Coconut Pecan Bundt Cake

My son, the serious athlete, specifically requests this cake that I have tried to make as healthy as possible.  I did several trial runs of it before I first used it for a surprise purple birthday party for my friend K, and he was the beneficiary of the attempts.  I had never cooked with coconut milk, and I was also trying to find a frosting that wasn’t too sweet.  My friends went nuts over this:

Coconut Pecan Cake with Purple Double Cream Frosting

I made it again for my book club, changing up the colors a bit.

(Sorry about the bad lighting.  I am no food stylist, but I’m working on it.)

Yesterday I made it sans frosting for my son who will claim that I am abandoning him when I take off with my daughter for her spring break adventure.  I am such a soft touch when it comes to him.  He will be fine with his father, but they are not too handy in the kitchen.  I’ve been working hard to leave them sustenance.  I spent a small fortune at the grocery store the other day just to be sure they wouldn’t run out of anything.

Here’s the latest cake and the recipe that I’ve adapted from epicurious.com and allrecipes.com.

Coconut Pecan Bundt Cake with Double Cream Frosting

Cake

3 cups cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 1/2 cups sugar

6 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk

2 cups (packed) sweetened flaked coconut (about 7 ounces)

1 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Butter and flour (I use Baker’s Joy) 12-cup Bundt pan. Stir 3 cups cake flour and salt in medium bowl to blend. Beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add 2 1/2 cups sugar, beating until well blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then both extracts. Beat in flour mixture in 4 additions alternating with coconut milk in 3 additions. Fold in flaked coconut and pecans. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.

Bake cake until top is golden brown and tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Cool cake in pan 5 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack; cool completely, then frost.

Frosting

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

2 cups heavy cream

Combine the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and coconut extract in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.  Mix on medium speed until smooth. While the mixture is still whipping, slowly pour in the heavy cream. Add in food coloring to desired color.  (I like the Wilton Icing Color jars.)  Stop and scrape the bottom of the bowl a couple of times and continue whipping until the cream can hold a stiff peak (it takes a while to thicken up; a stand mixer really helps.)

Adapted from http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Coconut-Bundt-Cake-with-Powdered-Sugar-Glaze-104038 and http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/sturdy-whipped-cream-frosting/Detail.aspx.

For my Avad Fans, I will probably make it for Easter Brunch as well with a pink icing and mixed pastel flowers.

Bon appetit!