January 11, 2004

Gâteau Noix de Coco et Chocolat Blanc

[Coconut and White Chocolate Cake]

As you know, yesterday was Maxence's birthday : I treated him to a nice dinner out on Friday (review on the way), and we celebrated again yesterday night with a group of friends, in a bar just a block from our apartment - which we more or less took over. This bar is a small place and we were on friendly terms with the owners, so I had decided to bake a cake and share it with our friends there. And since coconut and white chocolate are two of Maxence's favorite things, I twisted my favorite coffeecake recipe yet again to make a version around this combo, with flaked coconut in the batter, and a white chocolate and coconut frosting.

The birthday cake ceremony was duly held, with the lights off and the song and the clapping and the candles and the blow-them-out-in-one-breath challenge (successfully met). We served the cake on the paper plates we had brought, and I was showered with compliments about it, much to my glee. The cake, as pleasantly moist as ever, has a great coconut flavor and the frosting works really well, making it sweet and rich but not overly so.

Coconut and White Chocolate Cake

- 225 g unsweetened flaked coconut (3 cups)
- 140 g white chocolate
- 200 g flour
- a bag of baking powder (1 1/2 tsp)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 115 g butter, at room temperature
- 200 g sugar (I used half white, half dark muscovado)
- 3 eggs
- 2 plain yogurts (125 ml each, I use the Dannon Veloutés)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp rum (optional)

Preheat your oven to 180°C (360°F). Grease a 10 inch cake pan, preferably nonstick with a removable bottom.

Spread the coconut out on a cookie sheet, and insert it in the warm oven. Let it toast for about 5 minutes, tossing half way through, until fragrant and lightly golden. Remove from the oven (leave the oven on) and let cool.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

In a food processor, mix together the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing between each. Add the yogurts, the vanilla extract and the rum, mix again. Add the flour mixture, mix again. Fold in two thirds of the coconut flakes with a spatula.

Pour the cake batter in the cake pan, and bake for fifty minutes to an hour, until the top is golden and a knife blade inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for ten minutes, then turn out on a rack.

When the cake has cooled down somewhat, break the chocolate in small pieces and melt it in a double boiler or the microwave. Use a small spoon to frost the surface of the cake with the melted chocolate. Sprinkle the rest of the coconut on the white chocolate. Let cool completely before serving.

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