Coconut Chocolate Cake

This post was initially supposed to be a lot more panicky. BUT, before I clicked “publish” I decided that I should take some time to cool down and come back later with a clearer mind. I’m so glad I did that because I always go bonkers and blow things up wayyy bigger than they are when I’m IN the moment. One thing can set me off into a cursing fit and believing that my life is forever doomed and I’ll never amount to anything great and I’ll be the greatest dishonour to the Zhou family.

So what set me off today?

Cakepops.

Never liked them. Never understood the craze bout em. Never ever made em successfully. Remember these sad sad pictures?

I tried to make some cakepops today but I failed so hard. I was being careless and added wayyyy too much buttercream to the cake mixture so it turned out way too soft. First mistake. BUT, I still tried to salvage that by putting the rolled cake mixture into the fridge, hoping that it’ll solidify a little. Then I tried to make coffee flavoured coating by adding some Via to vanilla candy melts. That was the second major mistake because the Via didn’t dissolve at all.Then the candy melts wouldn’t melt into the fluid consistency that I was looking for and ended up being really thick. Third mistake. It was so thick that my cake kept getting stuck in the candy coating… leaving me with just the lollipop stick.

I gave up after trying to dip 3 cakeballs. I was fed up. Done. So over it. I haven’t felt that angry at myself in a long while.

Before that happened, I was feeling super overwhelmed. My friend is getting married in 24 days and I’m baking for her dessert table. There will be 200 people so I have a lot of stuff to make. Long story short, I’ve been prepping for this for about 6 months, getting the necessary materials from places all over the lower mainland. Just when I think I’m finally done with gathering what I need, something doesn’t work out or I’ll realize that I’ve forgotten something. I also have to do the decor for the table so I’m DIYing a lot of stuff.

The biggest stressor is knowing that I don’t have the necessary skills to carry out this job. There are a few items on the menu that I’ve never made before, ie. cakepops. Also on that list are cheesecake bars, decorated sugar cookies and A FLIPPING WEDDING CAKE. On the bright side, I’m still super glad that she gave me this opportunity. I can’t believe she asked me instead of a professional to do this for her big day! I fear that everything is going to mess up and I’ll have nothing to show. Or even worse, I’ll have to deliver sub-par products and be mocked by my pathetic dessert table and wedding cake throughout the entire wedding.

***

My friend ordered this coconut chocolate cake for her boyfriend’s birthday last week. Because of all the stress that I was going through, I was so glad that she asked for something simple. Though, simple, do not underestimate the flavour complex of this cake. I used my favourite chocolate cake recipe but that wasn’t the best part. The buttercream is where it’s at! This is the fluffiest and silkiest buttercream I’VE EVER HAD. And it was so easy to make! All I did was add a whole can of coconut milk to my stock swiss meringue buttercream recipe. The fat in the coconut milk kinda makes it act like heavy cream. Combined with a heck of a lot of whipping, the buttercream increased ever so slightly in volume to deliver airy-ness and silky smoothness that just melts on the tongue.

Coconut Chocolate Cake

Servings 12

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Ingredients

  

Chocolate Cake

• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp AP flour
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp cocoa
• 3 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cup strong black coffee
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Coconut Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• 10 large egg whites
• 2 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 cups unsalted butter room temp, cut into cubes
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 185 ml coconut milk

Decoration

• Flaked coconut sweetened

Instructions

 

Chocolate Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl.
• Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat for 2 minutes to fully incorporate
• Pour batter evenly into prepared cupcake pans
• Bake 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean

Coconut Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• Combine sugar, egg whites, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer
• Place over simmering water (but not IN simmer water)
• Whisk by hand until sugar is completely dissolved
• Transfer bowl to mixer and beat until you reach medium peak consistency
• Slowly add butter one piece at a time
• At some point, the buttercream will look curdled and gross, THIS IS NORMAL DON'T PANIC
• Keep adding butter and beating the buttercream until you reach a silky smooth texture
• With mixer still running, slowly drizzle in coconut milk and whip until combined

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a comment below and tag @chocolateandconnie on Instagram.

Coconut Chocolate Cake

Servings 1 tall 10" cake

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  

• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp AP flour
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp cocoa
• 3 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cup strong black coffee
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Coconut Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

• 10 large egg whites
• 2 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 cups unsalted butter room temp, cut into cubes
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 185 ml coconut milk

Decoration:

• Flaked coconut sweetened

Instructions

 

For the cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl.
• Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat for 2 minutes to fully incorporate
• Pour batter evenly into prepared cupcake pans
• Bake 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean

Coconut Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• Combine sugar, egg whites, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer
• Place over simmering water (but not IN simmer water)
• Whisk by hand until sugar is completely dissolved
• Transfer bowl to mixer and beat until you reach medium peak consistency
• Slowly add butter one piece at a time
• At some point, the buttercream will look curdled and gross, THIS IS NORMAL DON'T PANIC
• Keep adding butter and beating the buttercream until you reach a silky smooth texture
• With mixer still running, slowly drizzle in coconut milk and whip until fluffy

Author: chocolate + connie

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a comment below and tag @chocolateandconnie on Instagram.