Coconut Lime Marshmallow Cake

My sister and her kids are visiting from Alberta this month and were coming for dinner one night last week so once again, I was in the mood to create a special dessert cake to mark the occasion. The only inspiration I had was a bag of limes that Spouse had purchased earlier that week. I'd had the idea for a while to try a coconut lime cake but didn't want anything too, too heavy.

Kids always enjoy the marshmallow frosting I make for cakes and cupcakes so I decided to use that along with plain unsweetened toasted coconut to frost the cake. The marshmallow frosting is sweet enough on its own anyway and the unsweetened version has more of the true coconut flavor so that worked very well.

I love a good tart lime curd, so that was easy enough to decide on for the filling but I didn't want a heavy cake to support all those great flavors so I chose a simple sponge cake with a little lime zest added for extra flavor. The combination of flavors and textures turned out fantastically well and wasn't too heavy at all; in fact, I'd say it is one of my favorite new cakes I've created this year.

Lime Curd

• 6 large or extra large egg yolks
• Zest of 2 large limes
• ½ cup fresh lime juice
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup butter cut in small pieces

Whisk together egg yolks, lime juice and zest, and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens enough to coat the wooden spoon. Remocve from heat and whisk in the butter, one piece at a time until smooth.

At this point you can press the lime cured through a sieve to remove the zest if desired but I don't bother.
Chill completely before using to fill the center of the two cake layers.

Lime Sponge Cake

Sift together and set aside:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder

For the meringue base of the batter you will need:

• 6 eggs separated, room temperature
• 1/4 tsp cream of tarter
• 1 cup sugar, separated in 2 half cups
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp lemon flavoring (optional)

Beat egg whites and cream of tarter until foamy. Add ½ cup sugar gradually until egg whites are stiff.

Beat egg yolks and ½ cup sugar until foamy and thickened.

Fold beaten egg yolks into the beaten egg whites along with the vanilla (and lemon) for only a few turns before slowly and gradually folding in the flour and baking powder mixture very gently BY HAND using a rubber spatula until just incorporated into the meringue mixture. I mix in the dry ingredients in 3 equal portions. Do not over mix, you just want the flour to be incorporated; over mixing will deflate the egg whites and result in a tough textured final product.

During the final minute of folding the batter add

• zest of one lime, finely minced

Pour into ungreased and parchment paper lined 8 or 9 inch round cake pans and bake at 325 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until center springs back when touched. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Marshmallow Frosting

• 4 egg whites
• ¼ tsp cream of tarter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• ½ cup corn syrup
• 1/4 cup water

In a small saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer or when a teaspoonful of the mixture dropped into ice water forms a soft ball that holds its shape when cool.


Whip the egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla extract to soft peaks in a large bowl. With the mixer on medium high speed, slowly begin to pour the sugar syrup down the side of the egg white bowl in a thin continuous stream. Continue to whip the frosting until it forms stiff peaks.

Frost your cake immediately with this frosting while it is still slightly warm as it is easier to spread smoothly than if allowed to cool completely.

I like to pipe a rim of frosting around the edge of the bottom layer of cake to form a sort of well for the lime curd before adding the top layer and frosting the entire outside of the cake. Reserve 1/4 cup of the lime curd to garnish the cake if desired.

When the cake is completely frosted cover the top and sides of the cake with

• 1 cup toasted unsweetened coconut

I toast coconut in the oven at 350 degrees F by placing it in a shallow layer on a baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes, tossing it about 3 times during the baking time.

Chocolate Banana Cake

Chocolate Banana Cake

I think we may have to create a specialty category on Rock Recipes just for ideas to use up over ripe bananas which always seem to be waiting on the kitchen counter. We've done dozens of banana recipes from muffins to many different banana breads and even a Sticky Toffee Banana Pudding. Today we put those bananas to delicious use in this moist and delicious chocolate banana cake.

You can bake this in round pans if you like, with the simple chocolate buttercream frosting as shown or just in a 9x13 baking pan and serve frosted or unfrosted as an easy snack cake.

Chocolate Banana Cake

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Chocolate Banana Cake - a terrific recipe to use up those speckled, over ripe bananas on your counter top in a moist, delicious dessert cake.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Yield: 12-16 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup good quality cocoa
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs 
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cups mashed banana mashed banana
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease two 9 inch cake pans well and dust with cocoa. (Or you can line the pans with parchment paper after greasing them.)
3. Sift together the flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
4. Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Mix in the banana and vegetable oil.
7. Mix together the lemon juice and milk to sour it.
8. Fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the soured milk beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. I add the dry ingredients in 3 portions and the soured milk in 2 portions.
9. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and bake for 35-45 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
10. Cool completely on a wire rack before icing with your favorite chocolate frosting. 

Find a great, easy Chocolate Frosting Recipe here. 

Chocolate Banana Cake

Chocolate Buttercream Cake

Chocolate Buttercream Cake

Good chocolate cake may be the perfect dessert and this one does not disappoint, deserving to be a standard in every family recipe collection. It is the best plain chocolate frosted cake that I have ever eaten. The chocolate Italian buttercream frosting can be a bit of a challenge, especially in a hot kitchen but it is well, well worth the effort to master this skill. It really is the best chocolate frosting ever; so luscious and so, so silky smooth.

Originally Published March 7, 2008.

Chocolate Cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup soured milk (add a tablespoon of lemon juice to sour the milk)
• 1 cup black coffee
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes.

Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 inch cake pans, or one 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Combine and melt (but do not over heat) in a double boiler:

• 1 pound chocolate (at least 50% cocoa), chopped in small pieces
• ½ cup butter

Set aside to cool to room temperature

• 2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup water

Combine and bring to a boil. Continue to boil over medium heat without stirring until the mixture reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Meanwhile beat together to stiff peaks

• 6 egg whites at room temperature
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch salt

Slowly pour in the sugar syrup hitting the side of the bowl and not the beaters. Continue beating the frosting for 10-15 minutes until the meringue is completely cool. When completely cool, slowly begin to add, a few tablespoons at a time

• 2 cups softened unsalted butter

Beat until smooth after each addition.

Add the melted chocolate to the meringue mixture in about 4 additions and beat well after each addition. Continue beating until frosting reaches a spreadable consistency. This may take 15 minutes or so and you may have to chill the frosting for several minutes before beating it again to get it to stiffen. Alternatively, you can place the frosting bowl in an ice bath while continuing to beat constantly until the icing stiffens sufficiently.

Split the cake layers in half, horizontally, making 4 layers in total. Fill layers with frosting and spread over the entire cake. Garnish with chocolate ganache or chocolate curls if desired.

Chocolate Buttercream Cake

Raspberry Velvet Cake - No artificial color or flavoring

Raspberry Velvet Cake - No artificial color or flavoring

The velvet cake collection grows today with a new flavor, raspberry...and without any artificial color or flavoring. We try very hard to limit the amount of fake food at our house, preferring to cook and bake from scratch with real ingredients and avoiding preservatives and chemical based food colorings and artificial flavorings as much as possible. My son and I love anything raspberry so I set out to try incorporating some raspberry puree into the batter which with it's intense natural flavor and color seemed like a good choice. 

In terms of flavor, there was not much difference but the frozen berries produced a darker pink color if that matters to you. The cake is as moist and light as the others in our Velvet Cake Collection with good raspberry flavor coming through. Some additional puree added to a raspberry buttercream frosting would add even more great raspberry flavor but we liked it with this fluffy marshmallow frosting. Get that frosting recipe by visiting our recipe for Black and White Cake.

 

Click the photo at the bottom of the post for our other velvet cake recipes, Red Velvet, White Velvet,  Orange Velvet and Lemon Velvet.

Raspberry Velvet Cake

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Raspberry Velvet Cake - developed from an outstanding Red Velvet Cake recipe, this beautiful cake is a perfectly moist and tender crumbed cake that would make an ideal birthday cake.

Prep time: Approximately 20 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: Approximately 1 hour.
Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening at room temperature
• 1 tsp good quality pure vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup undiluted evaporated milk
• 3/4 cup raspberry puree

Directions

1. Make the raspberry puree by mashing fresh or frozen raspberries and pressing them through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. You will need at least 2 cups of raspberries or more to make sufficient puree
2. Grease and flour 2 nine inch round cake pans and line the bottom with 2 circles of parchment paper. 
3. Sift together both flours, baking soda. baking powder, salt and sugar, Set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together the vegetable oil, shortening and vanilla. Beat well at high speed with whisk attachment until light and fluffy
5. Beat the eggs in one at a time.
6. Stir together the undiluted evaporated milk and raspberry puree.
7. Fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the raspberry and milk mixture.
8. I always add dry ingredients in three divisions and liquid ingredients in 2 divisions. It is very important to begin and end the additions with the dry ingredients. Do not over mix the batter. As soon as it has no lumps in the batter, pour into the two prepared 9 inch cake pans.
9. Bake at 325 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.
10. I've frosted this cake with Marshmallow Frosting but any good vanilla frosting is great on this cake. Find the frosting recipe with our Black and White Cake. 

Click the photo below to see the other outstanding recipes in our 

VELVET CAKE COLLECTION

Lemon Velvet Cake

Lemon Velvet Cake

It all started with me trying to develop the best Red Velvet Cake recipe I could.  It was such a sucess and I loved the moist, tender texture of that cake so much that I just had to try a White Velvet Cake and then an Orange Velvet Cake. Those turned out to be a couple of the most popular cake recipes ever on Rock Recipes so I couldn't stop there. Keeping the lemon lovers like me in mind, a luscious lemon version was inevitable. The creamy, tangy lemon buttercream frosting goes particularly well with this beautiful lemon cake too.

Am I done with Velvet Cake recipes yet? Maybe not, I have an idea that might work out for yet another version. Here's a clue...think pink. :) 

Lemon Velvet Cake

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Developed from an outstanding Red Velvet Cake recipe, this lemon cake is a perfectly moist and tender crumbed cake with a lemony buttercream frosting. An ideal birthday cake for the lemon lover in your life.

Prep time: Approximately 20 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: Approximately 1 hour.
Yield: 12 -16 servings
Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening at room temperature
• 1 tsp good quality vanilla extract
• 2 tsp pure lemon extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• zest of two small or one large lemons, grated and finely chopped
• FOR THE FROSTING
• 8 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• 2 cups unsalted butter
• 1 tsp pure lemon extract
• 1 tsp minced lemon zest (optional) 
• aprox 4 tbsp milk

Directions

1. Grease and flour 2 nine inch round cake pans and line the bottom with 2 circles of parchment paper. Sift together both flours, baking soda. baking powder, salt and sugar, Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together the vegetable oil, shortening, vanilla and lemon extract. Beat well at high speed with whisk attachment until light and fluffy
3. Beat the eggs in one at a time.
4. Fold in the lemon zest.
5. Fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk.
6. I always add dry ingredients in three divisions and liquid ingredients in 2 divisions. It is very important to begin and end the additions with the dry ingredients. Do not over mix the batter. As soon as it has no lumps in the batter, pour into the two prepared 9 inch cake pans.
7. Bake at 325 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.
8. FOR THE FROSTING: mix together the icing sugar, lemon zest and butter until it becomes sort of crumbly.
9. Add the lemon extract and a little of the milk.
10. Beat until smooth and fluffy, adding only enough milk to bring the frosting to a creamy spreadable consistency.
11. Fill and frost the cake. Garnish with candied lemon zest if desired.
12. To make candied lemon zest, remove the zest with a sharp vegetable peeler in long strips, avoiding as much of the white pith as possible.
13. Bring one cup of water and one cup of sugar to a slow boil.
14. Add the pieces of lemon zest and boil for about 15 minutes. Drain the lemon zest on a wire rack.
15. When cool, cut them in strips and roll in fine sugar. 

For the other recipes in our Velvet Cakes Collection click the photo below.

Lemon Velvet Cake

The Best Red Velvet Cake

The Best Red Velvet Cake

Click the photo at the bottom of the post for our other velvet cake recipes, White Velvet, Orange Velvet and Lemon Velvet.

Our Red Velvet Cake is a hybrid recipe taking its inspiration from several versions of this classic southern dessert cake that I've tried over the years. In general, I've found that the simpler the recipe, the better the cake. This recipe really could not be more simple; it just combines the wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately and then brings them together to form a very pourable batter, which produces a very moist cake.

I've seen some recipes that also include an outrageous amount of red food coloring, which I am not particularly fond of using in general but infrequently will for special occasions and this recipe uses a very reasonable 1 1/2 tsp of liquid red food coloring. The upcoming Canada Day weekend seemed like a good time to feature the red in this cake with the white of our double cream cheese frosting, the two colors of our national flag.

Recipes also vary greatly on the amount of cocoa in a Red Velvet Cake, ranging from only a teaspoon to several tablespoons. I prefer the higher end of the cocoa scale for just a little more chocolate edge to this terrific cake. Some folks object to this because it produces a more brownish red cake so if this is a concern, you can cut back on the cocoa if you like but do not omit it altogether, the red velvet purists will hunt you down for that crime against cake! I've read from several sources that toasted pecans in the frosting between the layers is also a critical component. I'm going to call it optional but since I really love lightly toasted pecans, I think they add outstanding flavour and a crunchy component that I find irresistible.
Grease two 9 inch cake pans and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

The Best Red Velvet Cake

Sift together and set aside:

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tbsp cocoa

In the bowl of an electric mixer blend together well:

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp liquid red food coloring
• 1 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix in the dry ingredients all at once and blend until smooth. Do not over mix the batter. As soon as it has no lumps in the batter, pour into the two prepared 8 inch cake pans.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Turn cakes onto a wire rack, remove the parchment paper and allow to cool completely. When the cake is completely cool, you can cut the two layers into 4 using a sharp serrated bread knife if you like or just have 2 layers in you prefer. I think the four layers helps to get a good ratio of cake to frosting in each bite.

• 1 cup chopped toasted pecans

Fill all of the layers and the top of the cake with double cream cheese frosting, sprinkling each layer with 1/4 cup of the toasted pecans.

Double Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) cream cheese
• 3/4 cup butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 kilo bag of icing sugar (About 8 cups)
• 1-3 tbsp milk; enough to bring the frosting to a spreadable consistency

Mix all the ingredients together and beat well until smooth and fluffy.

Click the photo below to see the other outstanding recipes in our 

VELVET CAKE COLLECTION

The Best Red Velvet Cake

Strawberry White Chocolate Buttercream Cake - our 800th recipe!

Strawberry White Chocolate Buttercream Cake

This is a big "pause" moment for me. Today marks the 800th recipe posted on Rock Recipes. Just writing that seems more than a little odd. On a quiet Saturday afternoon, as I write this recipe, I take a step back to ask the question, "Why the heck am I doing this anyway?". It is a good question and one I'm often asked, so I've stopped to consider what the real answer is.

Cooking and baking has always come naturally to me. As a child, I was transfixed by the possibilities that simple ingredients could be transformed into something greater than the sum of it's parts. The fact that only butter and flour could be transformed into puff pastry for example, was magic to me. How was that possible? The realization that the fusion of simple ingredients to create something much more amazing than its simple components was the catalyst that pushed me forward. In seeking the possibilities, I came quickly to realize that they were endless.

Endless possibility in anything that you are passionate about is what enriches your life and makes it better. Even in the early days of beginning to cook, I resisted repetition. Why have meatloaf for dinner every Tuesday when there were so many more possibilities ? I think ultimately, that is why I write this blog, to help illuminate the possibilities.Thanks to all who joined along the way. We haven't exhausted the possibilities yet.

To celebrate I've created this terrific layer cake. I always think this cake is even better the next day when the sugar from the frosting has made the berry chunks even more sweet and luscious.


Vanilla Cake

Sift together and set aside:

• 1 1/2 cups cake and pastry flour
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Cream together until fluffy:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar

Add, one at a time, beating well after every addition;

• 4 eggs at room temperature

Beat in

• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Gently fold in the dry ingredients in three equal portions, alternately with

• 1 cup undiluted evaporated milk

When adding dry and wet ingredients alternately in any baking recipe, always begin and end with the dry ingredients.


Pour batter evenly into 2 well greased and floured 9 inch cake pans. Bake in a 325 degree F oven for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Watch it carefully, you will not want to over bake this cake, as soon as the toothpick comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven and let it rest in the pans for 5 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting

• 8 cups icing sugar (i.e. powdered sugar, confectioners sugar)
• 2 cups butter

Using an electric mixer on low, mix the butter and icing sugar together until the butter breaks up and get evenly dispersed throughout the sugar in small pieces. The mixture will still appear dry at this point. This stage ensures even distribution and prevents butter lumps in your frosting.

Add

• 4 tsp vanilla extract
• Approximately 6 tbsp milk

Both of these liquid measures can be adjusted. The milk can be adjusted to make a thicker frosting by adding less or a more spreadable frosting by adding a little more. Use you own judgement here. The vanilla extract can be adjusted to your own taste too.

When the icing reaches the desired consistently continue to beat it on high speed for 5 minutes to incorporate more air into the frosting to make it lighter and fluffier. Fold in:

• 2 cups diced fresh strawberries

Frost the middle and sides evenly with the frosting and chill the cake for several hours before adding the white chocolate ganache glaze.

White Chocolate Ganache Glaze

In a double boiler melt together

• 1 1/3 cups white chocolate chips( or 8 ounces chopped white chocolate)
• 1/4 cup whipping cream

Stir this mix constantly and get it off the heat as soon as the chocolate is melted. You do not want this mixture hot but just luke warm; as close to the melting point as possible. Let it cool down if it gets too hot.

Working as quickly as you can, ( a lazy susan is a big help if you have one) pour the ganache directly in the center of the cake, and then using an icing spatula spread it evenly over the top of the cake, letting it drip off the sides. Garnish with chopped white chocolate and fresh strawberries.

For butter and/or shortening based frostings like this, I do store the cake in the refrigerator but take it out at least an hour before serving to let the frosting warm up to room temperature. Cold frosting is too hard and letting the cake warm up allows this frosting to return to the creamy texture it is meant to have.