Heart Shaped Coconut Tea Cake

My sweet sister in law gave me a fun heart shaped bundt pan for my birthday. She knows just what I like, one can never have too many cake pans, or bowls or serving dishes etc.

So when her daughter got married this cake was a perfect addition to the dessert table at her shower.

This cake looked great and tasted delicious. It is a recipe from Dorie Greenspan's, Baking From My Home to Yours. This is probably my all time favorite cookbook.

This coconut cake is moist, full of flavor and a perfect texture. I love glaze or frosting on most anything but this cake needs nothing. It stands on its own.

Serve it for breakfast, brunch or an afternoon snack. If you really want to dress it up fill the middle of the cake with fresh berries and top it with whipped cream. Dessert doesn't get much better. This cake keeps for several days, it improves with age (like me!)

Dories book has several variations but here is the recipe I made. It really is a winner.

Coconut Tea Cake

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

 pinch of salt

1 teaspoon ginger

1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk (stir well)

4 tablespoons butter, cut in 4 pieces

2 tablespoons orange juice

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups sugar

zest from one orange

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup shredded coconut

Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and ginger. Pour the coconut milk in a saucepan, add butter and orange juice, heat until the milk is hot and the butter is melted. Remove from heat but keep warm.

Rub the orange zest into the sugar, it will smell wonderful! Working with a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment beat the eggs and sugar at medium speed until pale, thick and almost double in volume, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer to low and add the dry ingredients just till mixed. Add the coconut then steadily add the hot milk and butter. Mix just until smooth.

Pour the batter  in a 10-12 cup bundt pan that has been sprayed with Pam for Baking. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a thin knife inserted deep in the center comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack for 10 minutes before unmolding.

The ginger is optional, I just love orange and ginger together. Lemon or lime zest/juice can be substituted for the orange.