One Final Recipe for 2009

I’d planned on a few final words on resolutions, as if you haven’t heard enough about those lately. But then I realized December/the year/THE DECADE is just hours away from being over and I haven’t shared a recipe! What is this blog coming to anyway?

Then I thought wouldn’t it be nice if I shared all the HEALTHY snacks we’ll be sitting around the fire enjoying tonight as we get ready for the ball to drop into a new decade?
Well…um…I don’t have any. I’d be lying if I said we’d be tantalizing our tastebuds with bleu cheese and candied pecan-topped endive spears, arugula kissed by balsamic glaze, etc. Actually the plan is to see a movie (Princess and the Frog and Alvin and the Chipmunks are the current front runners), hit The Cheesecake Factory for an early dinner, then hunker down in front of the fire with popcorn, s’mores and the like.

What I can share though is a standout recipe that was actually a grand slam last New Year’s eve. I made it for a birthday party and it was sitting in the fridge. Turns out we ran into our neighbors at Chili’s on New Year’s Eve, they invited us over, so I stopped at home, grabbed the cake and we all enjoyed it. It is decadent and divine, in a citrusy Key West sort of way. I’ll be honest, it’s complex to make (for me anyway) and there’s a heart-stopping quantity of butter involved (that’s why you need to SHARE it) but it’s worth every minute.

I wish I could take credit for this one but I can’t. It’s actually an Ultimate Recipe Showdown Winner from the Food Network, submitted by Doreen Howarth. Enjoy and Happy New Year!

Put the Lime in the Coconut Cake
1C Butter
2C Sugar
1t Coconut oil
4 Eggs
2-1/2C Flour
1/2t Salt
1t Baking Soda
1/2t Baking Powder
1C Coconut Milk
Glaze:
1C Sour Cream or Yogurt
1C Sugar
2 Limes, zested and juiced
1/4C Coconut Milk
1C Shredded Coconut
Frosting:
1C Butter
4 oz Cream Cheese
1Lb plus 1C powdered sugar
1/4C Coconut Milk
1t Vanilla
2C Shredded Coconut

Preheat oven to 350 F and grease two 9″ cake pans.
Cream butter and sugar til fluffy. Add coconut oil and eggs 1 at a time. In a mixing bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda and powder. To mixer, add coconut milk and flour to creamed mixture alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Pour batter into pans and bake 25-28 minutes.
Allow to cool 10 minutes then remove from pans and let cool completely.

For glaze: Combine sour cream or yogurt, sugar, lime zest and juice, coconut milk and shredded coconut.
With a bamboo skewer, poke holes in cake and spread glaze on both sides of both cakes. Cover with plastic wrap, chill until ready to frost cake.
Beat together butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add powdered sugar gradually at low speed. Beat in coconut milk and vanilla. Frost cake. Coat top and sides with shredded coconut.
Serves 10-12.


Finally, here’s a recap of the other recipes I’ve shared in these pages over the past year.
Runners’ Banana Bread
Gazpacho
Roasted Sweet Potato Soup
Whole Grain Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars
Chocolate Chip Sandwich Cookies with Marshmallow Cream
Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Roasted Acorn Squash with Bacon