Coconut Snack Cake

Happy Valentine's Day

Today is the perfect day to tell someone just how much they mean to you.  So - to all my loves out there (you know who you are) -- I love you.❤️  From the bottom of my heart - thank you to everyone of you who has played a role in my life.  Those of you who stayed only for a short season as well as those of you who have been in my life for a long time.  You are a part of my story and I'm grateful for each and every one of you.  

No big surprise here but, in case you've forgotten - I'll just remind you that food bloggers show love - with food.😅  It's our default.  If someone around me is sad or lonely - I cook for them.🥘  When a friend is having a birthday or celebrating something special - I bake.🥧  Ironically - I also cook as a form of stress relief for myself.  Whipping up a batch of warm, chocolate chip cookies is the best cure for a bad day, that I know of. 🍪🤣 

At the risk of diving way too deep into my psyche on a food blog - I feel like I should also confess that I'm much more comfortable preparing food than I am trying to come up with the right words to comfort someone. #sayitwithspaghetti 🍝😅  Lucky for me, the people closest to me -  understand my food language.  

With all that being said, I couldn't let Valentine's Day pass without baking a little gift for my better half.   This year I made something that I knew that he would love - coconut cake.  This delicious cake is absolutely loaded with coconut and smothered in smooth, cream cheese frosting.  And it's a smaller size - the perfect romantic dessert for two for Valentine's Day.   

Coconut Snack Cake
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups cream of coconut 
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
3/4 cup shredded coconut, toasted

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
4 Tablespoons coconut extract
​pinch salt

Whisk together sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. 

Whisk together cream of coconut, milk, eggs, butter, vanilla & coconut extract.

Gently whisk wet ingredients into flour mixture. 

Stir in 1/2 cup toasted coconut. 

Pour batter into a greased 8" square pan fitted with a foil sling. 

Bake 40 minutes at 350.  Cool completely.

Lift cake out of pan using sling. 

Process frosting ingredients in mixer until smooth.  

Spread frosting evenly over cake. 

Sprinkle with remaining coconut. 

Happy Valentine's Day love.  

​Ciao!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe