We are continually researching Morocco for our upcoming trip and I am so excited about the latest our latest discovery: a cooking class in Marrakech at Maison MK! We chose this course because they take you to market to buy your ingredients! How cool is that? In Mellah market we will learn about all the local products, & ingredients. The covered market sells fruit & vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, spices, etc. We will buy all the ingredients to make the tagine in the maison mk kitchen. (Apparantly this is the market they took Jamie Oliver to for his programme on Marrakech!) This trip keeps getting better and better!
This is the third recipe for my Moroccan themed dinner party dessert trio. I found this recipe on About.com, and validated it with bloggers and other sites — I like the way the citrus ties it into the two other desserts. The tasters I made were a huge success (last night with JT and this morning with my friend, Kim). I cut the recipe into a quarter of the original, although I list it as it’s full volume, from this link. It’s very quick once you have all your ingredients ready mise en place, as they say. I have shown my revisions in blue.
Ingredients:
— For the Cake—
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 1 1/3 cups grated unsweetened coconut
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- zest from one or two lemons
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
— For the Icing and Garnish —
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted (I used less)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons cream or milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- I also added about 2 tbsp of coconut powder, because I felt the powdered sugar was too sweet.
- I also added about 2 tbsp lemon juice to help cut the sweetness of the powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup toasted, sweetened coconut* I used more because I wanted the whole cake covered.
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). Grease and flour your cake pan(s).
- Zest and juice the lemon.
- With an electric mixer or by hand, beat together the eggs and sugar until pale and thick. Gradually beat in the oil. Beat in the vanilla, lemon juice and zest.
- Stir in the flour, coconut, baking powder and salt, and then the milk. Beat until smooth.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan(s). Bake until the cake tests done: 25 to 30 minutes for layers; 35 to 40 minutes for oblong; about 40 minutes for a tube or bundt pan. Even the little ramekins I used took about 30 minutes for the cake tester to come out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 7 to 10 minutes. Loosen the cake from the sides of the pan with a spatula, and turn out the cake onto a rack to finish cooling.
- To decorate the cooled cake, mix everything BUT the toasted coconut to spreadable consistency. Spread the icing in a thin layer over the enitre cake, and dust with the toasted coconut so that it covers all sides and the top. Allow the icing to set before serving.
*Note:To make toasted coconut, spread grated unsweetened coconut in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° F (180° C) for 5 to 8 minutes, or until light golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Cover and store until needed.
Was just checking out your Moroccan recipes. Okay. Wait. You don’t eat dessert?!! Ever?
So the little coconut cakes, that look like little balls, what did you bake them in? or did you just carve little balls out of bigger form?
LikeLike
Hi Sue. I always taste the dessert to make sure it meets my expectations, but I normally don’t eat dessert. The little cakes were baked in small ramekins. The cake balls that you refer to are usually a mix of crumbled cake with icing!
LikeLike
What an exquisite cake! And I’m just crazy about coconut at the moment so I’d love this little morsel! 🙂
LikeLike
Well, Lorraine, it would be a morsel, I’m not one for making ‘huge’ desserts for sure, but rest assured, with the three flavours presented on the plate, you will be satisfied! If not, I may have a few extras of your favourite in the kitchen! 😉
LikeLike
wow Loaded with coconut! I love how it looks…so pretty!
LikeLike
Thanks Angie, the coconut really decorates the little cake well. I particularly loved how lemony it was!
LikeLike
This sounds delicious! Lemon and coconut go great together. And it also looks really pretty!
LikeLike
Thanks Manu. The flavours worked very well.
LikeLike
Oh my, this looks the best of them all so far! I love coconut in cakes and just look at all that delicious coconut on top! Beautiful presentation too… would just love to stick a spoon in there 😀
LikeLike
Thanks Charles. I took one in for my friend Kim (boss) and she was just going to eat half…well, we all know the end of that story! I like anything lemony!
LikeLike
Such an incredible dessert! Truly spectacular! And you are proof positive that there’s more to preparing for a trip than packing a bag. A cooking class AND guided trip to the market? How wonderful!
LikeLike
Fortunately, John, JT loves to plan as well. We both like as many loose ends buttoned down.
LikeLike
This sounds so decadent and delightful! And how exciting to have found a cooking school to take classes at while you’re there! I can’t wait to see/hear all about what you learn. Have a great time at the dinner party!
LikeLike
Thanks Kristy. We are very excited about the cooking school. Unfortunately we have to wait until October to book it (they only book one month ahead!) sigh!
LikeLike
Wow – this is absolutely delicious! I bet the dessert trio was absolutely stunning….like having dessert at a Moroccan restaurant!
LikeLike
Thanks Ann, it’s wonderful. Moroccan cuisine seems to have layers of flavour, like Indian, but neither too hot or too sweet! I’m so excited about going!
LikeLike
That class sounds awesome. You’re going to have a blast. Love this dessert too.
LikeLike
Thanks Greg. I’m hoping to learn a lot about Moroccan cuisine. I’ll try to take a photo of the final three desserts together on the plate, it’s not easy with company as our kitchen is open to the dining room.
LikeLike