Coconut Cake with Chocolate & Orange

This is my newest version of coconut cake! You can serve it as a breakfast coffee cake, if you have a sweet-tooth crowd or with ice cream for dessert after dinner. It's sort of like an Almond Joy candy bar with a little orange peel thrown in.

CAKE:

1 3/4 cups flour 2 tsp. grated orange peel

2 tsp. baking powder 2 eggs

1 tsp salt 1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup coconut 1 cup canned coconut milk

3/4 cup sugar 6 oz. dark chocolate bar,

1/2 cup chopped whole almonds chopped to bits

1/2 cup canola oil 1/2 cup coconut

Mix the first eleven ingredients, then stir 1/2 of the chocolate. Then top the cake with the remaining chocolate and the 1/2 cup of coconut. Spoon into a buttered springform pan or 9 inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes.

GLAZE:

3/4 cups powdered sugar

2 tab. coconut milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix until smooth and drizzle over the cooled cake.

Sweet and fresh-- Serve with fresh fruit and scrambled eggs with avocado for breakfast. Enjoy!

Thomas Chalmers

Tonight in the chapel service, John quoted a Scottish pastor Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847). He said that every person needed three things--someone to love, something to hope for, and something to do. It made my heart thankful to realize I have so much of all three! God is good.

Coconut Pecan Cake

When we were first married in Dallas, all marvelous southern cooks would serve up their "Italian cream coconut cake." But, alas, every time I tried to produce this yummy confection, I failed. I suspect was my lack of patience at beating all those egg whites! So imagine my delight, when a couple years ago, I found a coconut cake recipe from a cake mix! oh joy! It's been one of my favorites ever since.

COCONUT PECAN CAKE

1 white cake mix

1 1/3 cup water

1/3 cup canola oil

3 eggs (all the egg, not just the whites)

1 full cup of coconut

1 full cup of chopped, pecans

Mix of the first4 ingredients. Beat with a mixer for 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut and pecans.

Spoon into 2 round cake pans and bake about 30 minutes at 350. What could be easier!

FROSTING

1 cube butter

8 oz cream cheese

1 tsp. vanilla

1 box powdered sugar (1 lb.)

more coconut & pecans

Beat the first 4 ingredients together until blended. Spread on cooled cake. Cover with coconut and pecans.

Sometimes I just top the cake with coconut and set fresh flowers on top (white roses, bright nasturiums), if I want a pretty cake.

That's it. Usually a big hit--except for that small group of people who do not like coconut (I just can't understand that!) Enjoy!