Eid-ul-Adha Special: Toasted Coconut & Cherry Glazed Vanilla Cake!

Toasted Coconut & Cherry Glazed Vanilla Cake 

For many days, I wanted to bake a cake using coconut flakes. Eid-ul-Adha gave me a good opportunity to experiment with the flakes and guess what, my guests loved it! Looking forward to try macaroons with coconut flakes next time. Until then, enjoy this super-easy but exotic dessert for your dinner party! 

Ingredients 

For Cake: 

- 2 cup all purpose flour 

- 1 teaspoon baking powder

- 1 cup milk

- 1 teaspoon salt (optional)

- 1/3 cup vegetable oil 

- 3 large eggs (room temperature) 

- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

- 1/2 drops of food color (I have used yellow and pink)

For Coconut & Cherry Topping:

- 1 1/2 cup shredded coconut (sweetened) 

- 1 cup Fresh cherries

- 2 tbsp sugar 

- 2 tbsp water

For Whipped topping: 

- 2 cup heavy cream 

- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 2 tablespoon confectioner's sugar 

Process: 

1. Preheat the oven at 350 F. 

2. Stir together all the dry ingredients listed for the cake and keep that aside. 

3. Now in a separate bowl,  add milk,  oil, eggs and vanilla and combine them all.  Next, add the dry ingredients (step-2) slowly into this mixture. If you are wishing for bi-color cake, separate the batter in two pans, mix yellow food color in one and pink in another. 

4. In a greased 9 inch pan, pour one colored batter and bake for about 30-35 minutes. Baking time varies on the pan size so keep an eye when 25 minutes are over. Insert a toothpick and if that comes out clean, your cake is ready. Rest is aside to cool. Next, bake the other colored batter in the same way. 

 

6. Toast the coconuts either on stove top or in oven using a baking sheet. Please hit this link: http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/how-to-toast-coconut/ to know more about how to toast the coconut flakes.

                    

7. Now add fresh cherries, sugar and water in a pan and start making a syrup. Don't make it of too thick consistency. 

8.  In a bowl, beat heavy cream until it forms stiff peaks. Now add vanilla and sugar. Don't over beat it, then it will become like butter. Your whipping cream topping is now ready!

9. It is the fun time now. Spoon over whipped cream over one color battered cake, drizzle some toasted coconut flakes if you want. Now cover it with another cake as a lid. Pour remaining whipped cream all over the top and on the sides of the cake. Dust with generous amount of coconut flakes, don't worry if they start dropping. Most of it will stick to your cake.
         

10. Last but not the least, pour the cherry glaze over the cake and refrigerate it for 3-4 hours. I made it a day before Eid, and the next evening, it tasted divine!    

                 Finally, don't forget to save a slice for yourself... ;)

Let me know how did you like the recipe! Happy Baking! :)