Pineapple Donuts with Coconut Glaze

I wanted to call this donut a Pina Colada because it's full of pineapple and coconut deliciousness, but since there isn't any alcohol, I decided to wait until I can experiment with making them with Rum to call them Pina Colada donuts. Until then these are a very acceptable substitutes. The pineapple donut is tender and flavorful, and the coconut glaze made with coconut milk is light but packs a gentle punch. Topped with toasted sweetened coconut and you have a wonderful bite.

2 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
2 egg
2 Tbsp melted butter
2 cups pineapple juice (reduced to 1/2 - 2/3 cup)

2 cups sweetened coconut

If you'd like to make this an adult version, add 2 Tbsp on pineapple rum to the batter. I tested this once and it was delicious!

Toast about 2 cups of sweetened coconut in a large skillet over medium heat. At the same time start reducing Pineapple juice over med-high heat until you have 2/3-1/2 cup remaining. Once done, set aside to let it cool.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. 

In a small bowl, whisk together milk, egg, melted butter, and reduced pineapple juice. This keeps you from having to overmix your batter, which is horrible for donuts.

Add to the dry ingredients and stir lightly just until moistened.

Pour batter into a freezer ziplock bag. 

Snip the corner and squeeze the batter into well greased donut pans. 

Bake at 425° for 8-9 minutes or till lightly browned. Remove from pans and allow to cool completely. While they cool, mix up the glaze.

3 Tbsp cream cheese

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

3 oz of coconut milk

2 cups powdered sugar

Combine ingredients until smooth. Warm frosting in the microwave in 15 second intervals until frosting just warms to a nice dipping consistency.

Carefully dip each donut halfway into the glaze, then set aside and allow glaze to drip off and firm up.

Every several donuts, while the glaze is still wet, top with toasted coconut.

Allow the glaze to set before trying to stack these. Share and enjoy their deliciousness!

Mounds Cake

Oh. My. Gosh. This cake was soooooo very decadent. Just pure chocolatey, coconutty, delicious decadence. I ran across the recipe for Mounds Layer Cake on Pinterest, and it looked like something my daughter would love, so I pinned it. It's not exactly a simple cake to make, but it's definitely worth the work. The cake had so much delicious chocolate flavor that it's difficult to describe. It was so moist and just... delicious. If you like Mounds bars and coconut, then you definitely need to try this cake the next time you have friends or family over for dinner.

Filling

14 oz bag sweetened, shredded coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Filling: In a large bowl, combine coconut and sweetened condensed milk. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Cake

2 cups sugar
1 cup Dutch Process Cocoa Powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark)
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour three 9-inch round pans. It's a good idea to use parchment paper in the bottom on your pans, but not required. If you only have two pans, just fill one pan a little more than the other. You will split the taller cake in half.

Cake: In the bowl of your mixer, combine sugar, cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 

Add eggs, oil, and buttermilk and beat on medium speed for two minutes.

 

Scrape sides of bowl and stir in boiling water. Divide batter into cake pans (batter will be thin) and bake for 30 minutes or until tops spring back until lightly touched. Allow cakes to cool in pans for about 5 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.

Ganache

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup (you can use honey if you are opposed to corn syrup)

Ganache: While cake bakes, in a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and heavy cream. Microwave for about 2 minutes, stopping every 30 seconds to stir until smooth. 

Stir in corn syrup and refrigerate until slightly cooled and thickened.

Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, slightly softened
1/3 cup cream of coconut (I buy this in a squeeze bottle with the drink mixers)
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 cups powdered sugar

Frosting: While cake bakes, in the bowl of your mixer, beat butter, cream of coconut, and heavy cream on medium speed until smooth. With the mixer set on low, slowly add powdered sugar. Once the powdered sugar is just barely mixed in, increase speed to high and beat for one minute until fluffy.

Spread coconut filling between 3 layers. 

Frost with coconut frosting.

Spoon ganache on top to the very edges of the cake, letting it drip down the sides.

 

Garnish with a scoop of coconut filling if desired. Let ganache set, and then prepare for a bite of heaven.

German Chocolate Cake

Is there anything more decadent or delicious than a rich German Chocolate Cake? It's not only one of my favorites, but it's a favorite of many of my friends and family. So, to make them happy I went on a search for a recipe. I found one online titled Original Baker's German Chocolate Cake, and it was a wonderful find. Everyone who has tried this recipe loves it. It's a straight forward, simple recipe that will make you look like a pro, even if it's your first baking attempt.

4 ozs Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate, melted and cooled
2 1/3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round or 9x13 cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Cream butter.

Add flour mixture, 3/4 cup of the buttermilk, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer for 2 minutes, stopping to scrape bowl periodically.

Add melted chocolate, eggs, and remaining 1/4 cup of buttermilk. Beat 1 minute.

Pour batter into prepared cake pans. Bake for 28-35 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pans on rack for 15 minutes. Remove and cool completely before frosting the cake.

For Coconut Pecan Icing

1.5 cups evaporated milk
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter
2 tsps vanilla
6 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 2/3 cups sweetened coconut
2 cups chopped pecans

In a saucepan combine milk, sugars, butter and vanilla over medium heat.

Bring to a full boil, stirring constantly. 

Remove from heat, add a small amount to the eggs, mixing quickly, and then return the egg mixture back to the pot, mixing thoroughly and quickly. 

Return to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in coconut and pecans.

Cool to spreading consistency, beating occasionally. Spread evenly over cake layers.

Oatmeal Cake

What is oatmeal cake, you ask? One of the best desserts you will every try. It is moist and tender with this amazing flavor. I don't know who originally created the cake. My recipe came to me via my mother who got it from my paternal grandmother. The recipe is handwritten out in the old style of recipes. I love it. I don't have too many recipes from my grandmother. As a matter of fact, I think this is the only one. I also have two or three quilts that she made, but that's a different topic. Back to the cake...

This cake really is delicious. There's a little butter and oatmeal, and the usual cast of cake characters. But instead of icing, this cake is topped with butter, sugar, condensed milk, vanilla, pecans and coconut. You will love this cake; I promise. Check it out!

1 cup oats 
1 1/4 cup boiling water
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 cup self rising flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease and flour or spray with baking spray a 9x13x2 baking pan. Boil water; in a large bowl combine oats and water. Add to this 1/2 cup (1 stick) of margarine cut into small pieces. Stir and let rest for 20 minutes.

Add sugar and brown sugar, and stir until combined.

Add eggs, one at a time, and combine after each addition.

In a small bowl combine flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Sift dry ingredients into wet, and stir until combined.

Pour into pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

While cake is baking, gather ingredients for the icing and begin making it. I think the topping is one of the best parts of this cake, so I make  1 1/2 servings of it.

1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pecans
1 cup angel coconut

To begin with, I really love this topping. I think it's much better using one and a half or twice the original recipe. That being said, whichever amount you decide to make, in a large enough pot to accommodate the ingredients, combine the margarine, sugar and condensed milk. Bring to a slow boil and allow to thicken.

Once mixture has thickened, remove from heat and vanilla, pecans and coconut. Pour over cake while the cake is still warm.

Broil the cake in the oven until the topping is lightly toasted and golden brown. Watch it carefully; it can go from not toasted to very toasted very quickly... ask me how I know this. lol

Allow the cake to cool, cut yourself a slice, and enjoy!!!