March 9, 2012

egg me on – coconut lime cake w peanut dust

Asia, asian, cakes, fruit, nuts, pies/tarts
egg me on – coconut lime cake w peanut dust

When the farm stand where I get my eggs ran a special—three dozen at seventy five cents off per carton—I couldn’t resist. I usually get two dozen per week, so another dozen would just lead to some new baking adventures.

Between breakfast, baking, and other meals, I can easily use up two dozen eggs a week. The temporary special, however, got me whipping eggs, yolks, and whites non-stop. So far, I’ve made Meyer lemon curds, orange curds, and lots of egg salads. Before the discount ended, I had made cakes, cakes, and more cakes (see future posts). Yet, there are still eggs.

Coconut and lime have always been a favorite pairing of mine. Not only can I use the “good’ coconut oil in lieu of canola or vegetable oil for the recipe, it gives off tons of . . .“coconut realness,” as that arbiter of authenticity RuPaul would say. The zingy lime zest grabs your attention, while the coconut sits in the background ready to jump into the spotlight.

For this cake, I added a dusting of peanut powder. The peanuts recall our visit to Penang Island where we tasted a crepe filled with a combination of peanuts, corn, and sugar. They were something intriguing to find in a crepe. When we returned from that trip, the first thing I made was a Coconut Tart with Brown Sugar Glazed Peanuts as a reminder of Penang.

Though Coconut-Lime Cake with Peanut Dust doesn’t requires many eggs, it did get me excited, so stay tuned for more eggy desserts.

Print Recipe

Coconut-Lime Cakes w Peanut Dust

Yield: 6 mini cakes

Ingredients:

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1/2 cup (3-1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lime zest, finely grated
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil, plus more for coating pan
  • 2/3 cup (2-3/4 ounces) cake flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
  • 1/4 cup peanuts, toasted
  • 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325℉. Brush six  mini tube pans with coconut oil.

2. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk eggs, yolk, granulated sugar, lime zest on medium -high speed until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add oil in a slow, steady stream, until combined, about 30 seconds.

3. Whisk flour, salt, and baking powder, and unsweetened coconut in a small bowl. Fold into egg mixture in 3 additions. Divide batter evenly among pans, and bake until light gold and testers inserted into centers come out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire racks and let cool completely.

4. In a mini food processor, add peanuts and confectioners’ sugar, pulse until peanuts are mostly in powder (don’t worry if there’s still a few nut crumbles left). Sprinkle peanut dust over cakes with a small strainer. You can also add some of the larger peanut crumbles on top as well. Serve.

 

Asia, asian, cakes, fruit, nuts, pies/tarts
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