Coconut cake with berries and cream

Summer birthdays can pose a bit of a problem (says the one born in November). Not a problem when it comes to celebrating of course, but when it comes to cake. Summer temperatures, or the overbearing, shirt-soaking heat we've had this summer, can wreak havoc on iced birthday cakes. So what to do? Give up and skip dessert altogether? Don't be ridiculous! The answer is an easy, tasty cake you can serve cold.

This one fits the bill nicely. It's a coconut cake full of moist coconutty goodness. It's a variation on a tres leche cake, substituting in coconut milk for the evaporated milk. The end result is delicious and unlike anything I've had before. I made it for my brother's birthday at the cottage this year (as he's a fan of coconut). It was a hit with all the toddlers, middle-agers and seniors who present at the party.

Let's get started....

Mix up your cake batter, which is essentially a sponge cake. The difference is the coconut. The original recipe calls for 1/3 cup of unsweeted coconut, which wasn't enough, in my opinion. The second time I made this cake, I used sweetened coconut, and upped the quantity to 3/4 cup.

While the cake bakes, you get your 'milks' ready.

This is how the cake looks when it comes out of the oven.

Poke several holes in the cake before you pour over your milks, so the liquid can soak in. It might take a while, but eventually it'll seep in. Yum!

And here's the finished product. You can top with more whip cream if you like, but it's not necessary. Don't skip on the berries though -- raspberries and peaches are especially nice.

Coconut cake with berries and cream
From Martha Stewart Living

• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for pans
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup flaked unsweetened coconut, toasted and finely ground
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 cups heavy cream, divided
• 1 can (13.75 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 3 cups mixed fresh berries (about 12 ounces), for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 9-by-13-inch glass baking pan. Whisk together egg whites, baking soda, and salt in a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment on medium speed, until soft peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes.
2. Add egg yolks to egg-white mixture, and whisk until completely combined. Gradually add sugar, and whisk until combined. Fold in butter and coconut with a rubber spatula.
3. Sift 1/4 cup flour onto mixture; fold to combine. Repeat with remaining flour, folding in 1/4 cup at a time. Pour batter into pan; bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, whisk together 1 cup heavy cream, the coconut milk, and condensed milk. As soon as cake is removed from oven, pour cream mixture over cake. Let cake cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cover cake with plastic wrap, and refrigerator at least 5 hours and up to 8 hours.
5. Just before serving, whisk remaining cup heavy cream until soft peaks form, and spread over cake. Serve with mixed berries.

Pina colada pops

I'm parched! That's what my lawn would say if it could talk. That's it above. That straw-like mass of deadness, void of any colour except for the few weeds and shoots from my tree that surely would withstand the apocalypse.

So it's very dry and very hot here in Ottawa, as it has been for much of the country. I'm not alone in suffering with thirsty lawns and brittle plants, but I bet I am unique in my cool down recipe presented for you here.

Do you like pina coladas? Do you like getting caught in the rain? Nevermind. If your answer to the first question was yes, then I'll be you'll love a pina colada frozen in a handy popsicle form. These are a breeze to throw together and fun to have on hand in your freezer.
A quick segue first though: I'm a fan of the pina colada, I must admit. But they're something I only associate with being on vacation, and I don't think I've ever had one in Canada. To me, they're a drink best enjoyed lounging on a beach or by a pool while lounging under the Caribbean sun.

Having said that, the best pina colada I ever had wasn't served near a beach at all. It was in the hills outside Havana, Cuba at a pit stop travelling from Varadero into the capital. Mid-way through the four-hour trip, our van pulled into this rather ramshackle cafe/gas station/bar so we could all get out and stretch our legs and use the toilets (after paying for square of toilet paper). The bus driver encouraged us to get a pina colada while we were there, and our arms didn't need much twisting at all. We lined up and the staff behind the bar got to work cutting meat from fresh coconuts and adding it to a blender with fresh pineapple and a generous amount of rum. After a few minutes in the blender with some ice, out came a thick, rich drink, so substantial the straw stood upright on its own. It was very much like drinking a coconut milkshake, and we happly slurrped and gobbled down every last bit, while sitting on the patio, overlooking the fields of agave and enjoying some Cuban music.

These pops aren't quite the same, but they do evoke a nice memory.

Start by roughly chopping fresh pineapple and throwing it in your blender. I used almost a whole fresh pineapple (bought peeled and cored) to get the 3 cups needed. Add in your water, sugar (I used honey instead), water and RUM. That's right -- these pops have booze in them. So good.

Whiz everything up and then strain through a fine sieve so the resulting pops will be clear. This step takes some time, but it's worth it.

Pour into the popsicle moulds and let freeze. These took just a few hours because they're so small.

And your patience will be rewarded with this: a frozen rendition of a tropical treat.

Piña Colada Ice Pops

makes 7-8 pops
recipe from Gourmet Magazine and found on Shutterbean.com

• 3 cups chopped fresh pineapple (14 ounces)
• 1/3 cup well-stirred canned unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons superfine granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup light rum

Purée all ingredients in a blender until smooth, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup, pressing on and then discarding solids. Pour into molds. Freeze 30 minutes. Insert sticks, then freeze until firm.

Sweet Potato Soup

So, when I went away on holiday it was summer. No jackets, sandals -- the whole bit. Then I go away for two weeks, and suddenly it's fall! Long sleeves and sweaters and seeing your breath in the morning. Yuck!

Anyway, the change in season does mean I start thinking about cooking stews and soups and roasted veggies. I started this weekend with this. It has a really complex flavour, and the recipe makes tons, which means lots of frozen soup to take in my lunches over the next few weeks.

Like any good soup, it start off with softening some onions in butter. Hard to beat that smell!

The only really taxing part of the whole recipe is chopping the six cups of sweet potato. But they're actually pretty easy to peel, because they're relatively hard. I used about four smallish potatoes to get the required amount, but if you get the enormous ones (that are almost as big as your forearm) you may well only need two.

Check out my new knife. I bought it a while ago at Ikea and it's my new favourite. It's well balanced, has a good weight and is super sharp. I think it was $16, or something quite reasonable. It's joined on my knife rack by my second favourite knife, also from Ikea, which I've had since university.

Fresh lime juice makes a real difference in this soup. I always add more than the recipe calls for, because when Farm Boy has them at five for 99 cents, you have to use them up!

And here's the finished product. The coconut milk makes this really creamy, without tasting too rich. And you get a nice kick and heat from the ginger and hot sauce, and the lime balances it all out. Very tasty, and a pretty colour as well!

Sweet Potato Soup (from Anna Olson's Fresh)

2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
1 1/3 cups (325 mL) diced onion
6 cups (1.5 L) peeled and diced sweet potato
2 tbsp (30 mL) grated fresh ginger
1 can (14-ounce/398 mL) coconut milk
3 to 4 cups (750 ml –1L) chicken stock
2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh lime juice
salt and pepper
dash cayenne pepper or hot sauce (optional)
1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh coriander leaves
1/2 cup (125 mL) plain yogurt

Directions:

Melt butter in a large saucepot over medium heat and cook onion 3-4 minutes to soften, but not browned.

Add sweet potato, ginger, coconut milk and 3 cups of stock. Simmer 25 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender. Purée until smooth with a hand blender, add remaining stock if soup is too thick. Stir in lime juice and strain (straining is optional). Return to heat and season to taste.

Ladle into bowls and top with coriander leaves and a swirl of yogurt. Soup can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature.

Stay tuned for pictures from my trip. Just have to get all the photos sorted!