Coconut Cream Tres Leches Cake

Welcome to Christmas Week, a multi-blogger event co-hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Jen from Juanita's Cocina! Each day we will be celebrating the holidays with a different set of Christmas-themed treats, as well as a fabulous Christmas giveaway. We hope you enjoy this fabulous event. Tune in each day starting today, Monday, December 9th and ending Saturday, December 14th.

Ever since I participated in Christmas Week last year, I've been a little obsessed with the Tres Leches Cake. It is so easy to make, looks so complicated, and tastes terrific! So, how about a coconut version? For this, I just swapped out a few ingredients and added some coconut for a totally similar, yet different, Tres Leches Cake.

When I say it's easy, I mean it. Just whip it up in a big bowl and bake it in one 8" round pan.

Coconut Cream Tres Leches Cake

Printable Recipe

Cake Layer:

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 Eggs, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

1 Cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

Soaking Liquid:

1/2 of a (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup coconut cream

1/4 tsp vanilla

Frosting:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups shredded coconut

Raspberries or Sugared Cranberries for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.; grease and flour an 8 inch cake pan (using an 8" rather than a 9" pan will make it easier to split in half).

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Slowly add the buttermilk, mixing until well blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and cool for at least ten minutes before removing from pan. Carefully, cut the cake in half, horizontally. Place each half sliced side up on a rack to cool completely. While the cake is cooling, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, the half/half, and the coconut cream. Slowly pour the liquid over each half of the cake. Cover and chill for several hours.

When ready to assemble the cake, whip the cream until stiff, adding the powdered sugar. Place one of the cake halves on a serving plate, cut side up. Spread whipped cream over the top of the cake layer, and then top with the second cake half. Frost the top and the sides of the cake with the remaining whipped cream. Sprinkle the coconut on top of the cake and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Garnish with raspberries or sugared cranberries, if desired.   

Use a large serrated knife to slice the cake horizontally.

The coconut oil and the coconut cream make the cake layers a little more firm--moist, not soggy. Has anyone come up with a better term than "moist", yet?

Let's not forget the sugared cranberries--they make an awesome garnishment for so many things this time of year. Simply bring 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar to a simmer (make sure the sugar is dissolved, but don't boil...simmer). Place 1-2 cups of fresh cranberries in a bowl. Pour the hot sugar/water over the cranberries. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight.

When the cranberries are chilled, drain the liquid (save it, if you use simple syrup in your drinks), and roll the cranberries in fine sugar. Let them dry on a cookie sheet for at least one hour.

Visit all the other Christmas Week Peeps for more Holiday Baking Goodness:

Coconut Hot Chocolate and Chocolate Covered Spoons by Cravings of a Lunatic
Chocolate Shortbread Bars by Juanita's Cocina
Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
Frosted Sugar Cookies by Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
Peppermint Mocha Brownie Cookies by Chocolate Moosey
Holiday Pinwheels by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Cranberry Pistachio Eggnog Bark by See Aimee Cook
Chocolate Peppermint Donuts by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
Cranberry-Orange Gin Fizz by The Messy Baker
Pokey Fudge by Ninja Baking
Vanilla Wafer Holiday Bark by Dizzy Busy and Hungry
Peanut Butter n' Jelly Thumbprints by The Little Ferraro Kitchen
Buckeyes by My Catholic Kitchen
Coconut Cream Tres Leches Cake by The Dutch Baker's Daughter
Gluten-free Cinnamon Star Cookies by Masala Herb
Nanny's Pecan Pie by Food Lust People Love
Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies by Jen's Favorite Cookies
My Mother-in-law's Fudge by Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
Peppermint Brownie Pops by Home Cooking Memories
Chocolate Cherry Hazelnut Fudge by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
Flourless Peanut Butter Nutella S'Mores by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Cranberry Yogurt Cookies by Mom's Test Kitchen
Chocolate Pumpkin Bundt Cake by Liv Life
Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies by Try Anything Once Culinary
Peppermint Fudge by Like Mother Like Daughter

Today's #ChristmasWeek giveaway comes courtesy of Magimix by Robot-Coupe. Magimix has an impressive history, and is the inventor of the first food processor for home cooks. Their machines are still handmade in Burgundy, France, and they are the only company to manufacture their own motors which feature a 30 year guarantee! Chefs Catalog is offering a new, exclusive Magimix by Robot-Coupe 3200XL 12-Cup Food Processor package. The food processor features nested bowls, stainless steel blades, and a large feed tube. The included blender attachment transforms the processor into a fully-functional blender, and the citrus press is ideal for extracting juice from all types of fresh fruits. To enter, read the details and use the Rafflecopter below!

***This giveaway is for one Magimix by Robot-Coupe 3200XL 12-Cup Food Processor (in white)! This giveaway is open to Continental US residents only . When the contest concludes, the winner will be chosen by random draw. The winner will be notified through e-mail and they will have 3 days to respond or another winner will be chosen.***

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***Disclaimer: This giveaway is being provided by Magimix by Robot-Coupe. #ChristmasWeek bloggers have not received product or been compensated as a part of this giveaway.***

Lime and Coconut Blueberry Muffins

Do you ever watch Chopped? It's the show on Food Network where the contestants are given baskets with three mystery (and often odd) ingredients with which they must conjure up appetizers, entrees, or desserts within impossible time limits. It's fun to watch and I'm often amazed at the interesting dishes the contestants come up with in such a short time. It has occurred to me, however, the reason we're so attracted to this show is its similarity to our own experiences in the kitchen. Doesn't nearly every home cook have times where they must prepare a dish with whatever they have on hand and in a limited amount of time? If you're like me, it's an almost daily occurrence.

To give you an example, the other day I was faced with a pint of blueberries that had to be dealt with. I had procrastinated for the better part of a week and they had to be used up before they got wrinkly and gross...I hate to waste food. Now, it was early morning and I had to get ready for work...what to make quick? Muffins! 

A quick survey of the fridge and cupboard told me that I had the basics...flour, sugar, vanilla...there was a lime and some lime yogurt...oh yes...coconut, some coconut milk, and if I wasn't mistaken...coconut oil! I had a theme!

Luckily, I had some coconutty items from my recent trip to Trader Joe's. I could have easily subbed butter for the coconut oil, sour cream for the yogurt, and lemon for the lime....

Over the years, I've come to love these kitchen adventures. In fact, it has translated into a couple of hobbies, one being this blog and the other? Cooking contests! Yep, it all started with my obsession with getting into the Pillsbury Bake-Off. It was a lofty goal and it took me many years, but I did it! Holy cow was that an exciting event....so much so that I was concocting new recipes in my head on the plane ride home. While I didn't win a prize that time, I came home with a plethora of foodie friendships that I can't begin to put a price tag on.

To be honest, the friendships that I formed from that one experience began several months before I actually participated in the event. How? Because I became a member of Cooking Contest Central as soon as I had my entries in to Pillsbury, even before I found out that I was a finalist. 

I had been a member of CCC several years earlier, so I knew what it was all about and I wanted to be sure that I had all of the up-to-date information on the Pillsbury Bake-Off that year. What I didn't count on was all of the support from so many people, many of whom had already gone to the Bake-Off. Not only was I able to connect with people that had the same interest, I had access to all of the latest cooking/baking contests, and I had the ears of actual contest winners. I didn't expect to be swept up into so many different contests, but the best part was when I did find out that I was a finalist at the Pillsbury Bake-Off, I got to share that excitement with about 30 others who were also chosen! 

To share the contesting fun, Kristina over at CCC is allowing me give you a chance to win a 1 year membership to CCC! Simply enter through the Rafflecopter widget at the bottom of the page....you can "like" The Dutch Baker's Daughter and Cooking Contest Central on Facebook for a couple of entries or, if you don't have a Facebook account, just leave a comment telling me whether you prefer to enter cooking contests or baking contests. :) Easy.

Bloggers--you won't feel left out of CCC---there are special contests just for bloggers and you could gain a whole new audience!

And now for the muffins---they turned out to be so good!! 

Lime and Coconut Blueberry Muffins

Printable Recipe

3/4 cup sugar, divided

2 teaspoons freshly grated lime peel, divided

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1 pint fresh blueberries

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 (5-6 oz) container lime flavored Greek yogurt

6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.; line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.

2. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon lime peel; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, coconut, and remaining lime peel and sugar. Stir in the blueberries and set aside.

4. Add the milk, the egg and the yogurt to a large, microwave safe measuring cup. Use a fork to blend the mixture. Microwave for about 30 seconds, or just until the mixture is at room temperature; stir in the coconut oil and the vanilla. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and gently stir with a rubber spatula until just blended.

5. Spoon the batter into the lined muffin cups. Sprinkle the sugar/lime mixture over the tops of the muffins. Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Remove the muffins from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

Happy Contesting! :)

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Fish 'N Chips Cookies....#Improv

Betcha can't guess the theme for this month's Improv challenge. Fish and Chips! Don't you love it? Of course I had to figure out how to make a baked good using those two ingredients. Enter the lovely baked Goldfish crackers....

Improv is a monthly challenge for bloggers sponsored by Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker. Each month Kristen chooses two seasonal ingredients and we have our way with them. So far, Fish and Chips has been the most challenging for me. :)

Luckily, Kristen gives us some leeway. The challenge wasn't quite so hard when I could include some ingredients that weren't so...well, so fishy. I do love fish, but somehow tilapia doesn't sound quite right in a cookie. The chips part was easy for me. Besides the usual chocolate chips, I was ready to give some roasted coconut chips a try. Oh my. They are good! 

There are times when my husband wonders if I will ever make just a normal baked good. Everything has to have a twist with me. Last week, I was craving an ordinary chocolate chip cookie. While checking around for a good recipe (wow...there are hundreds (!)--I do have to try one of those sea salt and dark chocolate varieties....), I came across a really good one using coconut oil. The recipe, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, from The Cheeky Kitchen is awesome. It is the basis for the recipe I am going to share today.

Fish 'N Chips Cookies
Printable Recipe

1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup pretzel Goldfish crackers

1/2 cup roasted coconut chips (or shredded coconut)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F; line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.

Place the coconut oil and the brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

Add the flour mixture into the sugar mixture, stirring until well blended. Fold in the chocolate chips, Goldfish, and coconut chips.

Use a cookie scoop to drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the cookies are just golden. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.

So, I've been a little tired and forgot to set the timer on this batch. I call them "Blackened Grouper" cookies. They actually tasted really good...just a bit crunchy. 

Easiest fish I've ever prepared....no bones about it.

These cookies are really, really good. As I write this I am digesting the three that I had for dinner. They are just the right amount of chewy, salty, crunchy, and sweet. I heart them. 

Please check out what everyone else is making with Fish and Chips!

Coconut-Mango Banana Bread

I have to apologize for taking so long to actually post this recipe. As I continue with my "lifestyle" change, I'm learning to adjust my schedule to fit in some exercise and learn how to make recipes that aren't so empty of nutrition. Again, not to worry, my recipes will never be health food--just a little healthier, or meant to be eaten in moderation.

Lately, I've become somewhat of a mango fanatic. Seriously, where has this fruit been all of my life? I actually had to look up on the Internet how to slice it up, but it's really not so hard. Check out what the National Mango Board has to say about it:

I may have to find myself one of those mango slicers....

Aren't they beautiful?

At any rate, I decided to add some mango to my last batch of banana bread. Plus, since I bought a can of coconut cream awhile back and I had no idea what to make with it (truth be told, I didn't even have an idea of what kind of consistency it had), I thought coconut might give the bread a tropical feel...quite important here in Minnesota where there is no end in sight to the cold weather.

Sometimes it's all about using what's in the cupboard...

Coconut-Mango Banana Bread
Printable Recipe

3 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

4 very ripe bananas, slightly mashed

1 can (14 oz) coconut cream

2 eggs

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups chopped mango

1 cup finely chopped macadamia nut

1 cup coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. F; butter and flour two 9 X 5 X 3 loaf pans.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom; set aside.

Fit a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat the bananas, coconut cream, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla until well blended, about 2 minutes. Spoon the flour mixture into the banana mixture and beat on low speed until just blended. Stir in the chopped mango, macadamia nuts, and coconut.

Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Happy Eating!

Coconut Cream Pie

It was definitely time to make a treat at my house this week. Waiting to do our taxes until the very last minute was just the tip of the iceberg. I won't bore you with any details since everyone has a stressful week once in a while, but let's just say it was the kind of week that had to result in a cream pie of sorts.

Now, I'm a pretty big cream pie fan. I like them all--chocolate, banana, butterscotch---mmmm...could be my favorite dessert (next to something with berries). But there is a special place in my stomach for a nice Coconut Cream Pie...and I like it best with real whipped cream on top and a graham cracker crust. Here is my rendition:

Coconut Cream Pie 
Printable Recipe

Crust:

1 sleeve (18) graham crackers

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

6 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

1/2 cup flour or 1/4 cup cornstarch

1 cup sugar

3 cups milk or coconut milk

4 egg yolks, slightly beaten

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla (add a tablespoon of bourbon, if preferred)

1 cup coconut

Topping:

1 tablespoon coconut

1 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 ° F.

Place graham crackers and pecans in blender or food processor and pulse chop until mixture is fine. Stir in sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter and mix until incorporated.

The pecans and cinnamon add a little flavor to the crust. Swap out coconut oil for the butter, if you prefer.

Press graham cracker mixture into a 9" pie plate. Bake in preheated oven for 6-9 minutes, or until edges turn golden. Allow crust to cool completely.

In medium saucepan, whisk together the flour or cornstarch and the sugar. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Heat over medium heat until mixture starts to thicken and bubble. Beat 1 cup of the pudding into the egg yolks and then add the yolks to the pudding in the pan. Continue to cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter, vanilla, and coconut. Pour coconut pudding into the cooled crust, place plastic wrap on top of the pudding and chill for several hours.

I had no bourbon or coconut rum in the house, so I used Butterscotch Schnapps to flavor the custard. Holy Yum! 

Place one tablespoon coconut on a non-stick piece of foil and put in toaster oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown (watch carefully--it can burn quickly). Set aside.

Whip whipping cream with powdered sugar and vanilla. Top the chilled pie with the whipping cream and sprinkle with the toasted coconut.

Awww...go ahead. Make one for your mother. Better yet, make one for yourself and share with your mother. Isn't Mother's Day coming up?

Almond Joy Muffins

Everyone loves a candy bar, right?  One of my favorites consists of coconut, almonds, and chocolate. I also happen to like muffins. Should I combine the two? Silly me--I already did! These are the muffins I cooked up last weekend:

Coconut-Almond Muffins with Chocolate Chips (aka Almond Joy Muffins)

Printable Recipe

Topping:

1/4 cup whole, unsalted almonds

1/4 cup flaked coconut

2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Muffins:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 (6 oz) container coconut yogurt

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/2 cup coconut milk

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup flaked coconut

1 cup mini chocolate chips

For the topping, place the almonds and the coconut in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the almonds are roughly chopped. Pour the mixture into a small bowl and stir in the chocolate chips; set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. and line muffin pans with cupcake liners (there should be enough batter for 18).

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar; set aside.

My real inspiration for making these muffins was a container of my husband's favorite flavor of yogurt...he wondered where his last one went. 

Combine the yogurt, egg, and coconut milk in a microwave safe bowl or large measuring cup. Microwave on high for 20-25 seconds or until the mixture is at room temperature. Stir in the melted butter and the almond extract. Add the yogurt mixture, coconut, and chocolate chips to the flour mixture and gently stir with a wooden spoon or a spatula until just blended. Spoon the batter into the lined muffin cups. Sprinkle the topping evenly over each muffin. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. 

I used a cookie scoop to put the batter in the cupcake liners.

The coconut and almonds turn a toasty brown in the oven.

Good to the last bite!

I'm really liking the addition of yogurt in my muffins. Next time, I'm going to try one of my favorite flavors--Fig and Plum. What flavor would you like to see in muffin form?

No Bake Cookies

Another hot day in Minnesota. Give me a few months and I'll be complaining about the cold. To be fair, we've been setting some records for heat around here. The hard thing about it is that I hate the thought of turning on the oven to bake anything. But we need treats. What is a girl to do?

Luckily, I remember a recipe from my past. We won't mention how long ago I first encountered them, but I'm thinking we used to get these in the high school cafeteria for dessert. I know I did try to make them once when I was in college and they didn't turn out all that great...they were kind of grainy. The recipe I'm thinking about is a no bake cookie....aptly named No Bake Cookies.

Now, I didn't remember exactly how to make these things. I knew they had peanut butter, chocolate and oatmeal--and they tasted more like candy than cookies. You know those haystack candies that come in a box of bon-bons? Yes--those are the ones---these "cookies" remind me of the haystack candies. So, I did a little search on the Internet.....

You know what? There are about a thousand No Bake Cookie recipes out there. Yikes. I decided on the one from allrecipes.com for a couple of reasons. First, no less than 19,500 people have saved this version...wow....and second, there is some very good advice to be had from the comments.

So here is the recipe, with a link to my source:

No Bake Cookies

Printable Recipe

1 3/4 cups white sugar 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup butter 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 cup peanut butter (I used smooth) 3 cups quick cooking oatmeal 1/2 cup shredded coconut (this is optional) 1 teaspoon vanilla In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let cool until hardened.

Something I learned from all of those comments on allrecipes.com.....get all of those ingredients together. Once the mixture boils, there isn't much time to get everything in there.

The recipe says to drop by teaspoons. That seemed tiny to me, so I used my cookie scoop. Much easier, no?

Check out this pan. My sister found it and gave it to me when she was downsizing. It comes from my dad's bakery. I heart this pan....

One of the suggestions was to add coconut. I did this.

And the best suggestion...the key to them not being grainy or crumbly....bring the mixture to a full boil and set your timer for 1 1/2 minutes. Perfect!

There you have it. Treats for a hot Minnesota day. Enjoy. 

Coconut Cake

I have a fear of layer cakes. There—I said it. They always turn out lopsided and ugly. And don’t even talk to me about fondant. I can just imagine the crazy mess I would make with that. So today, I took on my fear of the layer cake (we’ll leave the fondant alone for awhile). This project has actually been in the making now for a good three weeks. My husband, you see, really likes layer cakes. They taste better, he says. Thus far, I’ve avoided the situation, but when we watched an episode of Bobby Flay’s Throwdown a few weeks ago, I was toast. In this particular episode, Bobby was making a coconut layer cake, and did it look spectacular! Pete wanted me to make that layer cake and, frankly, I was ready to give it a try.

The first thing I did, of course, was to print out the recipe from the Food Nework’s website. I knew I was in trouble when 3 pages of instructions printed out. Bobby, it seems, doesn’t skimp on quality or perfection. I was ready for the challenge, however, so we set about shopping for some ingredients.

The first things I needed to buy were some cake pans. How embarrassing that The Dutch Baker’s Daughter didn’t have something as basic as a 9” cake pan (I’m tellin’ ya—I avoid layer cakes). Given the complexity of this recipe, I actually needed more than a few things. Coconut milk, coconut rum, whole vanilla beans, cake flour…..this was becoming a pricy proposition. Every time I brought a new ingredient home, I would look over the recipe and find something else I didn’t have. So, three weeks later, I was ready. Little did I know that this endeavor would take an entire day….

For fear of this blog post becoming longer than necessary, let me post a link to the actual recipe:

Throwdown's Toasted Coconut Cake with Coconut Filling and Coconut Buttercream

Step one was the toasted coconut: In the oven for 8-10 minutes, so far this was easy.

Next came the custard filling. Believe it or not, I have never used whole vanilla beans before. I found these at HomeGoods for half of the price. Scraping out the seeds is easy, but I had to fish out the rest of the bean from the milk mixture. Oops.

This custard uses whole milk, coconut milk, and coconut flavored rum.

While the custard was chilling, I made the cake. This was a basic white, vanilla bean cake. I used six egg whites and a stick and a half of butter. Butter is a theme with this cake.

Bobby's recipe had me coating the pans with butter, flour and parchment paper. Given that the pans were non-stick, I think I went a little overboard. Crazy glue wouldn't have stuck to these pans.

They did turn out all pretty though, didn't they?

Next came the custard filling. This was made by simply beating half of the chilled custard with some heavy whipping cream.

The slicing of the cakes stressed me out just a little, but all was good. I used a long serrated knife. Earlier, I made a simple coconut syrup with water, sugar and coconut. This was spread over each of the layers to keep the cake moist. I really need one of those silicone basting brushes.

Four layers!! Can you believe it? So far, so good. What I've noticed about this recipe is that the cakes don't have the domed tops that some of my cakes have had in the past.

The buttercream frosting was easy. I just beat together the remaining custard with three sticks of butter and some powdered sugar. It was a rather stiff buttercream and it was easy to spread over the cake.

The toasted coconut pretty much coated the entire cake. Any imperfections are covered up with this step.

Success!

I was very happy with the results. Would I make it again? Only for a special occasion. This is a great cake, but time consuming and a little pricy. Still, I think I conquered my fear. Someday I may try fondant.....