Monday, September 29, 2008

Cake Love

Have I mentioned that when I grow up I want my own bakery? OK, only every other day, right? This is the cake I decided to bake for this weekend's dinner at our friend's house. It was a hit, thank you Paula Deen. The recipe for this coconut cake is in her "The Lady & Sons, Just Desserts" cookbook. If you don't have that one, go right out and pick it up. The strawberry shortcake recipe is devine, the peach cobbler to die for. You can probably get the recipe from Paula's website or the Food Network as well.

Step one, enlist the help of the best little sous chef in Texas, or Virginia Beach, or wherever your casa may be:



See why he likes being the bake-a-cake helper? Um-hum, Mama didn't raise no fool!

This cake has a filling that you pour over the warm layers, poke holes with the wrong end of a wooden spoon - you better behave yourself or mama might swat you with the right end of that spoon! Not that I have ever done such a thing....

Whenever I make a cake with more than two layers, I stabilize the layers by poking drinking straws, toothpicks or small dowels into the cake to keep it from shifting. All my peeps know to look out for the straws and it has become a tradition that getting the straw in your piece of cake is good luck.

The icing used here is called 7-minute frosting - because you beat the ingredients over boiling water with an electric mixer for 7 minutes, (well, duh). Watch that cord - if you don't have a double boiler, use a bowl over a sauce pan like I did here, don't let the water level touch the bowl, or your icing will be grainy.

Does that look like some fluffy goodness or what? 7-minute frosting is not as hardy as buttercream or royal icing, so it is best used when the cake will all be eaten that same day and when the weather is not too hot outside.

Look at that big, puffy, snowball of lovliness! Want a bite?

10 comments:

TinaBug said...

that looks amazing! And yes I want a bite - maybe with my coffee this morning, aha...
xo

Femin Susan said...

Nice cakes... I like ur blog

Heather said...

Yes. I want a piece of that cake for breakfast with a really big glass of cold milk. I had a dream about Paula last night. I'm obsessed.

Sowellct said...

I wish I could lick the beaters

Ronnica said...

You can make me a cake anytime!

Unknown said...

Ooo I love the picture of your son with the cake all over his face... ADORABLE! I am adding you to my blog roll you are a FUNNY girl!

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

No thanks. :-)

I have issues with coconut. I don't know if it's the texture or what. But I just don't like it. And I am a firm believer in that if it's not chocolate, then it's really not dessert.

Now, my husband on the other hand would say yes. And wonder where yours was...

ChezChani said...

I have the cobalt blue mixer. Unfortunately I've only used it a couple of times in a couple of years but it's a lovely knick knack.

You might enjoy this funny cake blog http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

Beth said...

I want CAKE!!
Looks totally delectible!
Leave it to Paula!

Beth

Le said...

double yum ! and you are doing th best thing to raise a wonderful son - teaching him the way round a kitchen - nice one mamma ! le