There is so much I want to write here and really encapsulate the little things in my life. Thoughts, musings, my mishaps and happenings, but I got to sit down and write the odd and ends, the anecdotes, that are the center stage of my life. Meanwhile, I love baking late at night. I feel in the zone and inspired around that time. Besides, it does not take away from day light where I can be roaming around, somewhere outside, soaking in the sun, photosynthesizing.
We are all here night owls, must be all that pinned up, abundance of energy stored from the rays during the day time. So it's no oddity, when on a whim, I decide to separate the yellow yolks from the whites, at midnight. Dusting of flour and cocoa powder all over the counter and then I worry about an organized swarm of ants filing tenaciously, making a B line, directly into my kitchen.
I cook so much but somehow it's not enough. Just recently I made three batches of meat Sambouseks, Middle Eastern meat turnovers, and just like dumplings, they were gone as they were coming out of shallow frying. Even the couple batches of banana oat pancakes, I froze, which was a first on a couple of counts, were devoured. Sagie is back in town from college for the last two weeks and I love every minute of it, but for god's sake though, where does my time fly to?! It's not as if he is a toddler, he is 20, which reminds me I met his dad when he just turned 20, ahhhh, time zooms by. Sagie's presence might not be the explanation to my time lapse riddle but it certainly explains how the food flies off the shelf here...but we can always eat cake, that I baked, last night, at midnight.
Coconut-Meringue Chocolate Cake
adapted from Cakes for Every Occasion by Nira Sheuer (in Hebrew)
Chocolate Cake:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons oil
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup milk
Pinch of salt
Coconut-Meringue:
4 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
Chocolate Glaze (optional):
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 tablespoons water
25gr (a little less than 2 tablespoons) butter
or
Cocoa powder for sprinkling
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a cake pan, flour and dust flour off while holding the pan upside down over the sink.
Chocolate Cake:
Mix all the chocolate cake ingredients well and pour into the cake pan.
Coconut-Meringue:
In a mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites for three minutes, on medium/high speed (6/10 setting), increase the speed to 8/10 and continue beating while gradually adding the sugar. Continue beating for 2-3 minutes longer on the highest setting 10. Fold in the coconut flakes with a rubber spatula. Pour the coconut-meringue on top of the chocolate cake layer. Level with the rubber spatula or an offset spatula.
Bake for 55 minutes. Let cool before removing from the pan.
Chocolate Glaze:
Add the sugar, cocoa powder and water into a small sauce pan. On a low heat dissolve the sugar while mixing. When the sugar dissolves and all ingredients are incorporated well, take off the heat and add the butter. Mix to smooth silky consistency until the butter completely melts.
Pour the warm glaze on the cooled down cake or just sprinkle with cocoa powder as I've done (not pictured).
Cook's notes:
1. You can cut a circle out of parchment paper to line the bottom of the cake pan. Butter bottom and top of the parchment paper. The bottom, so it sticks to the pan. The top you flour after buttering and rid of excess flour as instructed in the directions above. Parchment papering the bottom makes removing the cake from the cake pan base easier.
2. There is a two step method of baking this cake: the cake portion at first for 20-25 minutes at 350F and then adding the coconut meringue layer on top to bake further for 20-30 minutes at the same heat level. I chose to bake both layers all at once as instructed in the recipe.
3. You can fancy up the design of the meringue, pre-baking, just like here.
Cake Recipes:
Love how rustic and homey this looks--and delicious, too. I agree with you on how time just flies by...
ReplyDeleteIsn't it, Tiffany, on both counts?! :)
DeleteWoww.. looks very tempting and delicious.. very beautiful clicks too.. love it :)
ReplyDeleteTY so much Hari! :)
DeleteBeautiful, Shulie! I love the combination of meringue and cake. 20-something guys always seem to make the food disappear in a hurry... my brother is 24, and when he's around, I can hardly bake fast enough to keep up with his appetite! ;)
ReplyDeleteTY Laura. It's good to know you understand. :)
DeleteExquisite, I'm sure! I love the fact that it's topped with coconut meringue.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Rosa
TY so much Rosa.
DeleteBaking in the night is a hobby of mine too. I am anyway a night owl too, just like you, and night time always inspires me to try a bit around and have fun in the kitchen. Coconut and chocolate are 2 flavors that I absolutely adore, so your cake is going to be gone quickly for sure. ;)
ReplyDeleteHelene, twinsies! :)
DeleteBeautiful and looking delicious! Perfect combination :)
ReplyDeleteTY Muna! I love the combo too.
DeleteWhat a gorgeous cake. And you made me realize that at 22 my kids are older than when I met their dad. Now that is a thought I am not ready for. And what I would give to have them home now. This will be my first summer without either one of them. I must bake this cake to soothe me!
ReplyDeleteahahah 'a thought you aren't ready for' sooth away a slice or two of this cake will shoo your troubles away! :)
DeleteLove the idea of a meringue on your chocolate cake, what a beautiful recipe! Love your pictures:-) Hugs, Terra
ReplyDeleteTY Terra!
Deletebaking at night? I admire you separating your eggs at that time. Sounds so therapeutic, though. Delicious combination of coconut meringue with the chocolate cake! Now, if you could pass us just some of these sun rays this way to Paris, would be most grateful. I'm lacking energy!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't be more articulate, therapeutic, sums it up. Sending some rays your way minus the humidity! :)
DeleteMidnight baking, is there something more peaceful? I enjoy it so much. This cake reminds me of one I used to make ages ago, but the coconut combination here is so much better!
ReplyDeleteTY Paula. When I saw the recipe it felt like it was new and then I googled and saw many versions of this exist out there. :) Would love to see your recipe.
DeleteI can imagine how peaceful it must be to bake at night--if only I could stay up that late! Maybe if I did I'd be able to create something as magical as this cake. :)
ReplyDeleteAww Jean, so sweet. I am a mess the next day so there's a trade off. :)
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