grams all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups 350 grams granulated white sugar, divided to 1 1/2 cups to cream with butter and 1/4 to add to egg whites.
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups 420 ml buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup coconut
• Yellow Gluten Free Cake Option here
• Add in 1 cup coconut to batter
• FROSTING INGREDIENTS
• 3 sticks unsalted butter
• 5 cups confectioner's sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-2 cups coconut to garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two - 9 inch x 1 1/2 inch cake pans, and then line the bottoms with parchment paper (or spray with Bakers Joy).
• Separate eggs while still cold, and bring to room temperature.
• Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt together. Set aside.
• Cream butter for two minutes until fluffy.
• Cream butter with sugar for 2-minutes.
• Add egg yolks one at a time. Beat each for 45 seconds, medium speed.
• Add vanilla, mix. Add coconut.
• Turning mixer to low speed, add flour mixture and buttermilk, alternating, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• In separate clean bowl whip egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar until soft peaks are formed. Beat until stiff peaks are formed.
• Gently fold in to cake batter with a spatula.
• Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.
• You can do a two layer cake or a four layer cake, by cutting the layers in half. Or use three cake pans for a triple layer, dividing the cake evenly.
• Adjust baking time accordingly.
• Allow cakes to rest on a rack for ten minutes before removing.
• Invert cakes and allow to completely cool before frosting. I usually freeze cakes for ten minutes before frosting.
• FROSTING INSTRUCTIONS
• Cream butter until it's fluffy.
• Add confectioner's sugar one cup at a time. Between each cup add a little cream. Add vanilla at the end.
• To frost cakes, freeze cakes for ten minutes. Remove and beginning with each layer, lightly spread a dry crumb layer. Let that set up and then frost each layer. Add coconut to frosting between each layer. Completely frost cake, and add coconut to cover cake entirely.
• Serve at room temperature.
• If you need to refrigerate, take out at least one hour in advance.

Notes

I used the "cake" recipe from a coconut cake recipe I have made once before, inspired by the Joy of Baking, but used an old fashioned butter cream frosting.

Regarding buttermilk, you can mix half buttermilk and half coconut milk for added coconut flavor.

The post Old Fashioned Coconut Cake with Buttercream Frosting from Scratch appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I love coconut cake, all kinds of coconut cake, of which they are many to choose. I won a contest making these coconut cupcakes and my readers can’t get enough of this divine Southern old fashioned coconut cake.

But both of those recipes take more time and effort than I usually have. This raspberry coconut pound cake is the answer to all my coconut cake cravings with just a five minute prep and no frosting, we can get our coconut cake fix anytime and bake from scratch.

Making cakes from scratch can be intimidating, but once you do, you’ll never open up a box. This can be the cake that gets your baking from scratch started. Raspberry Coconut Pound cake  is not complicated, but it is memorable. If you’re feeding a crowd, just go ahead and make two. It will all disappear and you will be asked for the recipe.

The raspberries bring an extra moistness and flavor to the cake, and you will have a hard time eating just one piece.

If you need more reasons to make this cake, I’ve made you a list.

Seven Reasons to Make Raspberry Coconut Pound Cake

1. You are having a friend in for coffee or tea. Homemade baked goods are always the best to build friendship upon.

2. You are cooking a meal to deliver for a sick friend and would like to include an easy dessert. They’ll call to thank you twice.

3. You are having last minute company and want to welcome them with something and time is short. Prep is five minutes.

4. You want cake for breakfast. This is the cake to wake up to.

5. You want to celebrate Spring. Take a look at the color of this cake. It’s so cheerful.

6. You’re not the best baker, but want to give a scratch cake a try. Perfect start, and no frosting or layers to deal with.

7. You want a dessert that doesn’t taste too sweet and still makes everyone smile.

I found the recipe over at  Chit Chat Chomp, and the only change I made was adding vanilla and substituting full fat coconut milk for regular milk, to increase that heavenly coconut flavor. Chit Chat Chomp was the inspiration for my  bacon apple pancakes last week via the Secret Recipe Club, but my eye caught this cake and I had a hard time picking between the two recipes, so I made both.

This is a one layer cake that could be baked in a shortbread pan as a typical pound cake, baked in a one layer cake pan, or baked as muffins.

The best way to ensure good baking is to use a scale and weigh out the ingredients. I’ve included both measuring techniques in case you don’t have a scale.

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Raspberry Coconut Pound Cake

An easy from one layer scratch raspberry, coconut cake so moist and flavorful, can also be made as muffins.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 9 tablespoons unsalted butter or 125 grams
• 1 1/2 cups or 295 grams sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup or 125 ml full fat coconut milk or regular full fat milk
• 1 1/2 cups or 185 grams all purpose flour unsifted
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup or 70 grams shredded coconut
• 10 ounces or 284 grams of frozen raspberries.

Instructions

• Butter and flour the baking pan. Parchment lined pan is helpful if you don't have a silpat pan as I've used. Or use a spring form bottomless pan.
• Cream butter in mixer. Add in sugar and cream until fully incorporated.
• Sift flour, salt, baking powder together. Set Aside.
• Add in eggs, one at a time.
• Add in vanilla.
• Add flour mixture and milk to the sugar butter mixture, by alternating until all are incorporated, finishing with the dry ingredients.
• Add in coconut and mix.
• Mix raspberries with flour, which will help them disperse through the batter.
• Gently mix in raspberries.
• Bake at 350F or 180C for 75 to 90 minutes. Check at one hour, as every oven is different. Insert cake tester or toothpick. Cake is done when it comes out clean.

 

The post Raspberry Coconut Pound Cake, Easy Baking from Scratch appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

My love for carrara marble led me to make these cupcakes, which, of course, has nothing to do with marble, but everything to do with my seeking out a solution to get that marble look.

I used to live in a building in Long Beach California on the the top two floors of four-story walk up. It was built in 1928 and the steps were made of carrara marble. I lived their for four years and every day my love for those marble steps grew.

Cararra marble found in Carerra and in Italy is one of the most beautiful stones in the world. Michaelangelo carved David from it. However, it’s not really suitable for my high maintenance kitchen where red wine and espresso flow like a river. It stains. It scratches. It changes over time. I don’t really care in other parts of the home, as my antique end tables are topped with carrara marble, but in my kitchen, it’s not going to work. Or is there some kind of marble that I should take a look at?

A friend of mine recently remodeled her kitchen with a stone called Nuvolato, a type of marble. She installed it in her kitchen where three children reside and she said she doesn’t care if it gets some stains, as she loves it that much.

She invited me to see it and on the morning of the visit, I made her these pineapple cupcakes with toasted Coconut. I remembered how much she loved my legendary coconut cupcakes, and I had always promised her some. However, that never happened and on this particular morning,  I didn’t have everything I needed for those, and created this new recipe.  I was in a crazy pineapple mood and fresh pineapple had its way into the batter.

A few days later I continued that pineapple mood and  I made this pineapple spelt breakfast cake with pineapple flowers.  But my pineapple craze started with these simple, yet flavor bursting tropical pineapple cupcakes.

I loved her nuvolato. She loved my cupcakes. It was a happy afternoon.

I couldn’t design a more perfect looking stone, as it was exactly what I want for my own kitchen. I am currently getting an estimate to put this stone on my island. I’m not sure if I’m crazy or not. She did it two ways. Honed and polished. She said the honed (by her sink) is not staining at all, as she can easily rub those spots off, but the polished does pick up stains. She still doesn’t care. I love her attitude. She got what she wants and she’s quite content to please herself and not worry about imperfections. I want to be that way too. After all, my kitchen is the most lived in room of the my house and it should be okay that it shows a little history.

SINCE THIS POST: I had carrara marble (honed) put in my kitchen and I love it.

Do you have any input on putting marble on a kitchen countertop? I’m replacing Cambria quartz for the island, but leaving it on the back counters, so I need something that compliments it. This one does and it’s beautiful. The kitchen island right now is two levels, counter height and bar height, cutting my work space way down. By bringing the bar to the counter level and having one solid surface, I’ll have a lot more prep room, photography room and sunlight on the prep area. If I had only known to do this five years ago when I put the quartz in, but that was pre-blogging days.

Am I crazy for not going with granite or is there a granite that could do the job?

In the meantime, I’ll continue to ponder this decision.

The Pineapple Cupcakes with Toasted Coconut

I used fresh pineapple and  little bit of coconut inside a yellow cake, whipped up a cream cheese frosting, and topped with toasted coconut. I wish I would have had more fresh pineapple to decorate. I think a piece of pineapple with the cherry would have looked pretty. These were moist, fragrant and the texture of the coconut added a nice crunch.

I always bake a few in a jar for freezing for future treats. At any given time, my freezer has jar cake of some nature, explained more in this recipe here for red velvet in a jar.

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Pineapple Cupcakes with Toasted Coconut

Moist yellow cupcake, filled with pineapple and coconut, topped cream cheese and butter frosting and toasted coconut.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1¾ cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup fresh pineapple finely chopped (can used canned)
• 2 tablespoons yogurt
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup oil canola oil
• 1/2 cup coconut
• TOASTED COCONUT INGREDIENTS
• 1 cup coconut
• Cream Cheese frosting recipe in found in link below.
• Marachino cherries for each cupcake
• Note: If baking in jars you can use 1/2 pint wide mouth jars. Spray the jars with baking spray.

Instructions

• Sift baking soda, baking powder, flour together. Set aside.
• Mix together, eggs, sugar yogurt, pineapple, vanilla.
• Mix dry mixture into the sugar mixture. Add in oil, and mix. Add coconut.
• Pour into cupcake pans ¾ way.
• Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes, depending on size of cupcake.
• This makes approximately 12 large cupcakes.
• TOASTED COCONUT INSTRUCTIONS
• Lower heat to 350. Lay out coconut on shallow baking pan. Bake for 5 -10 minutes, checking at 5. If you want it really brown and crunchy, bake longer, but keep checking so it doesn't burn.
• The Cream Cheese Recipe is in a link below also found in my dessert category.
• Top with a cherry
• BAKING IN JARS
• This recipe rises high. I ended up with jars of cake filled to the brim, so I turned them over and they fell right out. I cut them in half and put them back in the jars. Do not fill more than 1/4 of the way of the jar. If you freeze your jar cakes like I like to do, leave an inch between the cake and the lid.

You can find the cream cheese recipe here. Just top with toasted coconut.

The post Pineapple Cupcakes with Toasted Coconut in a Jar or No Jar appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Books and Cupcakes. Two happy words in a child’s life. This past Saturday, a few of us Nashville Food Bloggers decided to pool our talents and bake several hundred cupcakes for Cupcake Palooza, a fund raiser for Books from Birth of Middle Tennessee.

Literacy is something many of us take for granted. But, don’t.

Not every child has access to the many children’s books that I am often tripping over at home. Cat in the Hat. The Little Engine that Could. Clifford the Big Red Dog. The Jesus Story Book Bible. The Hungry Caterpillar. Fairy Tales with Jack, Snow, Henny Penny, Goldie Lox, and Golden Eggs.

Children’s books are full of pretend magic, but there is real magic happening in their brain and in their heart. The left side of the brain gets the language boost and the right side of the brain gets the creativity boost. It’s a win for a lifetime.

Bravo to my fellow food bloggers. Angie of Angie’s Sweet Natured Treats is an aspiring baker who specializes in cheesecakes and one day I believe her passion will result in all of Nashville talking about her cheesecakes. She brought delicious Carrot Cupcakes with a Cream Cheese frosting. A double bravo to my friend and fellow blogger, Grishma of Zaika Zabardast  who brought Pina Colada Cupcakes, made without eggs and I was so impressed with her results.

Nothing could be closer to my heart than reading to a child and handing them a mini cupcake full of confetti colored coconut. And the best news of all is that they had a contest for home bakers.

And the Winners Are..

Mayor Karl Dean attended the event and announced the winners, but everyone is a winner because the event raised over $4,000 and it was the most successful Cupcake Palooza to date.

Kiki of Angels Be Mine made several different flavors of  delicious and classy cupcakes and deserved to win  FIRST PLACE with a cupcake she called Strawberry Fields. It’s a  french vanilla based cupcake with a strawberry compote, topped with cream cheese frosting, a fresh strawberry and drizzled with a chocolate ganache. See for yourself. I’m still dreaming about this cupcake.

I really thought her strawberry lemonade  or chocolate oreo cupcake might have won.

SECOND PLACE went to me for my Easter Coconut Cupcakes. As for my award winning cupcake, the frosting is below,  the cake recipe is here and how to color coconut is found here. I received a gift bag with cupcake stickers, kitchen spatula and a beautiful dessert cookbook.

THIRD PLACE  went to two home bakers who took the childhood book theme to heart. There should have been a prize for best themed table because they went over the top merchandising with books and themed cupcakes from favorite stories.

I think the most beautiful cupcakes of the day were  om Anna Dulmas, and her Beautiful Butterflies.

I learned a few things about baking 180 cupcakes and entering a contest and thought I might share a few tips.

Tips for Entering a Cupcake Contest

1. If you are at an event that requires you to make lots of cupcakes, make mini cupcakes unless you want to fill them.

2. If you are making mini cupcakes, use a large 16 inch pastry bag for the batter. It goes fast.

3. Use the prettiest cupcake holders you can find.

4. Do not over bake. Do not over bake. Do not over bake.  Do a tester. Bake for less time than you think you need. Make a practice batch in advance, so you can figure out ingredient quantities and timing.

5. Use large 2 1/2 gallon bags to store cupcakes. Do not refrigerate. If you are using a perishable frosting, frost the morning of the event, or at the event. (I baked 180 cupcakes two days in advance and store them in plastic bags. I make all the frosting and dyed the coconut the day before the event and stored in refrigerator. I frosted and decorated the morning of the event.

6. The fancier cupcake does not win the prize if it doesn’t taste good. Spend the time to get a unique flavor and a moist texture. The three cupcakes that won were pretty, but not necessarily the most beautiful of the day. They won on texture and flavor.

7.  Red velvet was all over the place and didn’t win.  The judges will taste a lot of cupcakes. They will be grabbed by a unique flavor.

8. Sell your goods to the judges. If you get a chance to actually speak with the judges, tell them why you should win, why you are the best. You might be in a tie with another cupcake and this enthusiasm could make the difference.

The Cream Cheese Frosting

You will love this coconut frosting. It’s unique and has a good amount of cream cheese in it which balances the sweet of the coconut.

Print

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from Lisa Yockelson's Baking by Flavor, this is the best coconut cream cheese frosting.

Servings 12

Ingredients

• 12 ounces cream cheese at near room temperature
• 5 tablespoons butter at near room temperature slightly chilled
• 5 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• Coconut for garnish enough for heavy amount per cupcake.

Instructions

• Cream butter and cream cheese in mixer.
• Sift confectioner's sugar and nutmeg together.
• Add sugar to cream mixture, one cup at a time.
• Add vanilla into the cream. Add cream to the frosting.
• Mix until smooth. It will be a little gooey. It will change texture once refrigerated.
• You can refrigerate for up to 3 days. Take out 30 minutes before frosting.

Notes

This will frost up to 18 cupcakes or 45 mini cupcakes.

The post Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting Helps Win Second Place at Cupcake Palooza appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I am such a temptress. I plead with Mr. Spinach TIger not to eat sugar and to watch his weight. He is not a fat guy, but he has a goal to break a certain weight, and he’s even been going to extremes to get there. He is the only guy in my Sunday zumba class. If you’ve never done zumba, it’s a lot of sexy shaking in hip hop and latin style, and since we go to the more urban flavored class, it’s shaking that leaves nothing to the imagination. And, while he dances like a white guy from Nashville with country roots, because he is a white guy from Nashville with country roots. I have to give him props for following the dance steps. And, what do I do to reward his efforts? I tempt him with a dessert that I baked for his mother. But I tell you this is so good that even Rachel Zoe would put her coffee cup down and take a real woman bite and then another. And, if you are in a biggest loser contest, leave one of these at the door of your competition. No one can resist the buttery coconut shortbread crust, the creamy center and toasted almond coconut topping.

I was inspired by the legendary almond tart from Chez Panisse. I’ve made it countless times, (I know the recipe by heart), yet I always thought there was more I could do with it. Coconut goes so well with almonds and the texture was improved by also adding coconut to the pastry. And, to take the “easter egg” theme even further, one could incorporate chocolate as I did in the egg shaped tart.

It’s clear to me and now to you, I am in love with coconut desserts. Even our wedding cake was coconut. We use coconut for all holiday occasions, so please be sure to check out some of my favorite coconut recipes below. And, by the way, they all winners. Not just nice desserts, but extraordinarily good.

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Coconut Almond Tart

Coconut Almond Tart with Shortbread Crust

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter chilled and cut into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon almond extract or 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon cold water you might not need

Tart Filling Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon orange liquor
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup loosely packed coconut

Instructions

Shortbread Crust Instructions

• Mix flour, sugar, salt in food processor. Add butter. Mix until pastry dough is formed.
• Chill for a 30 minutes. Press into tart pan. Pierce with fork in several places.
• Bake at 425 for 8 minutes. Bake at 400 for 4 more minutes.

Filling

• Heat cream and sugar on medium heat until sugar dissolves and milk is transparent
• Add almond extract, orange liquor, almonds and coconut. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.
• Pour into pie shell. Bake for 25 minutes.

The post Coconut Almond Tart appeared first on Spinach Tiger.