Tag: Spring Baking

Raspberry Almond Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Hi there… It’s been a while! I have been baking, but I haven’t really been baking anything new to share. I did tweak a Blueberry Crumb Muffin recipe that was quite yummy that I intended on sharing, but didn’t photograph so it didn’t become a blog post. I’ll have to whip up a batch soon to share especially since berry season is right around the corner. I’ve also been doing quite a bit of crocheting. I used up most of my remnant stash of Bernat Blanket Yarn to create a colorful granny square blanket. I’ll be sharing that soon. I’ve also been working on a sunburst granny square cardigan for myself. Full disclaimer, I’ve been working on it for over a year. I go through bursts of making the squares and then take a break. I believe I am only a few squares away from having enough to start stitching it together so hopefully it doesn’t take me another year to complete. But today I am sharing a cake where all the flavors work perfectly well together. A Raspberry Almond Cake with Chocolate Frosting. So, if you like chocolate-covered almonds, raspberry truffles, any almond dessert, etc. this cake is for you!

To start I made the raspberry curd. Yes, raspberry curd. While most people think of citrus –especially lemon – when it comes to curd you can pretty much make curd with any fruit. The steps are basically the same you may just have to adjust the amount of sugar you use depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Once the curd was done, I let it cool in the refrigerator overnight so it could thicken.

For the cake, I used a white cake mix that I doctored by adding in buttermilk, sour cream, vanilla extract and a decent amount of almond extract to get the perfect almond flavor without it being too overpowering – a full tablespoon. You may think this is too much, but any less and the almond flavor won’t stand out. I wanted the flavors to complement each other but also to stand out on their own.

Any to top it all off a simple chocolate buttercream frosting. Perfectly chocolatey without being overly sweet! I may have enjoyed a few spoonful’s of the leftover frosting.

Put all those together and you have a cake that may just become your go-to when looking for something special but not too difficult to make.

Raspberry Almond Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

Raspberry Curd:

11-12oz. Raspberries (frozen or fresh)

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

6 egg yolks

1 stick unsalted butter, cubed

Almond Cake:

1 15oz white cake mix

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 vegetable (or canola) oil

3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

1/3 cup sour cream, at room temperature

1 tablespoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Buttercream:

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (1 1/4 cups), at room temperature

3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder

5 tablespoons heavy cream, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Fresh raspberries and sliced almonds for decorating, optional

Directions:

For the Raspberry Curd: In a medium saucepan combine the raspberries and the lemon juice. Cook on medium low heat until the raspberries begin to burst, and you can smash them. Once the raspberries are mostly liquid press them through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Allow it to cool.

In a medium saucepan lightly beat the egg yolks and then add in the sugar. Whisk the eggs yolks and sugar together until well combined. Then whisk in the cooled raspberry mixture. Cook on low heat whisking constantly until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cubed butter until it has completely melted. Strain the curd through a fine mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl. Allow it to cool to room temperature and then place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface then cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until the curd has thicken.

For the Almond Cake: In a large bowl add the cake mix, eggs, oil, buttermilk, sour cream and both extracts. Beat with a hand mixer on low for 30 seconds and then increase speed to medium and continue beating for about 2 minutes until the ingredients are well combined. Do not overbeat. Divide the batter among 2 8-inch cake round pans that have been sprayed with baking spray. Bake in a 350 F preheated oven for 26-28 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 15 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Chocolate Buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter on high speed until creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl and then add the sugar, cocoa powder, heavy cream, salt and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for about 30 seconds and then gradually increase the speed to high and beat for an additional minute until all the ingredients are well incorporated and the frosting has come together.

To assemble the cake: If necessary, level the cake rounds. Place one of the cake rounds on a cake board or cake platter, flat side down. Using the chocolate frosting, pipe a dam around the perimeter of this cake round. Fill the cake with the cooled raspberry curd (you will only need a little more than half of the curd). Place the other cake round on top, with the flatter side as the top of the cake. Crumb coat the cake with the frosting and then refrigerate for 10 minutes so it can set. Finish frosting the cake with the remaining chocolate buttercream. If you would like you could pipe swirls on top of the cake with the remaining buttercream and then top each with a fresh raspberry. If using, decorate the sides of the cake with almond slices by simply pressing them on.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula

White Chocolate Cheesecake with Mixed Berry Swirl

There are many reasons why people create recipes. Following a specific diet, just have a taste for something, curious if certain flavors work together, using up various ingredients… The list goes on and on. For today’s White Chocolate Cheesecake with Mixed Berry Swirl the idea came to me when I had a bag of frozen berries in my freezer and a package of Oreos in my pantry that I didn’t want to go to waste. This is also a slight variation of my favorite cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory – White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle.

While I used mixed berries for the swirl you could swap them out for any berry – blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, etc. The method of making the sauce will still be the same. And while I am sure I have mentioned in a few different blog posts that when a recipe calls for melted white chocolate you should avoid using white chocolate chips since they are usually not real chocolate and won’t melt properly, I broke that rule for this recipe.  I was able to get the white chocolate chips to melt smoothly by melting it along with heavy cream. I then folded it into the cheesecake filling without any little bits of white chocolate chips lingering.

The end result… A delicious cheesecake with hints of white chocolate and a fruity swirl with just the right amount of sweetness!

White Chocolate Cheesecake with Mixed Berry Swirl

Ingredients:

For the Mixed Berry Sauce:

2 1/2 cups (12 oz) frozen mixed berries

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

For the Crust:

20 regular Oreos, crushed into fine crumbs

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Cheesecake Filling:

2 8oz packages cream cheese, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup white chocolate chips

1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

For the Sauce: In a medium saucepan combine the frozen berries, water, sugar and cornstarch. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for 5 minutes, stirring and mashing the berries occasionally, until the mixture thickens. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and allow to cool to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 325 F.

For the Crust: In a medium bowl stir together the cookie crumbs and melted butter, then press into the bottom (in an even layer) and up the sides of a 9-inch pie dash. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, until set. Set aside.

For the Cheesecake Filling: Measure the heavy cream in a glass measuring cup and then add in the chocolate chips. Microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until the mixture is smooth. Allow to cool.

In a medium bowl beat the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla extract together with a hand mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time and continue beating until well incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Fold in the melted chocolate until no streaks of either mixture remains.

Assemble the Cheesecake: Pour half of the cheesecake filling into the prepared crust. Drizzle half of the berry sauce on top and then gently swirl into the cheesecake mixture with a toothpick or knife. Repeat these layers with the remaining cheesecake filling and berry sauce, once again gently swirling the sauce into the cheesecake.

Place in the oven and bake for 60-70 minutes. The cheesecake should be set along the edges but still jiggly in the center.

Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Gently cover with wax paper and aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight before slicing and serving.

Recipe first appeared on Bead Yarn & Spatula

Mango Citrus Tart

I’ve owned a tart pan with a removable bottom for years and have only used it a handful of times. I believe I bought it to make a frangipane tart over 10 years ago. If you search my blog, you can find the recipe. The pictures are so bad from that post that I will refrain from posting the link.  In case you are wondering though, frangipane is basically as an almond tart. You can use almond flour, almond paste or ground almonds to make the custard filling and it usually has a fruit added in as well. I got to dust off my tart pan to make a Mango Citrus Tart I recently came across in an issue of Food Network Magazine. And don’t worry, you don’t have to peel or chop any mangoes to make this tart, you simply use frozen mango pulp thawed as the base for the filling.

Before I made the filling, I made the crust for the tart. In my food processor I processed graham crackers until they were finely ground before adding in melted butter. Once the mixture was combined, I pressed it into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. To make sure the crust was even and compact in the pan I used the bottom of a glass to press and smooth it down. After baking the crust, I let it cool on wire rack while I made the filling.

To make the filling I combined the mango puree with eggs, cornstarch, sugar, salt, lime and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. After whisking everything together until it was combined, I used a rubber spatula to stir it while heating it on medium-low heat until it was slightly thickened. Don’t make the same mistake I did, I stopped stirring for a few seconds and the mixture immediately started to bubble. Thankfully nothing bubbled over, and it didn’t scorch.  I removed the filling from the heat and stirred in unsalted butter until it melted.

Once the filling was ready, I placed the crust on a baking sheet and strained it through a fine mesh sieve directly into the cooled crust.

I then placed it in the oven for about 30 minutes. I ended up baking it a few minutes too long as the filling ended up cracking in a few places…

But it was nothing that a little whipped cream and lime zest couldn’t cover up and besides it didn’t alter the flavor of the tart one bit. It was delish! Not too sweet and the mango flavor was spot on!

Mango Citrus Tart

Ingredients:

For the crust:

14 whole graham crackers

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

6 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

1 14oz package frozen mango puree, thawed*

6 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup lime juice

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Pinch of kosher salt

4 tablespoon unsalted butter, cubed

*To thaw the puree I placed it in the refrigerator overnight

For the topping:

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Zest of 1 lime

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

For the crust: Break the graham crackers into pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor along with the sugar and salt. Process until the crackers are finely ground. Add in the butter and pulse to combine. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven until the crust is golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

For the filling: In a medium saucepan whisk together the mango puree, whole eggs, egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar, lime juice, lemon juice and salt until smooth and combined. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until the mixture begins to thicken, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add in the butter and stir until the butter has completely melted.

Place the cooled crust on a baking sheet. Strain the mango filling through a fine mesh sieve directly into the crust. Bake until the filling is set but the center is still a bit jiggly, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before refrigerating for 4 to 6 hours.

For the whipped cream: Combine the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract in a medium bowl and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form.

Prior to serving the tart top with the whipped cream and sprinkle zest on top.

Recipe from Food Network

Malted Chocolate Brownies

I’ve made quite a few desserts with malted milk powder as the star ingredient, and I must say none have ever disappointed. My favorite by far are the Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies I shared over 10 years ago and still make to this day – thankfully my pictures have improved since then! Today’s Malted Chocolate Brownies are a very close second though. These brownies are rich and decadent, but not overly sweet. The malted milk powder really enhances the chocolate flavor in them.

To start, I heated butter and sugar together in a saucepan over medium-low heat until the sugar mostly dissolved. I didn’t want to leave it on the heat too long and end up with the beginnings of caramel sauce. In a large bowl I whisked together eggs, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, malted milk powder, salt and baking powder. I slowly poured the butter mixture into the egg mixture and stirred everything together until it was smooth. I then stirred in the flour and finally folded in milk chocolate chips. I transferred the batter to a 9×13-inch baking pan I lined with parchment paper. And finally, I topped the batter with chopped malted milk balls (i.e. Whoppers).

After baking for about 35 minutes they were done. The malted milk balls on top ended up with a nice caramel color and some of the pieces that were still decent size after chopping them gave a nice malted milk taste to the brownies. Just a quick note in case you are thinking of doing the same, I actually didn’t slice these brownies the same day I baked them. I wrapped them in plastic wrap and kept them at room temperature and then sliced them the following day to try to keep them fresh an extra day or two. And, I will point out, as with most brownies, you should warm your knife under hot tap water before slicing. You will get cleaner slices that way.

If you are looking for more recipes with malted milk powder, check these out:

Malted Brownies

Malted S’mores Ice Cream

Chocolate Malted Cupcakes with Fluffy Vanilla Frosting

Malted Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup malted milk powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups flour

1 11.5 oz. bag milk chocolate chips

1 5 oz. package malted milk balls (Whoppers), roughly chopped or gently crushed in a resealable bag

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper leaving an overhang on all sides.

In a medium saucepan heat the butter and sugar on medium-low heat until the butter melts and the sugar has mostly dissolved.

In a large bowl whisk the eggs and vanilla extract until combined. Whisk in the cocoa powder, malted milk powder, kosher salt and baking powder.

Gradually stir the butter mixture into the egg mixture and stir until smooth. Add the flour and stir until just combined. And finally, fold in the chocolate chips.

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared dish and top with the malted milk balls, pressing them lightly into the batter.

Baked in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack to room temperature then slice. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe from Real Simple

Cheesecake Marbled Carrot Loaf Cake

With Easter a few days away, you may be dusting off your recipe for Carrot Cake to bake for the holiday. I did a little research to figure out why carrots in general are popular this time of the year. And while I didn’t get a concrete answer it’s pretty much what I figured (and what I have possibly written before), it’s because of the Easter Bunny. Children would leave carrots out for the Easter Bunny to thank the bunny for their Easter Baskets usually filled with chocolate treats. Not a bad trade off if you ask me. And while I do like carrot cake itself – that wasn’t always the case, a few office birthdays turned by taste buds – I will admit the best part is the cream cheese frosting. So, when I came across a recipe for a carrot loaf cake that was layered with a cheesecake filling in the recent issue of Food Network Magazine, I knew I had to try it ASAP!

Now, normally when I make carrot cake, I grate the carrots using the shredding disc of my food processor. For this recipe it specifically stated that the carrots needed to be finely grated and I just didn’t feel like doing it by hand using a box grater (which the recipe suggested), so, I grated the carrots first using the shredding disc and then inserted the s-blade (the standard blade of most food processors) and pulsed the carrots a few times to get them finely grated. This saved me a lot of time and pain. One other extra step for this cake was toasting the pecans. If you like, you could swap the pecans for walnuts. I normally use walnuts when I make carrot cake, but I had some pecans in my refrigerator that I wanted to use before they expired.

Once the carrots were shredded and the pecans toasted, it was time to make the cake. I started by making the cheesecake filling. I whisked together cream cheese, an egg, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract and salt until smooth and refrigerated it until I was done making the batter. I made the batter by whisking together the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another and then combining them and finally folding in the carrot and pecans. One thing I left out from the original recipe was crushed pineapple. I was concerned that leaving it out would result in my cake being a bit dry but that wasn’t the case at all. To get the marbled effect I alternated layers of the carrot cake batter and cream cheese filling in a 9 x 5 – inch loaf pan.

After baking and cooling the cake it I topped it with a cream cheese drizzle. And then it was time to enjoy a slice and it didn’t disappoint. It’s a quick and yummy alternative to your traditional carrot cake.

Looking for a more traditional carrot cake recipe, check these out:

Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake for Two

And a recipe for Carrot Cake with a Moroccan flair:

Spice Market Carrot Cake

Cheesecake Marbled Carrot Loaf Cake

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups finely grated peeled carrots

For the Filling:

1 8oz package cream cheese, at room temperature

1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

For the Icing:

2oz cream cheese, at room temperature

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a 9 x 5 – inch loaf pan with cooking/baking spray and then line with parchment paper leaving an overhang on all sides.

Spread the chopped pecans on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes, until the pecans are a shade or two darker. Allow to cool completely.

For the Filling:

In a medium bowl whisk the cream cheese until fluffy. Add in the confectioners’ sugar, egg, vanilla and salt and continue whisking until the mixture is smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Cake:

In a medium bowl whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together both sugars, oil, eggs and vanilla until smooth.

Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and mix everything together with a rubber spatula until mostly combined. Add in the carrots and pecans and fold until just combined.

Spread a third of the cake batter (about 1 cup) into the prepared loaf pan. Dollop and spread half of the cream cheese filling over the batter stopping about a 1/2-inch from the edges. Repeat with another layer of the carrot cake batter and the remaining cream cheese filling and then top with the remaining carrot cake batter. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles and then bake in the preheated oven for 75 to 90 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Place the pan on a wire rack and let the cake cool for 1 hour inside of the pan and then use the parchment paper to remove the cake and place on the wire rack to cool completely.

For the Icing:

Whisk the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl until smooth and fluffy. Add in the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and salt and continue to whisk until the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a piping bag (or a resealable bag with a corner snipped) and pipe the icing on the cooled cake.

*The original recipe also called for an 8oz can of crushed pineapple (drained) added to the cake batter which I omitted.

Recipe from Food Network 

Passion Fruit & Coconut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Can you believe that Easter is just a little over a week away? Where is the time going? Today’s cake would be perfect for your Easter dessert. Coconut is a great Spring flavor and passion fruit is a flavor that’s not too common but pairs well with coconut. If passion fruit isn’t your thing you could try a key lime curd instead. Coconut and lime pairs together deliciously.

IMG_8672

To begin, I made the passion fruit curd. I wanted to make sure that it would thicken enough so I made it two days before assembling the cake. I have never seen passion fruit at any of the supermarkets I go to, so I opted to buy frozen passion fruit pulp  and let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight. If you are thinking of using passion fruit juice, I would just advise on using one that is 100% passion fruit juice, not a blend of other fruits. I began by combining egg yolks, passion fruit juice, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stirred it until the sugar dissolved and the mixture was thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Since it can sometimes be a little difficult to determine this with the spoon I am stirring with I normally take a small spoon and run the back of it in the mixture to make sure it is thick enough. Once it was, I removed the saucepan from the heat and added in unsalted butter that I cut into chunks, stirring between each addition to make sure the butter was completely melted. I then strained the curd through a fine mesh sieve two times before placing a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of it and refrigerating it until I was ready to use. A quick tip, the second time I strained the curd I did so into the container I was planning on refrigerating the curd in.

IMG_8643

Unfortunately, I completely forgot to take pictures while making the cake layers. I intended to take pictures of them once they were cooled and I was ready to use them, but I was running short on time. The weekend I made this week I decided was also a good weekend to finally paint my hallway. I had been intending to do it ever since I finished my living room remodel, but the paint cans just sat on the floor with me walking by them everyday and the task on my to-do list every week. Well, the paint cans just started to annoy me, and I didn’t have anything to do so I went ahead and started to paint. Initially I was going to prime beforehand, but I had a lot less primer than I thought and since the paint I was using was paint and primer combined I decided to just use that. Well, I ended up needing a another can of paint. And painting the second coat took a lot longer than I was anticipating so my cake suffered. I shouldn’t say suffered, but it didn’t get the full attention that I was planning on giving it! But back to the cake… I used a recipe that I have used in the past for coconut cupcakes and just baked the batter in two 8-inch cake rounds.

After making a batch of cream cheese frosting it was time to assemble the cake. I sliced the small dome that each of the cakes had to flatten them and then piped a cream cheese border around one of the cakes to create a dam for the curd. I then filled the cake with the curd and placed the other round on top. I crumb coated the cake and after refrigerating for about 20 minutes I finished frosting the cake. I love cream cheese frosting, but I always find that it’s not the easiest to work with when it comes to piping. The cream cheese really makes the frosting soft, so I popped it in the refrigerator for a few minutes before filling a piping bag fitted with a large tip to pipe the rope border around the cake. It didn’t come out as neat as I liked but it was all good. I then sprinkled the top and sides of the cake with coconut and it was good to go. Note to self, don’t ever plan on painting and making a cake on the same day!

IMG_8649

So, the flavors of the cake – passion fruit, coconut, and cream cheese frosting – worked well together. If you want to up the coconut flavor in the cake, you can substitute coconut milk for the buttermilk. For this recipe you could use a cup of coconut milk with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to get the same consistency as the buttermilk. And you could swap out the almond extract and use coconut extract instead. One more suggestion, I would slice this cake while it’s on the colder side. Once it gets too warm the passion fruit curd makes it difficult to get clean slices of the cake. You could always slice while the cake it’s cold and then let the slices come to room temperature before enjoying.

Passion Fruit & Coconut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

For the Passion Fruit Curd:

1/2 cup passion fruit juice*

7 large egg yolks

1 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks

For the Coconut Cake:

3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

6 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract**

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk***

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut, plus more for decorating cake

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 8oz. blocks cream cheese, at room temperature

3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

*I used frozen passion fruit pulp that I refrigerated overnight to defrost

**If you are not a fan of almond flavor you can reduce the amount or substitute with coconut extract

***To make my own buttermilk I combine 1 cup whole milk with 5 teaspoons of vinegar in a measuring cup and let it sit for 15 minutes until it thickens. You could also use a cup of unsweetened coconut milk with a tablespoon of vinegar.

Directions:

For the curd (make a day or two in advance to assembling the cake): In a medium saucepan combine the passion fruit juice, egg yolks and sugar. Over medium heat stir until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove the pan from the heat and add it the pinch of salt and the chunks of butter, one at a time. Stirring between addition to ensure the butter has melted before adding an addition piece. Strain through a fine mesh sieve 2 times. Place in a bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the curd and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 325 F. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with baking spray, or grease and lightly dust with flour. Set aside.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (you could also use a hand mixer) using the paddle attachment cream together the sugar and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and add in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl as necessary. Add in the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.

In three parts, add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk, alternating between each. Beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the shredded coconut and divide the batter between the two prepared pans.

Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

For the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer (you could use a hand mixer) using the paddle attachment cream together the cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract on medium speed. With the mixer on low, gradually add in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth.

To assemble the cake: If necessary, torte the cakes. Transfer some of the frosting to a piping bag with the end snipped off and pipe around the perimeter of the cake to create a dam. Fill the cake with the passion fruit curd and top with the other cake. Frost the cake with a crumb coat and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Use remaining frosting to finish frosting the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Passion Fruit Curd Recipe from Garlic and Zest

Coconut Cake Recipe from Food Network