Make Ahead
Rich Chocolate Cake with Coconut Filling and Ganache
Popular on Food52
108 Reviews
Mjhague
August 9, 2023
What about using coconut sugar here? Has anyone tried vegan cream cheese in this cake?
Substituting some spelt flour? Lastly, 1 cup full fat coconut cream for heavy cream?
THANKS
Substituting some spelt flour? Lastly, 1 cup full fat coconut cream for heavy cream?
THANKS
Mikki
July 21, 2023
I just finished baking this cake and mine overflowed all over my oven. It is out of the cake mold and looks beautiful but I won't cut into it until tomorrow. I tasted some of the crispy edges that I had to trim off to get it out of the pan and the chocolate parts tastes wonderful. Can't wait to see what it looks like on the inside.
eddiecakes
February 9, 2023
Cooking time at the top of the page says 125 minutes, but step 9 of the directions says 45-65 minutes. I can attest to the 125 minute time frame- my cake came out beautifully and is totally delicious!
Deborah A.
October 6, 2020
Your cake turned out great, however, I think I burned my 80% chocolate, adding it to simmering cream raised it to 155° even after taking it off the heat. The recipe said to add 8 ounces of heavy cream to 10 ounces of chocolate, which I did, but it was too hot and broke. I then researched ganache and realized my mistake. So I let it cool to 92° and added some warm cream, which helped, but there was a layer of oil on the top when I put it in the fridge. It had curdled but with the addition of at least 5 Tbsp of cream it smoothed out, now looks like pudding. I scrapped the hardened fat off the top but now am stressing because this lovely chocolate was to be the gilding for a birthday cake today. I'm sooo bummed out, it tastes delicious but won't set up right. Can it be fixed by maybe adding more chocolate? Help!
Lorna B.
October 6, 2020
I'm not sure you can save this. I've found melting the chocolate with the dream on a low heat, stirring as the chocolate melts works well. Once the chocolate has melted take it if the heat and whisk briskly for a couple of minutes then set aside to cool in the fridge. Once cooked it should be great to go.
In the first instance you over heated the cream the heat took the oil out of the chocolate and adding cream to cool ganache is not going to bring it back.
As a lst resort put it on a low heat whisking all the time as it warms up, this may rescue it. If not afraid you'll have to start again!
In the first instance you over heated the cream the heat took the oil out of the chocolate and adding cream to cool ganache is not going to bring it back.
As a lst resort put it on a low heat whisking all the time as it warms up, this may rescue it. If not afraid you'll have to start again!
Lorna B.
October 6, 2020
Deborah, sorry for the typos. Hopefully you get what am trying to say. Don't overheat the cream - that will also bring out the fat content. Make sure you break up the chocolate into small pieces.
Lindsay S.
August 10, 2019
it is in the oven now and I seem to be one of the unlucky few - mine is also flowing over. It has been in 55 minutes and is still far from done inside...All I can think of is that maybe my pan is slightly smaller, like a 9 cup?! I hope I can still use it for the party tomorrow....I will update
Lindsay S.
August 14, 2019
well it took about an hour extra to get done inside, so the top was quite hard and a little burnt tasting so I trimmed it off and was able to use it and everyone loved it! so glad it could still work out but how can I prevent the overflow and extremely long baking time next time?! wonder what I did? I followed everything exact but used coconut oil like others did.
Lorna B.
January 15, 2019
I have been sent this receipe by my sister as she knows I love chocolate. I am looking forward to making this cake but my first look at the recipe caused me some dismay. Not so much for me but for other, say first time cooks. The rule of thumb with recipes should be to stick to one weight of measure for the ingredients. Either all cup measure or all pounds and ounces measure. It may seem simple, but it actually does make a difference - especially if you are a first time cook - to the end result.
Linda I.
January 5, 2019
I just finished baking this cake...followed everything to a T because I was afraid of the overflowing and sticking. Well, the cake stuck...and horribly so!! I baked it for a dinner party tonight - so now I will try to use the salvaged pieces as part of a trifle. VERY DISAPPOINTED.
Meghan D.
December 23, 2018
Hello Food52
Can anyone suggest what might have gone wrong here. I have made many beautiful recipes on Food52 so I was brave enough to try this for Christmas Eve dinner and it failed sadly. I used a 10 cup bunt pan and did not make any substitutions. The cake ran over the top and spilled all over the oven, then it collapsed. Even the wreckage was inedible. I reviewed all the steps again and I'm not sure what could have gone so wrong? Perhaps it was how I laid the cream cheese mixture into the batter ? I did not beat it, and I used Bob's unsweetened flaked coconut which is dry and wider than average coconut - perhaps it was not mixed well enough?
Thank you for the suggestions.
Can anyone suggest what might have gone wrong here. I have made many beautiful recipes on Food52 so I was brave enough to try this for Christmas Eve dinner and it failed sadly. I used a 10 cup bunt pan and did not make any substitutions. The cake ran over the top and spilled all over the oven, then it collapsed. Even the wreckage was inedible. I reviewed all the steps again and I'm not sure what could have gone so wrong? Perhaps it was how I laid the cream cheese mixture into the batter ? I did not beat it, and I used Bob's unsweetened flaked coconut which is dry and wider than average coconut - perhaps it was not mixed well enough?
Thank you for the suggestions.
Eva
December 24, 2018
To me, this sounds like too much leavener (baking soda). It would make the cake “blow up” and also affect the flavor. But without watching you bake it, I’m only guessing. So sorry it didn’t work out!
Stephanie H.
February 19, 2018
Hi there! Has anyone tried making this as a layer cake? If yes, I'd love tips/suggestions.
Natalie
September 29, 2017
I made it with only 1 cup of sugar for the cake and it's already sweet enough. While it was still warm, I poked holes on the top and drizzled the icing slowly around, waited til the icing (no change in recipe) dripped inside the cake and then continued until all icing was used. Let cool overnight popped it out of the bundt pan and used a regular knife to smooth the icing on top and sides. Looks and tastes great!
Billie J.
January 9, 2017
Could I put a half teaspoon of coconut extract in the cheesecake part? I ❤️ Coconut!
Marale G.
October 19, 2016
HI,
Can I make this with Truvia sugar? Would it still dissolve and rise?
Marale
Can I make this with Truvia sugar? Would it still dissolve and rise?
Marale
manon
July 22, 2016
Can I bake this cake one day in advanced??? Do I have to put it in the fridge? Should I wait until I serve it to pour the gamache on it??? TY for helping me :-)
Eva
July 22, 2016
Yes! It gets better after a day, as do many cakes (esp chocolate). No need to store in the fridge—there's plenty of sugar to preserve it. If it's going to sit around for three or four or five days, stick it in the fridge. But no matter what, it should be served at room temp.
Eva
July 22, 2016
No need to wait to do the ganache, I think. That will also keep for a day or two or more at room temp. However, it will set over time, so it depends on how "wet" you want the ganache.
If you make the ganache ahead and store it separately in the fridge, make sure to bring it up to room temp and make sure it's smooth before you try to drizzle of spread it. Ganache is very temperature sensitive in that sense (it behaves very differently at different temperatures).
If you make the ganache ahead and store it separately in the fridge, make sure to bring it up to room temp and make sure it's smooth before you try to drizzle of spread it. Ganache is very temperature sensitive in that sense (it behaves very differently at different temperatures).
Renée R.
March 20, 2016
I made this today. Wow!!! Spectacular. Switched coconut oil for the shortening only because I had it on hand. I also only had sweetened coconut, so I used it. This cake is really special. I made it in a tube pan. It came out of the pan perfectly. I did have to cook it for and hour and five minutes. I can't rave about this cake enough. It's moist, crusty and perfect. The ganache is the perfect "icing on the cake". Thanks so much for this recipe.
Angella
April 11, 2015
Just want to add that I only used 1 1/2 cups sugar in the cake and none in the filling as the coconut was already sweetened also only half the ganache. Perfect sweetness for me.
Angella
April 11, 2015
Oh my word...my taste buds are having a party! When I first saw this recipe I knew I had to make it. Love chocolate and coconut . Luckily a birthday came up so I got the opportunity. No issue getting it out of the pan. Only change I will make is to add more coconut to the filling and sprinkle some on top the ganache the next time. Words can't describe how good this is. Thank you for posting
Linda
April 2, 2014
18 ounces of chocolate divided seems like an awful lot. Does that mean 18 squares of bakers chocolate?
Linda B.
March 13, 2014
I'm going to make this cake for a dinner party on Sunday. I'm going to put some whole toasted almonds on top of the cake before the ganache so that it is like an Almond Joy candy bar.
The M.
February 1, 2014
Made this cake yesterday and serve it after dinner tonight. It's definitely a keeper! So rich and fudgy. I used coconut oil, per all the suggestions. Also had no problem getting it out of the pan (baking spray + cocoa powder) or with overflow. The coconut filling is perfect. Incredibly delicious - so glad I have some left for tomorrow!
Jinran
January 28, 2014
I have to say this is really a fantastic cake recipe and all my friends like it. I used silicone pans, so I don’t have the stick problem. Since I don’t have shortening at hand, I used unsalted French better instead, and it turned out to be wonderful. And I took your guys suggestion; I used half cake flour and half whole-wheat flour, which works so great. But I decreased the amount of sugar, and used brown sugar instead. I used up my chocolate, so I whipped heavy cream and dressing with my homemade rose sauce. What a wonderful cake we have in years. Thanks so much for sharing such wonderful recipe.
brookev
January 9, 2014
This is an excellent cake recipe! We love it. I substituted the shortening with virgin coconut oil, HALVED the sugar in the cake to 1 1/2 cups (which I felt was the perfect amount of sweetness, especially since the cake has a bit of melted chocolate in it too), used whole-wheat pastry flour instead of white flour, and toasted the coconut. PERFECTION!
farida K.
August 10, 2013
I mixed 1 TBS melted butter with 1 TBS of cocoa-powder to make a paste and brush onto the Bundt pan and the cake slipped out perfect.But there was some "oozing" from the cake-and the cake "puffed up" high and cracked the whole top of the cake-how can I prevent that?I opt not to use the ganache and the cake was wonderfully rich and tasty!
cwya
August 7, 2013
I just dont get it. I know I'm way old and stuff but seriously--a debate over "shortening?" I shudder to imagine what people might think if they knew that "shortening" is a commercial substitute for LARD. So by all means be horrified if you must but if you truly want the purist original flavor I suggest pig fat and baking in a wood-fired stove. My gramma's new gas oven was featured in the newspaper!I too am at 6400ft and the only subs I have to use are adding a little more flour, another egg, and a tiny bit of oil for flavor if desired. Increase heat a tad and lengthen time til top is crusty to touch. I am serious about this recipe since my grandmother made it as "mahogany" cake and it was devoured to the last crumb. The coconut filling is great for modern palates I guess, but a maple/chocolate icing and pecans make it absolutely superlative. 22 hired hands cant all be wrong!
Eva
July 14, 2013
Superb. Make this now.
I made the following substitutions:
2c sugar in the batter (instead of 3)
Coconut oil instead of shortening (1:1 substitution)
1c each whole wheat pastry, home-milled kamut, home-milled spelt flours
All four of us rated this a 9 or 10. We fully expect it will get even better over the next few days, as many chocolate cakes do. May freeze half of it.
Oh, also: I had tremendous good luck getting mine out of the bundt pan in one gorgeous piece. I was apprehensive, but generously greased (using coconut oil) and cocoa powdered the mold, and said a little prayer as I flipped it. Whew!
I made the following substitutions:
2c sugar in the batter (instead of 3)
Coconut oil instead of shortening (1:1 substitution)
1c each whole wheat pastry, home-milled kamut, home-milled spelt flours
All four of us rated this a 9 or 10. We fully expect it will get even better over the next few days, as many chocolate cakes do. May freeze half of it.
Oh, also: I had tremendous good luck getting mine out of the bundt pan in one gorgeous piece. I was apprehensive, but generously greased (using coconut oil) and cocoa powdered the mold, and said a little prayer as I flipped it. Whew!
LeeLeeBee
June 29, 2013
I made this cake to celebrate our fifth anniversary. It was absolutely fantastic - very flavorful and moist. I was a bit worried about the amount of sugar (don't like desserts to be super sweet), but the cake was perfect.
Sherry S.
April 29, 2013
This cake is fantastic and gets better with age. I froze it in slabs, and when I want some, I remove it from the freezer and defrost it in the microwave. It is even better than when it is just baked. Also I used mascarpone for the filling rather than cream cheese, and it worked beautifully. If you cover the top with shredded coconut, it really looks special.
Todd L.
March 23, 2013
Hi, just wanted to let you know I made this for my birthday, but since I'm vegan, I veganized the recipe. It came out amazing!
Instead of shortening, I too used coconut oil. I used two kinds of dark vegan chocolate. Ener-G egg Replacer for the eggs. And a tub of Galaxy vegan cream cheese. Other than that, I basically used the normal ingredients for everything else. Oh, and for the topping I used chocolate chips, coconut oil, Earth Balance and more shredded coconut which basically turned the whole outside of the cake into a giant Mounds bar. :-)
I have to say, it came right up to the top of the pan and stopped, so I didn't have any overflow or extra baking time issues. (It took about an hour.) Thanks again for the amazing (now vegan) recipe. This is going to be one of my go-tos for a while! (Wish I could post a picture.) :-)
Instead of shortening, I too used coconut oil. I used two kinds of dark vegan chocolate. Ener-G egg Replacer for the eggs. And a tub of Galaxy vegan cream cheese. Other than that, I basically used the normal ingredients for everything else. Oh, and for the topping I used chocolate chips, coconut oil, Earth Balance and more shredded coconut which basically turned the whole outside of the cake into a giant Mounds bar. :-)
I have to say, it came right up to the top of the pan and stopped, so I didn't have any overflow or extra baking time issues. (It took about an hour.) Thanks again for the amazing (now vegan) recipe. This is going to be one of my go-tos for a while! (Wish I could post a picture.) :-)
Lisakb
September 2, 2012
I adore coconut....and chocolate......this is now added to my "to do" list! I do have a chocolate zucchini bread recipe that has coconut, and it is excellent., I have to say that I was initially turned off by the shortening, though I do have some of the non-hydrogenated type. Love the coconut oil suggestion, especially since my husband puts it in everything! I have really tried to cut down on the fat content (and calories) of recipes as we get older. I no longer make things with a whole cup of oil or multiple sticks of butter. There are plenty of ways to sub for some of the fat without losing the moistness of the finished product. So, I guess I will play around with this a bit.
Vicky K.
August 17, 2012
I agree with Aurora. Shortening? The word always makes me run for cover, or else just turn the page if I´m reading recipes.
I feel like I´m reading something from a past age. Butter for baking of, if absolutely necesarry - oil. But I´ve never had an oil cake that was as delicious as a cake with butter.
If people think they are doing something healthier buy using oil or shortening - fagetaboutit.
I feel like I´m reading something from a past age. Butter for baking of, if absolutely necesarry - oil. But I´ve never had an oil cake that was as delicious as a cake with butter.
If people think they are doing something healthier buy using oil or shortening - fagetaboutit.
aargersi
August 17, 2012
Look, if you don't like the recipe then by all means, bake something else. There is no cause nor it is your place to judge or criticize anyone else's choice of ingredients - different people find different things work for them, appeal to their taste. Run for cover if you must but please don't post negative comments on what a LOT of people have had great success with and enjoyed mightily.
aargersi
August 17, 2012
Look, if you don't like the recipe then by all means, bake something else. There is no cause nor it is your place to judge or criticize anyone else's choice of ingredients - different people find different things work for them, appeal to their taste. Run for cover if you must but please don't post negative comments on what a LOT of people have had great success with and enjoyed mightily.
JohnL
April 19, 2015
I learned the hard way that recipes originally developed using Crisco or margarine are not always successful with butter, even though you might prefer to add butter as a flavor. I have a recipe for Truffle Brownies I got from the Food Network's now defunct Party Line with the Hearty Boys that calls for a stick of margarine. I tried it with disastrous results with butter. The recipe is not really "brownies" but it is one of the more delicious chocolate confections I have ever made. The recipe is not in their book for some reason, but it is still up on the Food Network site.
Vicky K.
August 17, 2012
I agree with Aurora. Shortening? The word always makes me run for cover, or else just turn the page if I´m reading recipes.
I feel like I´m reading something from a past age. Butter for baking of, if absolutely necesarry - oil. But I´ve never had an oil cake that was as delicious as a cake with butter.
If people think they are doing something healthier buy using oil or shortening - fagetaboutit.
I feel like I´m reading something from a past age. Butter for baking of, if absolutely necesarry - oil. But I´ve never had an oil cake that was as delicious as a cake with butter.
If people think they are doing something healthier buy using oil or shortening - fagetaboutit.
AireHead
May 21, 2012
I made this for my Mom's 91st birthday and it was AWFUL. I am an experienced baker, and gasped in horror at the shortening (used coconut oil as another suggested) and it did ooze out of the pan, not once but twice, but it was so hard and dry I had to cut it with a BREAD knife. The only outlier is I live in Denver 5280 feet, but have been used to minor modifications in only commercial box mixes. Followed the recipe to a "t" except for exchanging oils. Was looking forward to rich/delicious was a possible masonry substitute instead. The first chocolate brick.
Amanda H.
May 21, 2012
We're very sorry you had a bad experience with the cake. Not sure what went wrong with yours; we made ours with shortening (and just to be clear, you can always use non-hydrogenated shortening) and it turned out well. The one you see in the photo is the one we made. Not doubting that you had trouble -- just noting that under the right conditions (and I've never dealt with high altitude baking so no sure how this messes with recipes), it is a good cake.
aargersi
May 22, 2012
I have had this cake on numerous occasions and it is ALWAYS rich and moist and incredibly delicious. I am not sure what all of the fuss is over shortening - bakers use it often and it is available in an organic version just like most other ingredients - plant based, inoffensive. Not worth a horrified gasp I don't think. Perhaps the altitude IS your issue, but this is one damn fine cake
pattycakes
June 2, 2013
At your altitude, Airehead, I'm surprised that you haven't experienced more problems with not adapting cakes to high altitude! I live at 6200 ft, and my usual adaption is to add an extra egg, decrease leavening by at least 1/4th (both soda and baking powder), and decrease sugar by the same. Raise the heat by 25 degrees. If you do this with every cake recipe from the get-go, you'll find they all work at altitude. Some will need a little more tweaking, perhaps, but you won't have the overflow that you experienced with this recipe as is. It's just that the science of baking doesn't allow for an all-altitudes recipe!
Green R.
January 30, 2012
I have not had good luck with a Bundt pan (any tips for smooth removal?), so I went to a Tube pan instead; and after preparing the pan I also put parchment on the bottom. It came out perfectly.
losangel
June 29, 2011
When I bake a cake where the pan is greased and floured, I always let my cake cool completely, but before unmolding, I heat it over a gas burner to soften the shortening. It will release easier once the shortening and cocoa powder are soft, give the cake a little jiggle and it should come right out without any problems.
cheese1227
October 1, 2010
Do you think I can make these in cupcake form?
nannydeb
October 1, 2010
I've never tried it in cupcake form, but I suppose you could fill the cupcake papers with a little batter, add a dollup of coconut filling and then top with some more batter? If you try it, please let me know how it worked out.
cheese1227
October 1, 2010
That's what I was thinking. I need the recipe to stretch to 14 on a buffet so I was thinking that 14-16 cupcakes would look like more generous servings than 14 small cake pieces.
likestocooklovestoeat
May 31, 2010
In addition to my comment above about baking time (40 minutes extra and it overflowed our 11 cup baking pan like crazy), I thought I'd add that it came out of the pan like a dream - we greased our heavy non-stick Bundt three times to ensure every nook and cranny was covered, cocoa-ed it up and stuck it in the fridge; that did the trick. The end product is tasty, so it was worth the extra hassle.
Adriana
February 28, 2010
Setting aside the sad fact that it took me a month to get around to making this cake (time to rethink my priorities) I would like to note two things. First, coconut oil works as an excellent substitute for shortening and will make your kitchen smell like you're living inside a macaroon. Also, to get around the wet/heavy problem I used a spring form pan with a McCann's Irish oatmeal can inside for a makeshift tube pan that would releases the cake more easily--it worked! Lined with waxed paper, by the way. Since I live with infidels who do not worship chocolate it's whipped cream with more coconut flakes instead of the ganache for us.
nannydeb
September 8, 2010
My husband said he "wanted more coconut" in this cake, which I didn't think was possible. So, upon your suggestion, I subbed the coconut oil and it was fabulous! Thanks!
personalchef
February 21, 2010
Just checked on my cake in the oven after 45 minutes and half of it has spilled out over the cake pan onto the bottom of my oven. I thought I did everything right after spending good money on the ingredients and making sure I had the correct size bundt pan. I think it might take another 30 minutes to finish and them at least an hour or so to re-clean my oven. Has anyone else run into this problem? Very disappointing.
likestocooklovestoeat
May 31, 2010
We're running into a long cooking time as well; at least 30 extra minutes, and the tester is *just about clean* so it will probably be 40 minutes extra before it's done. We also ran into the spillover too, so far all contained by a cookie sheet.
Amanda H.
July 31, 2010
I'm mystified by the batter running over -- and obviously sorry you had this happen. I wonder if my cake pan, which I bought at a regular cookware store, is extra deep? I'll change the cooking time in the recipe to account for variation. Ours worked as stated. Again, sorry you had trouble with the cake.
CASJ
February 13, 2010
Oh man, is this cake good. It almost made it onto the plate in one piece ;-)
It is rich indeed, and heavy and moist and just divine.
A perfect birthday cake for me. Thanks nannydeb! You must make it for aargersi.
It is rich indeed, and heavy and moist and just divine.
A perfect birthday cake for me. Thanks nannydeb! You must make it for aargersi.
nannydeb
February 15, 2010
Making this cake on Saturday, I, too had a bit of sticking on one side when removing it from the pan. It stuck to the pan where the coconut filling had baked too close to the side. My first reaction was to eat the pieces stuck to the pan, but instead I took them out, put them on the cake and glued them there with the ganache. I took the cake to a family party and no one was the wiser...
Aurora K.
February 10, 2010
Actually, I meant to say that neither my culinary Weltanschauung nor my worldview @ a grander, more general existential scale, recognizes the C-word, Cr_ _ _ o, or the concept of shortening. I am disappointed that yours does.
Amanda H.
February 10, 2010
We used Spectrum shortening, which is made with palm oil and doesn't contain trans fats.
Merrill S.
February 11, 2010
Here at food52, the culinary Weltanschauung is all about broadening our horizons -- we find we learn a lot that way!
Helenthenanny
February 13, 2010
I once ate a big spoonful of buttered flavored Crisco just to see how it was. It was quite the experience, that big glob just moved around in my mouth like wax. It made me Weltanschauung all over myself. I'll give this Spectrum shortening a go though, I'm all for healthy alternatives, thanks Amanda! And you were right Merrill, I did learn something ; )
monkeymom
February 13, 2010
I had to google welta-whatever. I am glad that I can also learn new vocabulary from using this site! Helen, you are so hilarious, you almost made me weltanschauung my pants.
Aurora K.
February 10, 2010
I am so offended by the use of the word, "shortening," in this recipe. Actually, I was very excited by the AH tweet; when I tracked down the recipe, I wilted. I was crushed. I don't ever, ever, ever consider a recipe with ....the C-word. It may be ruined for me -- I don't even know if I could manage to try the recipe out even by substituting in a real food product, butter. : (
Amanda H.
February 10, 2010
There's nothing wrong with trying it with butter -- lots of people on the site make substitutions in the recipes, and it's always interesting to hear how these substitutions turn out. If you try this with butter, please let us know how it goes!
Jocelyn G.
February 9, 2010
It's in the oven right now. It's going to be donated to my daughter's teachers' luncheon tomorrow, so we won't get to try it (sob).
Jocelyn G.
February 9, 2010
Just took it out of the oven. Total fail :-(. I checked it for doneness and it came out clean. Sadly it's completely uncooked in the middle. Grr.
bhivedesign
February 8, 2010
I tried this cake yesterday as a lover of both chocolate and coconut (with a hankering) and as a budding-baker who had not yet found a recipe I love enough to make again and again. The flavors, tenderness and moistness of this cake could make it my all time favorite. And the recipe was easy to follow, up until I went to free my steamy chocolate decadence from it's bundt container. This sucker just wouldn't come out for love or money. I'm a solid cook, but only an amateur baker. I do know my way around a kitchen but no trick I knew would get this delicious devil out in one piece! Pre-baking I carefully, carefully greased and coco-ed the pan. I set my timer for 10 minutes of cooling on the rack (it was still a bit warm, but I was trusting the recipe). I wet a dish towel and ran it over the bottom. I let it cool a bit more. I finally had to whack the pan with a mallet (having worked myself up into a red-in-the-face chocolate frenzy) and conjure up an incantation to get what bits I could out. I ended up cutting the blobby-mess in half and topping it with itself. The ganache hid a multitude of sins and it tasted sooooo good. But in my fit of pique, I threw the pan in the garbage. Now I have to buy a new pan... any suggestions? I will try this again with a new pan, if I'm armed with some recommendations to get it out, or I'll have to never eat this heavenly confection again ... which makes me sad.
nannydeb
February 8, 2010
I did not add this to the directions because I have no scientific proof that it works, but after I grease and flour (or in this case cocoa powder) my bundt pan I put it in the freezer. I have limited counter space and this gets it out of my way also. Also, I often make a cake in stages because of time constraints. I may butter and flour my pan (put it in the freezer) and get my dry ingredients together and not make the cake until the next morning.
I have two different bundt pans, one heavy metal and one cheapy thin metal and they both usually come out whole.
I hope this step works so that you don't have to throw any more pans away!
I have two different bundt pans, one heavy metal and one cheapy thin metal and they both usually come out whole.
I hope this step works so that you don't have to throw any more pans away!
Jocelyn G.
February 9, 2010
I have a heavy-duty Kaiser bundt pan. It was like $35 or something crazy, but I make a banana bundt cake from Dorie Greenspan almost every month, so it was worth it. I love it.
Amanda H.
February 10, 2010
Not sure if you saw our slideshow, but we also had trouble unmolding it, but we decided it was my bundt pan (which is heavy and "non stick") because I've had issues with that pan before. To be safe, you can make the cake in a tube pan and that way you can cut it out. It's a heavy cake so no matter the pan, it's going to be challenging to unmold. Hope you'll give it another try -- and also check out nannydeb's suggestions in this thread.
Amanda H.
February 11, 2010
I should have also added, though, that an assistant editor who works with us also made the cake (before the photo shoot) and it unmolded without a hitch. Seems like it's just a finicky one so maybe a tube pan is best. Again, sorry you had a frustrating time!
Adriana
February 6, 2010
Ooh, coconut and chocolate--I'm going to try coconut oil in place of shortening. Could be overkill, but it's not like I make chocolate cake out of a sense of moderation.
nannydeb
February 8, 2010
I thought about half coffee and half coconut milk or coconut water too. Let us know how it turns out!
testkitchenette
February 6, 2010
Great recipe! I have been in the Bahamas this past week and didn't do it but will be hacking my own coconut next time to make this decadent treat!
mrsp
February 5, 2010
what exactly do you mean by shortening? crisco? butter? margarine?
nannydeb
February 5, 2010
I used Crisco shortening. I haven't tried using butter or margarine, but I bet that would work too.
Merrill S.
February 5, 2010
We used Spectrum Organic's shortening, which contains no hydrogenated oils. It's great!
Helenthenanny
February 5, 2010
Hi Nanny from Austin!!! This cake is a beauty and you have my vote, well done and Congrats!
Mardi M.
February 4, 2010
YIKES - the choice between these two recipes is so hard! I love them both! Can you send me a slice to test?? ;-)
NakedBeet
February 4, 2010
I love both, but I can't resist the pull of coconut, it keeps bringing me back in!
TasteFood
February 4, 2010
Congratulations! What an intense cake - I will have to pace myself this weekend.
Allison C.
February 4, 2010
Looks great! Congrats on making it into the finals, and good luck. I think, like many others here, I'll be doing a lot of cake baking in the next couple of days to test these recipes out myself... who can resist? They both look so good. Don't know how I'll ever choose. Yum.
Jennifer P.
February 4, 2010
Ok, this week is really a tough call. I may just have to bake these both myself before I can click the "vote button.
nannydeb
February 4, 2010
Good idea! I'm going to make Kelsey's cake this weekend. Any ol' excuse to eat chocolate cake!
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