Easter (Optional) Coconut Lime Cake with 12 Minute Coconut Frosting and Peeps

I Went a Little Peep Crazy...

Since my family planned on eating out this Easter, I decided to do something a little extra special for dessert. My inspiration for this cake came from the winner of the ultimate recipe challange on the food network. The name of the original recipe is Put the Lime in the Coconut Cake. The cake sounds delicious as is, but my brother in law is lactose intolerant, so I changed the recipe to make it lactose free.

The cake turned out delicious. It was very dense and super, super moist, which I guess was due in part to the lime glaze. I decorated it in two ways to show how versatile this cake can be...Fun and colorful or soft and sophisticated. You decide.The only bonehead thing I did while making this recipe is that I colored an entire bag of coconut with green food coloring, not realizing that I only needed about 1/2 a bag. So now I'm trying to figure out what to make with the rest of the green grassy looking coconut. Got any ideas?

Easter Optional Coconut Lime Cake with 12 Minute Coconut Frosting and Peeps
Lactose-Free Version by Mixed Salad Annie

13 Tbs. margarine (Fleishman's unsalted is lactose free)
3 Tbs. coconut oil (If you don't have coconut oil, increase margarine to 16 Tbs.)
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup lite coconut milk

Coconut-Lime Glaze

1/2 cup sugar
1 large lime, zested and juiced
3/4 cup coconut milk
2/3 cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut

12 Minute Coconut Frosting

3 egg whites
1/3 cup cold water
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
Dash of salt
1 tsp. coconut extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Several drops green food coloring (optional)

1/2 - 14 oz. bag sweetened shredded coconut
Several drops green food coloring (optional)
Peeps, chicks and bunnies (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease 2 (9-inch) cake pans. Cut 2 round parchment disks to fit 9 inch cake pans. Place the disks on the bottom of the greased pans. Grease disks and flour pans. Shake out excess.

In an electric mixer or using a hand beater, cream butter, coconut oil and sugar until light and fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Add eggs 1 at a time.

Place the flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture alternately with the coconut milk to the butter sugar mixture in 3 batches, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Do not over mix.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bang the pans on the counter top several times to remove any air and to distribute the batter evenly in the pan. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes rotating pans halfway through.

Allow to cool 10 minutes hen remove and transfer to a cooling rack; cool completely.

For Glaze: In a medium bowl combine sugar, lime zest and juice, coconut milk and shredded coconut. With a bamboo skewer, poke holes in cake and spread glaze on tops both cakes. Cover with plastic wrap, chill until ready to frost cake, preferably overnight.

For Frosting: Place the egg whites, sugar, water, cream of tartar and salt into a medium size-mixing bowl. Set bowl over a pot of simmering water; do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water. Begin beating with a hand mixer set to low speed. Beat for 1 minute; increase the speed to medium and continue to beat until frosting is stiff and holds soft peaks (about 10 minutes). Remove bowl from the heat and add coconut and vanilla extracts and the green food coloring, if desired; beat an additional minute. Set aside to cool.

Add the food coloring to the coconut and mix well until evenly colored. Frost cake. Coat top and sides with green shredded coconut. Decorate with peeps if desired.

Do You Know The Muffin Man?

I Think He Retired... So I Made My Own!

A few weeks ago, I was on The Cookbook Junkies blog and she had made the most delicious looking orange berry muffins. She got the recipe from Dorie (I can't remember her blog name) but I've been there before and enjoyed it.

Anyway, I decided to make a version of that recipe and the low-fat blueberry muffin recipe from America's Test Kitchen that I usually make. Only this time I used 5 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil instead of 4 tablespoons of butter and I added more blueberries. The turned out really good.

Orange Blueberry Muffins

1 1/2 cup blueberries*, washed and dried
2 cups plus 1 Tbl. all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites (from large eggs)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 Tbls. canola oil
5 Tbls. virgin coconut oil, melted and cooled
3/4 cup nonfat buttermilk
Grated zest and juice of 1 small to medium orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*Double wrap the blueberries in freezer bags and freeze for at least an hour or overnight, as frozen ones won't all sink in the batter. Don't take them out until the batter is made and oven is preheated.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl.

In a medium bowl, run the sugar and orange zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of orange is strong. Whisk egg whites and brown sugar together until thoroughly combined. Gradually whisk in melted coconut oil and canola oil, then buttermilk, orange juice and vanilla until well blended.

Fold into dry mixture with rubber spatula (a few streaks of flour should remain).
Remove blueberries from freezer and toss with remaining tablespoon flour in small bowl. Gently fold blueberries into batter, being careful not to break berries.
Distribute batter in muffin tin and bake until light golden brown and toothpick or skewer inserted into center of muffin comes out clean, 25 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.

Chocolate Crispy Rice Treats

I finally used up my box of cereal!! And these treats are really yummy. Instead of butter or margarine, I used virgin coconut oil. (YUM.) It is really tasty in baked goods too! I know, it is very high in saturated fat, but the it's the kind of saturated fat that is more easily burned off. Plus it has many other health benefits. For more information and to see if it is right for you visit Earth Clinic.

Chocolate Crispy Rice Treats

5 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
1/3 cup dutch cocoa
3 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
7 cups crispy rice cereal
2/3 cup Coconut, dried, shredded & unsweetened
9 x 11 baking dish lightly sprayed with cooking spray

1. Sift cocoa powder in a large bowl. Stir in cereal and dried coconut.
2. Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan over a low flame. Add the marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
3. Stir dry ingredients into coconut oil/marshmallow until well mixed.
4. Press mixture into prepared 9 x 11 baking sheet with a piece of waxed paper.
5. Cut into squares once completely cooled.