The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert
“In downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Chef Lou Johnson works tirelessly to build her beloved yet struggling restaurant, Luella’s, into a success. She cheerfully balances business, friends, and fiance….until fate intervenes. She’s just baked her fiance a rich, delectable coconut cake, but when she drops by his apartment with the birthday surprise, she discovers him…with an intern.
Sardonic British transplant Al writes pseudonymous, scathing restaurant reviews for the local paper. When a tip sends him to Luella’s, little does he know he’s arrived on the worst day of the chef’s life. The review practically writes itself: underdone fish, scorched sauce, distracted service–he unleashes his worst.
The day that Al’s review runs, he meets Lou drowning her sorrows at a pub, and the two strike up a conversation. Accepting the Englishman’s challenge to prove there’s more to the Milwaukee food scene than cheese and beer, Lou introduces her new friend to the city’s best. It’s only a matter of time before they fall in love…but when the truth comes out, will it be possible to overlook the past and savor a future together?”
Am I the only one that has daydreamed of running a restaurant? I don’t mean for realsies. I mean, in the fantasy world where everything goes right and you get to serve all your faves and you become famous for great service, awesome decor, and fantastic food. Oh, and it’s super easy.
Yeah, Lou’s life doesn’t quite go that way as we enter the story. Bad timing (and a bad fiance) in her love life means that she screws up the dinner service right when this new restaurant critic decided to review her restaurant. Poor Lou. But you know what–not to spoil it–it all ends up okay.
Of course it does! This kind of book is like a Hallmark movie….and that’s not a dis. I totally see a place in this world for experiencing stories where the good guy wins, love overcomes tribulation, and the girl gets the guy. It’s enjoyable, warm-blanket fiction and I’m a fan. It’s not all I read, but I thoroughly enjoy it when it is well written….and this one is. And you know it will end well as soon as you read that description on the back of the book. Come on….you know it ends well….you just have to read the book to find out how.
This is not meant to be an extensive book review, by the way. I’m just sharing some thoughts. And one warning I will give you is that you will get hungry while reading this book! So just be ready for that. The pair goes all over Milwaukee for festivals, food stands, etc., and you find yourself wanting to book a trip to Milwaukee just to eat!!!
The coconut cake recipe in the book does NOT reflect the picture on the cover. Which was a little disappointing, to be honest, because I have been drooling over that pic from day one. But the finished product was super tasty and I’m excited to make it again. One thing I would do differently is not to use 9″ round cake pans, as the recipe suggests. I like thicker cake layers so I’ll use my 8″ pans next time.
I served this for some friends from church and one of them admitted that she’s not a coconut fan but really liked this cake. So, that’s pretty high praise if you ask me! Me? Anything coconut and I’m on board. But toasting coconut? Yeah, that’s a definite plus to this recipe. If you’ve never toasted coconut before, you’re in for a treat. It really brings out the flavor and, for some people, the “chew” of coconut straight out-the bag is not pleasant (doesn’t bother me) so toasting the coconut makes it a bit crunchy and more palatable for those who have the “chew” issue.
I hope you enjoy this recipe. If you end up reading the book, come back and tell me what you think. Oooh, even better…..give me an idea for my next Book Bite read! What foodie fiction books do you recommend?
Coconut Cake
- September 21, 2019
- 16 pieces
- Print this
Ingredients
- 5 large egg whites
- 3/4 cup cream of coconut
- 1/4 cup canned coconut milk (shake it up first)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. coconut extract
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder
- 3/4 tsp. table salt
- 12 Tbsp. butter, softened and cut into pieces
-
For the Frosting - 2 Tbsp. canned coconut milk
- 1 tsp. coconut extract
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 16 Tbsp. butter, softened
- 1/4 cup cream of coconut
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 cups toasted coconut
Directions
- Step 1
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 9″ round cake pans with butter or shortening, then line the bottoms with parchment paper or waxed paper.
- Step 2
- In a bowl, combine the egg whites, cream of coconut, coconut milk, whole egg, and extracts and whisk together until combined. Set aside.
- Step 3
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a mixer on low speed, beat in the butter, adding one piece at a time, until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs (this will take a little longer if you are using a hand held mixer).
- Step 4
- Increase the speed to medium and add a cup of the egg mixture and beat until its light and fluffy. Add the rest of the egg mixture in a slow and steady stream and beat until the batter is combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir by hand to make sure it’s all combined.
- Step 5
- Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs on it. This was 30 minutes for me, but it could need a few more minutes. Maybe try it at 25 minutes and see how it’s doing. Rotate the pans halfway through the cooking time in case you have a hot spot in your oven like I do.
- Step 6
- Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the cake. Place a cooling rack upside down onto one of the cake pans. Using hot pads carefully turn the rack/pan over so that the cake releases onto the rack. Repeat with the other cake layer.
- Step 7
- Cool completely before you frost them.
- Step 8
- To make the frosting:
- Step 9
- Stir the coconut milk, extracts, and salt together until the salt dissolves.
- Step 10
- Beat the butter and the cream of coconut in a large bowl at medium speed until its smooth. Reduce the speed a bit and slowly add the powdered sugar in, beating until smooth.
- Step 11
- Beat in the extract mixture and increase the speed to medium-high, beating till light and fluffy. This could take 5 minutes.
- Step 12
- Set one layer of the cake on a cake stand or plate. I always put a dab of frosting on the surface before I do this to “glue” the layer into place. Take about a cup of frosting and spread it over the top of that layer using an offset spatula. Sprinkle with some of the toasted coconut (the rest will be for the outside of the cake).
- Step 13
- Set the second layer on top of the first. Add the remaining frosting to the top of that layer and work it across and over the edges of the cake, smoothing it over the sides as you go. If you have a spinning cake stand it’s a lot easier.
- Step 14
- Take the remaining toasted coconut and press it into the top and sides of the cake. This will be a bit messy, but just keep picking up what falls and pressing it into the sides and top till it’s totally covered.
- Step 15
- Cut and serve. Or place under the dome of the cake stand/plate until ready to serve.
