Carrot cake, I have found, is an intensely personal taste. There are those on the side of nuts, and those against. The pineapple people and the anti-pineapple people. The cream cheese frosting advocates and the buttercream brigade. I am not ambivalent in my preferences, but not nearly as persnickety as some. I like carrot cake that is moist and full of flavor, with carrots at the forefront. I’ve tried almost every version imaginable to please various factions, but when I create a recipe I do it with my own preferences in mind, like this Carrot Ginger Bundt Cake. I love the idea of a carrot cake with coconut milk for flavor and moistness, and I was inspired to create a pretty white and fluffy version by some pastel Easter candy. I love the idea of filling the center of a perfect Easter cake with a special treat that spills in a tumble out when the cake is sliced.
The insane amount of candy available at Easter is astounding, easily rivalling Christmas and Halloween these days. And I’ll admit, I am tempted. I am a sucker for the specialty seasonal treats (carrot cake kisses, anyone?) and many of the Easter variety are terribly cute. I’ve used little candy coated mini eggs as decoration on a number of things as an afterthought, but this year I found some shimmer eggs that were just too beautiful to pass by (there from Cadbury). The fluffy coconut coating on the cake makes a lovely spring dessert, and you could certainly serve it at any time without the candy eggs.
Carrot Coconut Cake
For the Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
4 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups grated carrots (about 2 large)
½ cup sweetened shredded coconut
For the Glaze:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
6 – 8 Tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
Pastel candy Easter eggs, such as Cadbury Mini Eggs (about 2 bags)
For the Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 12-cup tube or Bundt pan with baking spray, such as Bakers’ Joy.
Stir the flour, baking powder, spices and salt together in a bowl to combine. Place the melted butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until pale, light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the dry ingredients alternately with the coconut milk, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until the batter is thoroughly combined and smooth. Add in the grated carrots and coconut until combined. Give the batter a good stir with a spatula to make sure the carrots are evenly distributed, then scoop the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 60 – 70 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes with few moist crumbs clinging to it. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Place a piece of parchment or foil under the rack to catch drips when you glaze the cake to make clean up easy.
For the Glaze:
Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl and whisk in the coconut milk until you have a thick, spreadable glaze. Use a spoon to drizzle and spread the glaze over the top and down the sides of the cake. As you drizzle, cover the glaze with the shredded coconut, lightly pressing it into the glaze with clean fingers. You want a generous layer of coconut on the top and some of the sides of the cake. Leave the cake uncovered for a few hours to let the glaze and coconut set.
Transfer to a serving platter and fill the center with
Serves 12
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