How Do You Make A Coconut Cake When You Hate Coconut?

Baking By HootersAlicia Updated 7 May 2013 , 8:25pm by kakeladi

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HootersAlicia Posted 7 May 2013 , 4:36am
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I've become much more open about foods over the course of my years, but I absolutely hate everything about coconut; the smell, the taste, the texture...everything.  Unfortunately my friends love it and want me to make them a coconut wedding cake.  They actually describe the cake as "coconut cream cake" with lemon frosting (the same frosting as filling too) but after looking at recipes I don't know if a cream cake would be very good for a four-tier cake.  They also want coconut flakes covering the cake as the decoration.  So, how do I go about this?  Can I make a four-tier coconut cream cake or should I just go for coconut cake?  I'd like to get a recipe nailed down before the wedding at the end of June, but I don't want to make a bunch of cakes I don't want to eat, let alone even taste.  I have a few people who are willing to taste them for me, but they just love whatever I give them.  

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urbangrl2007 Posted 7 May 2013 , 4:46am
post #2 of 8

haha. Well, my first thought that I have to keep telling myself when I get to something like this, "Suck it up buttercup!". There's some things at work that I'm not a fan of, yet you get paid to do it. I had to make a German Chocolate cake for a friend once, and like you, I'm not a fan of coconut. However, I made it. 

 

How ever. I'd would do a vanilla cake (if you have access to vanilla beans or vanilla paste, use it!! Add a little more of the vanilla cream to it), then add coconut extract. I don't know your sources for cake making, but Amoretti makes an amazing Coconut Cream extract that I love using. And yes...I don't like coconut! When I was reading this, I envisioned the cake with the extract, a lemon filling, then a white icing that you could also add the coconut extract to. You had mentioned a lemon frosting as the filling and outer frosting...what about a lemon filling, curd type lightened w/ whipped cream, then a lemon butter cream? Different texture, colors, so it's not just all white. Unless however, that's what was ordered. What ever the customer ordered. icon_smile.gif

You could add flaked or desicated coconut around the base of each tier for decoration. Maybe comb the sides? Or a fancy piping design? You could definitely make it work. Post pictures when it's done!!

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HootersAlicia Posted 7 May 2013 , 5:13am
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I'm willing to make it, and I'd even be willing to taste it, I just know I won't be a good judge of a quality coconut product. icon_twisted.gif  I'll try it with coconut extract.  Is there a way to get the "cream" part that they want or will that just not work?  

They specifically don't want lemon curd and they want the filling and frosting to be the same (I know, I think it's a little weird too, but as you said, whatever they order is what you give them).  Would IMBC with some lemon curd mixed in hold up 80-90 degree weather?  It's fine that it's not a white frosting.  

They want the coconut covering the whole cake, or at least every other tier.  I'm not too worried about that part.

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Chellescakes Posted 7 May 2013 , 7:09am
post #4 of 8

Hey , the smell of chocolate ganache makes me gag, yet my customers love it . 

 

And as a chef , I had to deal with a lot of things I don't eat.  If you are going to the wedding. Make yourself your own little cake to eat , and let them enjoy the coconut cake .

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Chellescakes Posted 7 May 2013 , 7:16am
post #5 of 8

Some of my recipes substitute coconut milk or cream as the liquid component of the recipe. 

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urbangrl2007 Posted 7 May 2013 , 7:29am
post #6 of 8

I don't know how IMBC would hold with the curd. You could give it a shot with a small batch maybe? See how it goes before making the actual cake. I've never tried mixing curd with any type of BC, just whipped cream. I think you'd be fine temperature wise using an IMBC, it's pretty stable.

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j92383 Posted 7 May 2013 , 3:10pm
post #7 of 8

I'm the same way about anything made with bananas. I hate it. When I was working on my banana cake recipe it was torture for me but I had to do it. I won't sell anything that I haven't tested and tasted before hand so I had to suck it up. Every time some one places and order I pray it's not banana so I don't have to taste the scraps : )  I feel your pain. Good Luck with your cake.

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kakeladi Posted 7 May 2013 , 8:25pm
post #8 of 8

This post caught my attention as I am allergic to coconut.  I know what you are going through.  My allergest said when a person is allergic they either HATE! (w/a passion) or love the offending item.

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