Heilala Coconut Cream Cake

Happy December!

I love Christmas. It’s my favorite time of year. I love the traditions, the baking, the sounds, the smells, and the lovely twinkle lights. I enjoy doing little things for my family that show them I love them.

I adore homemade goodies, and get excited when I surprise my husband with his favorite treats. Right now he’s on a major coconut kick. So I’ve been making him Coconut Cream Cake laced with pure vanilla goodness from Heilala (hey-la-la) Vanilla. Heilala is from New Zealand, they have an entire line of vanilla paste, syrup, extract, sugar, etc. Their products are simply divine. If you love how true vanilla tastes, and how it turns up the volume on flavors, you will love Heilala Vanilla.

In fact, it was my husband that spotted a bottle of Heilala Vanilla paste at Whole Foods one night, as he was rushing to buy a few ingredients to make his delicious pumpkin pie. After tasting Heilala’s products, and learning the history of an aid project, that flourished into a company, we’re Heilala Vanilla fans for life.

As part of this lovely Christmas season celebrating with #HeilalaHolidays, I’m sharing a recipe, adapted from a friend, for my husband’s favorite Heilala Coconut Cream Cake.

Heilala Coconut Cream Cake

Ingredients:
5 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups Heilala Vanilla Sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
1 tsp. Heilala Vanilla Paste
1 tsp. Heilala Vanilla Extract
1 tsp. coconut extract

Frosting:
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tsp. Heilala Vanilla Paste
2 tsp. coconut extract

1-1 1/2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut for sprinkling over the frosting

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour a cake sheet pan.

1. Separate the yolk from the egg whites for all 5 room temperature eggs. Egg whites into a mixing bowl. The egg yolks into a small bowl, set aside. Beat the egg whites until stiff, and set aside.
2. In an empty mixing bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup shortening.
3. Slowly add 2 cups sugar, and then one egg yolk at a time, until all five yolks are mixed in with the butter and shortening.
4. In a separate medium-sized bowl dissolve 1 tsp. of baking soda in 1 cup of buttermilk.
5. In another bowl whisk 2 cups of flour with 1/2 a tsp. of salt.
6. Alternate the buttermilk mix, and flour mix into the butter and sugar mixture.
7. Add 1 cup of the coconut, 1 tsp. of the vanilla paste, extract and coconut extract to the mixture.
8. Fold in the egg whites to the mixture.
9. Pour mixture into the prepared cake sheet pan.
10. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Frosting:
Mix 3 oz. cream cheese, softened with 1/2 cup butter softened, 4 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1 1/2 tsp Heilala Vanilla Paste, and 2 tsp. coconut extract

Cool the cake completely, frost, and then sprinkle the remaining coconut over the cake as desired.