Snowy Coconut Cake

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas (outside and inside the kitchen)!

If you are a coconut lover, you may just fall in love with the cake that shows so beautifully during the holiday season. It is very simple to make and takes little time in the kitchen.

This dessert has good reason to make it for any season.

Here is your shopping list:

1. 4 Large Eggs

2. ½ C Honey

3. 1 C all-purpose flour

4. 1 tsp baking powder

5. ½ C warm milk

6. 1 tsp vanilla extract

7. 1 C heavy cream (and some for brushing)

8. 2 tbsp maple syrup

9. 1 C fine shredded unsweetened coconut (for coating)

10×15 inch baking sheet

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Make the cake:

Beat the eggs and honey until pale, airy and tripled in volume. You should see a lot of bubbles. Stir together the flour and baking powder and then sift into the mixture.

Fold Gently, keeping every bubble that you can. Stream the warm mild and add the vanilla and continue to fold gently until all ingredients are incorporated. Spread the batter into a lined 10 x 15” baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes just until set and lightly golden. Turn the spongecake onto a clean towel dusted with coconut. Roll gently while warm and let it cool completely.

Make the cream:

Take the heavy cream and add it to a chilled mixing bowl. Add the maple syrup and beat until stiff whipped cream. Place in the back of the frig until you are ready to spread onto the completed cooled spongecake.

Carefully unroll the cake onto parchment paper. Spread the whipped cream. Roll it tightly. Brush the entire outside of the cake lightly with cream. Roll the entire cake onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and a lot of finely shredded unsweetened coconut.

Cover the cake by rolling it with parchment paper. Place in the frig until reach to serve.

This week’s Fun Fact: Did you ever wonder what the difference is when baking or cooking with sweetened or unsweetened coconut and when to use which? Sweetened Coconut has a very sweet flavor with a texture that is moist, soft and chewy because the ingredients contain coconut, sugar, water and preservatives. This is best used for classic desserts, garnishes, cupcakes and pies and boosts the desserts’ appeal. Unsweetened coconut has a more pure, rich coconut flavor with a drier, less chewy texture and made with just coconut (or sometimes with a touch of unsulphured). This is used best with savory dishes like curries, granola, smoothies, and for baking where you can control the sweetness and your carb count!