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Coconut Cake


Demetrius

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Does anyone have a great coconut cake recipe they would be willing to share. While participating in Tom Sietsema's chat this afternoon, someone asked about where to find the best one in town and his response was about a restaurant that charges twelve dollars a wedge.

I am relatively new to baking, but have had the opportunity to follow a few of the recipes that members have shared and am thus gaining new skills in the kitchen.

Thank you.

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Does anyone have a great coconut cake recipe they would be willing to share.  While participating in Tom Sietsema's chat this afternoon, someone asked about where to find the best one in town and his response was about a restaurant that charges twelve dollars a wedge. 

I am relatively new to baking, but have had the opportunity to follow a few of the recipes that members have shared and am thus gaining new skills in the kitchen.

Thank you.

Demetrius, I have a great recipe for coconut cake - I've been craving it, too, since reading TS earlier! - but I don't have time to post it right now. Check the cake thread later tonight, I'll post it there.

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Sorry, Smoky, but my most sincere and humble apologies for my smug, arrogant attitude with this post but there is not a slice of cake on the face of the earth better than the one whose recipe I am including. I'm also something of an expert on this having gained several thousand pounds on diets over my 59 years with most of these from things that were disgustingly fattening. Many of them, when I finished eating, I still said that despite the calories and (sometimes tears of self anger), I still said were worth it.

THIS IS THE BEST CAKE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH. And I have made it. And only this was worth the tears!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It ain't easy to make cause you're going to have to crack a fresh coconut or two.

This is the legendary (yes, legendary) fresh cracked coconut cake from K-Paul's in New Orleans, created by Marty his pastry chef since he opened in 1979. He only makes it on request and, even then, only when he is in the mood. After you make it once yourself you'll understand that the mood doesn't come very often. This is a real bitch to make.

My sister had a restaurant that Phyllis Richman called one of the 50 best in the city in the '80's, Helen's on 18th street. She is also a successful caterer and does EVERYTHING from scratch. I gave her this recipe twenty years ago and asked her to make it for Thanksgiving one year. She did. It tasted NOTHING like K-Paul's. Nothing. I asked her about it. She said, "well I changed a few things." Then with a smile, "actually quite a lot of things." She added staring me straight in the eyes, "You didn't REALLY expect me to make it from that recipe you gave me?" "It was four pages long!" When I didn't smile she then said "you're serious. You really think I have the time to bake something like THAT!"

Well.....yes. Actually.

So I made it myself. Fifteen years later when I was in the mood for a year 2000 New Years Eve party we hosted and wanted to do something really special.

I have not made it since.

This is a real bitch to make.

At Chowhound I made a similar post like this about five years ago. People, knowing that I am a salesman, assumed I was exaggerating. It REALLY couldn't be the ABSOLUTE BEST CAKE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH! Now REALLY.

But it is.

And a bunch of them, maybe 50 or more over the years, coerced Marty into making it at K-Paul's and everyone of them posted on Chowhound their reactions. Let me just say that for some, for a very few, it was the first real orgasm of their life. (Several of these few were quite old by the way! I understand one was thrown out of the assisted living home she was in for her salacious behavior after eating this.)

No bs. This is the absolute best. The recipe is from the Prudhomme Family Cookbook which is out of print but, of course, it is one of the 200+ cookbooks that I have. Also, you serve this on a "puddle" of Chantilly whipped cream which is heavy cream (read Lewes Dairy pasteurized here-Chef Paul uses a Louisiana cream which is pasteurized and similar to Lewes) with a bit of sour cream and laced with Courvoisier and Grand Marnier.

The recipe follows. If you make it CRACK A FRESH COCONUT OR TWO. Don't cut corners. Just remember, on Chowhound a number of senior citizens found happiness they never thought they would have in their lifetime-just from eating this.

MARTY'S FRESH CRACKED COCONUT CAKE FROM K PAUL'S LOUISIANA KITCHEN

K-Paul's Coconut Cake

What Paul Prudhomme refers to as 'coconut

milk' is not coconut milk as used in Asian cooking, but the clear

liquid found inside coconuts.

K-Paul's Coconut Cake

From the Prudhomme Family Cookbook

Coconut filling:

About 3 3/4 pounds fresh coconuts, or enough to yield 4 cups plus

2 tablespoons minced coconut meat, in all [be sure to reserve

coconut milk to make the glaze]

2 1/2 cups heavy cream-pasteurized

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 pound [2 sticks] unsalted butter

1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1/2 pound [2 sticks] plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and

cut into chunks

1 cup evaporated milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Coconut-milk glaze:

1 1/2 cups reserved strained coconut milk [or a mixture of coconut

milk and water]

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

2 [3-ounce] packages cream cheese, softened

1/4 pound [1 stick] unsalted butter, very soft

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon evaporated milk

1 [1-pound] box powdered sugar, [in all four cups]

For the filling:

Drain the milk from the coconuts by carefully making a hole in each

of the three eyes of the coconuts with a clean, new, and large nail,

an icepick, or a sharp, very sturdy knife point. Strain the milk

through cheesecloth or through a fine mesh strainer lined with a

paper towel and measure out 1 1/2 cups; if necessary make up the

balance with water. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Break coconuts into small pieces with a hammer. Peel the pieces and

remove the brown inner skin attached to the white coconut meat. Rinse

and drain coconut meat well, then process it in batches in a food

processor until minced. You will need 4 cups minced coconut for the

filling, plus 2 tablespoons to garnish the top of the cake. Set aside.

[use leftover coconut as a snack or in another recipe.]

In a heavy 5 1/2 quart saucepan or large Dutch oven, heat together the

cream, sugar, and butter over medium-high heat until mixture reaches a

boil, stirring frequently. Add the four cups of minced coconut, stirring

well. Cook until mixture reduces to 5 cups, about 15 minutes, stirring

almost constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the cornstarch. Place

pan over high heat, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the

vanilla and cook and stir about 1 minute. Remove from heat and continue

stirring a few seconds more. Cool slightly, then refrigerate until well

chilled. Note: filling will decrease in volume as it cools. Once it is

chilled, measure yield and divide by 5 to determine amount to use between

cake layers. Keep refrigerated until just before ready to use.

For the cake:

In a medium-size bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt;

set aside. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar and

eggs; beat on low speed until smooth, about 1 minute, pushing sides down

with a rubber spatula. Add the butter; beat on low until mixture is

creamy and light colored, about 3 minutes. Beat in the milk and vanilla.

Gradually add the flour mixture, about 1 cup at a time, beating after

each addition just until smooth and pushing sides down as needed. Then

beat on high speed for about 1 minute more, pushing sides down.

Spoon equal portions of the batter [a slightly mounded 1 cup] into six

8-inch round cake pans that have been greased and lightly floured.

Spread batter out evenly in the pans. Bake at 350 degrees F. on the

middle rack of the oven, 3 layers at a time, until centers spring back

when lightly pressed, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let

pans sit about 5 minutes, then loosen sides of cakes with a knife and

remove layers from pans to a wire rack. Bake the 3 remaining layers.

If re-using the same pans, first wash, re-grease, and lightly flour

them. Meanwhile make the glaze and frosting.

After the cake layers have cooled about 15 minutes, glaze one layer

by brushing glaze over the surface and on the sides with a pastry

brush, a little at a time and using one sixth of the glaze [about

2 1/2 tablespoons]. Make holes in the cake with a paring knife so

glaze can sink in. Immediately [before glazing another layer], spread

one fifth of the filling on top of the glazed layer, extending it to

about 1/2 inch from the edge. Then place another layer on top and

repeat procedure of glazing and spreading on filling until all the

layers are glazed and all but the top layer have filling spread on

them.

Let cake cool thoroughly, then frost top and sides. Sprinkle the

remaining two tablespoons minced coconut on top. Let sit 1 hour

before slicing.

Coconut-milk glaze:

Combine the coconut milk and the sugar in a 2-quart saucepan and

bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Continue

boiling until glaze reduces to 1 cup, about 5 minutes, stirring

frequently. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour into

a glass measuring cup and use glaze as directed in the recipe.

Makes 1 cup.

Frosting:

Combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and salt in a medium-size

bowl of an electric mixer; beat on high speed until creamy, about

1 minute. Turn speed to medium and beat in the milk and 1 cup of

the sugar, pushing sides down with a rubber spatula. Beat in the

remaining 3 cups sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing until smooth before

adding more. If the frosting becomes too thick for the mixer, do the

last bit of mixing with a spoon.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anybody that makes this or has had K-Paul's coconut cake in New Orleans please post on here. Or, if possible, invite me to your house to have a bite!

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This is the legendary (yes, legendary) fresh cracked coconut cake from K-Paul's in New Orleans, created by Marty his pastry chef since he opened in 1979.  He only makes it on request and, even then, only when he is in the mood. 

I made it myself.  Fifteen years later when I was in the mood for a year 2000 New Years Eve party we hosted and wanted to do something really special.

I have not made it since.

This is a real bitch to make.

Anybody that makes this or has had K-Paul's coconut cake in New Orleans please post on here.  Or, if possible, invite me to your house to have a bite!

Joe, this sounds wonderful - you really should think about making this to bring to the next picnic! <_<
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This is the legendary (yes, legendary) fresh cracked coconut cake from K-Paul's in New Orleans, created by Marty his pastry chef since he opened in 1979.  He only makes it on request and, even then, only when he is in the mood.  After you make it once yourself you'll understand that the mood doesn't come very often.  This is a real bitch to make.
Saturday morning I was leafing through the various recipes I'd printed out lately and came across this one... hmmm... I was not 100% set on what I was making for Easter dinner dessert, so I decided try this cake out to see if it lived up to its billing.

It really is a very, very good cake. It is also a very, very rich cake. And a very, very tall cake which makes it difficult to cut very, very small pieces.

Other than the pain of cleaning the fresh coconuts (and having a person in the house who is handy with a drill and a hammer definitely made that easier than it could have been), the rest of the cake was not terribly difficult to make. The fresh-coconut filling is excellent and worth the work. I'm not sure if I'll make the cake again (as written), but I will certainly make that filling again.

A suggested change to simplify things (don't worry JoeH, it isn't much of a change) is to skip the greasing and flouring of the cake pans and just line the bottoms with a parchment circle (which can be bought pre-cut in various diameters, if you don't want to bother with making them). When the cakes are done baking, cut around the edge of the cake with a thin knife, tip the cake out of the pan and peel off the parchment. Then, if you only have two or three pans, the remaining crumbs can easily be wiped out with a paper towel and you don't have to wash/dry/re-grease & flour the pans before baking the next batch of layers.

Thanks for posting this recipe JoeH! :)

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