Good Luck Coconut Lemon Tea Cake

One of the reasons I love bundt cakes: I took the photo above just after I pulled the cake out of my bag, having carried it to work pressed against my body in an attempt to shelter it from heavy rainfall. Completely intact, still tall and proud in its plastic armor, there was nary a dent or flattened slope to be found.

Out of its raincoat, a safe arrival was even more apparent—as were the stuck-a-little to the pan markings...



All is not fair in cooking and baking.

But about the cake. It was a going away good luck gift for Katie, a wonderful co-worker who is moving to D.C. for love and marriage. When I asked her what flavors she likes, coconut and lemon were at the top of the list.

I decided on Dorrie's recipe (yes, again. I can't help myself. Next time, I'm opening another book. Promise) for Coconut Tea Cake:

From Baking from My Home to Yours

Oven: 350 degrees
Prepare a bundt pan

Heat 1 cup of canned unsweetened coconut milk (well-stirred) and four 1 tbsp. pieces of unsalted butter (1/2 stick) in a small saucepan until all is hot and the butter has melted. Remove from heat but keep warm.

Sift 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. baking powder and a pinch of salt and set aside.
Beat 4 large room temperature eggs with 2 cups of sugar for aprox. 2 minutes until pale and almost double in volume. Beat in 1 tsp. vanilla and the zest of 1 lemon.

Beat in the dry ingredients until they disappear then stir in 3/4 cup shredded coconut (I used unsweetened that I toasted, but sweetened can be used as well) followed by the milk/butter mixture. Mix until blended then pour into the pan and bake for 60-65 minute until the cake test comes back clean.

Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before releasing the cake to cool completely on its own.



Katie loved it and ate two slices. Other co-workers seemed to like it as well. I, on the other hand, didn't really care for it. The flavors were remarkably mellow for my taste (not enough lemon zest?) and I was surprised by the texture which reminded me of Angel Food Cake—light but, well, chewy is the only word that comes to mind.

I've been a blind baker most of my life, mindlessly following a recipe with no understanding of how the ingredients work together to create such different textures and flavors, especially with regards to the order in which they're mixed. I think the time has come to start paying more attention. To take notes. To go to cake summer school (me, lots of books and my kitchen).

It's going to be an interesting summer...