Happy Canada Day! Today is Canada’s birthday and she’s a whopping 146 (now my birthday won’t seem half bad!). How are you celebrating this auspicious holiday?
We’re at the cottage, spending a long overdue weekend with good friends. The redecorating has taken a bit of a back seat due to being crazy busy at work and not being able to take a little extra time up north, so it’ll just get done later. Being at the cottage means everything slows down and it forces you to enjoy the quiet. I usually bring a craft to do or read, which I don’t often get to do in the city. It also forces you to reflect and in reflection I remember some really good times; one in particular is this:
A couple of months ago I received an email from my friend Kristy (Eat, Play, Love, Our family food adventures) that she was coming up to Toronto and did I want to meet her? WHAT? Of course I want to meet her, who wouldn’t? Kristy and Mike have an incredible blog where they actively involve their two beautiful children, Mr. N and Miss. A; I particularly love that they do that because it’s how I became interested in cooking.
At first I was going to keep Kristy all to myself and not share the adventure, but then I felt that would be selfish so I emailed Barb (Profiteroles and Ponytails) and that got me thinking…what about Kelly (Inspired Edibles), she’s not far from Toronto and she might also be interested, and that’s where it all started. You already know that I’ve known Barb for many years and we’re very good friends with she and her husband — Barb’s blog is a lovely presentation of easy, family friendly recipes. Kelly is a fellow Ontarian, up in Ottawa (only a four hour drive away) and she runs a fantastic blog focusing on health and nutrition. Kelly and I have emailed once or twice before so I didn’t feel awkward in presenting the invitation. Without hesitation both ladies jumped (and I mean JUMPED) at the offer and boy am I glad because it was an incredible night of camaraderie, friendship, good conversation and few very hearty laughs! Thank you ladies for making the evening.
We started at a the classy Roof Lounge at the top of the Park Hyatt in Yorkville; it was as if we’d known one another a lifetime, the conversation just flowed and it was so easy to talk to everyone. We then made our way to Bar Mercurio our favourite Italian restaurant. JT and I have been dining at Bar Mercurio for quite some time and they know us by name so I knew were would get the royal treatment, and we weren’t disappointed. We had a complimentary dessert platter of biscotti and complimentary Lemoncello. Of course, I forgot to take photos early in the evening when there was still daylight, but fortunately Barb and Kristy both brought their iPhone 5s and the very lovely Omar obliged us with a photo. Thank you ladies again for a wonderful evening, I hope we can do it again soon.
Of course, one very popular topic of conversation was food and I happened to mention that we’re doing another progressive dinner on our street and that this time our theme is the BBQ, which means that every part of this meal must be grilled. I volunteered for dessert, because I love the challenge. This Coconut Pound Cake is one component to this very delicious dessert, but I won’t spoil the surprise!
I did alter this recipe to make it slightly healthier, by cutting the butter in half and replacing it with puréed apple (or you can use store bought unsweetened apple sauce). It worked out very well indeed!
Coconut Pound Cake
Serves 10-12
Original recipe from Epicurious, I made some adjustments to make it a bit healthier (original recipe had 1 cup butter in it)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup of apple purée – see note below
- 1 cup sugar (reduced from 1 1/2 cups)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut (6 oz) (original used sweetened)
Directions:
- Preheat the BBQ to 325°F. Turn off 1 burner completely.
- Prepare1.4L pâte terrine enamelled cast iron pan with non-stick cooking spray (or you can use a 9″ by 5″ by 3″ loaf pan) and line it with parchment leaving ‘handles’ on the long sides.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, set aside.
- Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes with a stand mixer or 8 to 10 minutes with a handheld. In small increments, add the apple purée and beat an additional minute it two until full incorporated (don’t worry if it looks separated, just beat a little longer on a higher speed and it will smooth out).
- Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in extracts. Reduce speed to low and mix in flour mixture until just combined. Fold in coconut gently but thoroughly with a rubber spatula.
- Spoon batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing top. Bake in a BBQ on a warming rack in the back with the burner directly below turned off until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center comes out clean, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2hours.
- Cool cake in pan on a rack 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around edge of cake, then invert onto rack and cool completely.
Notes:
- In order to reduce the butter, I used baked and puréed apples. Peel and core two apples, cut into small cubes, microwave in a heat proof glass bowl with 2-3 tbsp of water until very soft. Purée with an immersion blender until smooth. Push through a fine sieve. Cool and use as directed in recipe above.
- Cake may be made in advance and stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator until required.
- Cut slices may be frozen for future use (this is what I did)
[…] that my dear friend Kristy (from Eat, Play, Love, Our Family Food Adventures) gave me last year when we met in Toronto. All in all, the dish is a winner and will be served again this summer before the peaches are out […]
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[…] 1 tbsp merlot sea salt (I received the merlot sea salt as a gift from my friend Kristy at Our Family Food Adventures when we met up ) […]
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What fun to meet up with fellow bloggers and what fun to make a dessert on a barbeque as well – I’ve only ever wrapped bananas up in foil !! You are so much more adventurous !
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Hi Clair, welcome back. The pound cake worked out very well on the BBQ and with the grilled pineapple, and rum butter it was soooo good!
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[…] a month or so ago, I had extended the Blogger Girls Night Out invitation to Norma (From Garden to Wok) a very dear blogger friend, but unfortunately she was […]
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what a sheme on me, i lived in a tropical country but never had any coconut pound cake before,
literrary my next project!
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It’s quite a delicious cake, I’m sure you’ll so something spectacular to it too.
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[…] « Coconut Pound (kilo?) Cake […]
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Eva looks like you had a lot of fun! I love the coconut cake.. looks amazing. Would love to have a slice.
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Thanks so much Ilan, I’m glad I froze the extra slices, they will make a lovely impromptu dessert over the summer.
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Aaargh, that looks so delish. I LOVE loaf cake, they are so unpretentious and yet, so satisfying. Happy Canada’s Day!
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Thanks so much Yudith, they are truly unpretentious but adding the grilled pineapple and the lovely rum sauce just put it on the other side of the tracks!
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What a grand time you ladies had. I am so sad I missed the get together. Was so excited when I received your invite Eva, but when I checked my calendar I had already made a commitment that I could not change, opportunity missed..
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I was disappointed that you couldn’t make it either, but it’ll be nice tonight! See you soon.
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http://lovelyseasonscomeandgo.wordpress.com
hi thanks so much for following my blog, your blog is amazing too. Have a wonderful day. Betty
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Thank you kindly Betty, it’s my pleasure.
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🙂
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Hope you had a lovely Canada Day!!!
That’s so exciting that you got a group of bloggers together! Sounds like a lot of fun!
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It was a really wonderful time and we hope to do it again.
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Eva, I’m so jealous! I would love so much to meet fellow bloggers (I guess I should have started blogging in French… thanks to English I know so many wonderful bloggers but they are all around the world! Most of them so far away!
You all look as if you had had lots of fun! And yes, I wish I could see your shoes too 😉
The poundcake looks fabulous. I have no idea what weight of the ingredients you had but it looks to me like the traditinal pound cake, i.e. everything should weigh a pound 😉 I always make mine much smaller (I always prepare it just for me and my husband) with two eggs and their weight is about 180 grams if I remember, so it’s not even half-pound cake 😉 Substituting some butter with apple purée is a fantastic idea. I will remember it (you know how I love lightened desserts provided they taste excellent).
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It has truly been fun meeting the ladies and I’ll have more meetings to post about soon! I’m very excited about the next month or so.
I didn’t weigh the cake but it was pretty heavy. The apple substitution did not change the flavour or texture at all, I would definitely do it again.
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Ah, what a fantastic way to wake up!! Happy, Happy, Canada Day Eva (only slightly belated) — loved reading your recounting of our wonderful evening in Toronto and seeing the photo of the girls on the town! I will treasure this memory dearly. Feel so lucky to have been able to meet up with you great gals and share some laughs together.
Your grilled cake is fabulous – how inventive too – I have never come across that before. I hope you had a beautiful weekend by the lake Eva with some happy, sunny, red and white moments. We sure did. Cheers and hugs to you! xo.
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Hi Kelly, it really was a memorable night, wasn’t it? We had such good conversation and the laughs were lovely too.
Thank you for the compliment on the coconut cake, it worked out much better than I expected.
We had some sun on the weekend, but not much and it was a lot cooler than I expected; we did get a little patio time but because it was so chilly we had to sit in the sun which is not my preference, but it was good to be outside. The bugs were brutal, we killed a few hundred mosquitos for sure!
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Phooey, I wanted to see the shoes 😉
Happy Canada Day, my friend. Your coconut pound cake looks amazing!!!
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Thanks Liz, hope you have a great Fourth of July too! The pound cake turned out very well, I was very happy with it. I knew I would get flak for not taking a pic of the shoes 😉
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Happy Canada Day. I think that’s fantastic that you organised such a great ‘girls night out’ for Kristy. That’s such a happy photo too. Yes, I would have loved an image of your shoes – that Omar should have got down under the tablecloth xx
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Hi Charlie, we really did have a wonderful time, it was like we were long lost friends, our conversation was continuous all night. It is a lovely memory.
Yes, I should have photo’d the shoes, we were all wearing dresses, so Omar under the table may not have been appreciated, but you never know.
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Happy Canada day my friend, you all must have had such a blast meeting up 😀
Your coconut cake, be it a kilo or a pound, would be eaten up by me and me alone 😉
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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Thanks CCU, it was like we were long lost friends, our conversation didn’t even skip a beat!
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Happy Canada Day and I surely hope you’ll all consider coming to Australia for a get-together. 🙂 Next time, definitely the shoes.
I like the idea of the pureed apple in that cake.
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Thanks Maureen, since I’ve met you, Charlie, and Lorraine Australia has been on my bucket list to visit for sure, it’s just so far away, I’d have to plan for more than a couple of weeks to justify the time and the cost. Yes, the shoes must be photographed next time…soon.
The apple sauce didn’t add much flavour to the cake, but the texture did not change which was the important part for me.
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Happy Canada Day, perhaps belatedly. Your get together sounds like the best fun! And the cake sounds delicious too! Great tweaking recipes to make them healthier.
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Thank Lizzy, it was quite a nice weekend. The cake was indeed quite nice, a lovely coconut flavor and texture.
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Happy Canada Day, Eva! I like the way you’ve made your cake healthier and I’m sure the apple puree adds a lot of flavor, too. Looks like you girls had a blast…would have liked to have seen the shoes, LOL. Have fun at the lake.
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Thanks Betsy, hope you have a wonderful Independence Day this week! I was actually surprised that the apple did not add much to the cake other than moistness.
Ah the shoes, a very lovely collection of pretty colours and very high heels!
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I’m sure Omar had a fun night as well with 4 such charming ladies in the restaurant. I can see him in the reflection of the mirror while he was taking your picture. Great recipe … I don’t make very much with coconut but I can see trying out this cake one day.
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Thank you kindly Maria, yes I am sure Omar had a good time teasing and flirting with us too! They are such nice people in the restaurant.
This recipe freezes very well too, I just sliced off 1/2″ or 1 cm slices and froze them individually on a cookie sheet lined with parchment; then they went into a plastic bag. It worked out perfectly.
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I have a couple of Granny Smiths in my fridge left over from my dulce de leche apple empanadas which I could use to make half the recipe. It’s good to know that it freezes well. Thank you.
I keep buying those little clamshells of fresh raspberries intending to make ‘something’ with them and then eat them straight or with some French vanilla ice cream. Any ideas to inspire me? I don’t want to make another batch of panna cotta even if it’s great. 🙂
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Grilled cake????Wow!! That’s a challenge. Seriously, I have hard time enough baking, and you come up with a grilled cake. How creative is that! I can’t wait for the final dish……Happy Canada Day!
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Thanks Minnie, it worked out much better than even I thought it would.
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Yay! It was such a fun night Eva! One of the highlights of our vacation. 🙂 I knew it was going to be a good time, but the evening even blew those expectations. It was fabulous. Thank you again for arranging everything and here’s to the next time!!! Happy Canada Day to you. I’m glad you’re getting to relax and enjoy your cabin for an extended weekend. Is it just me or are these weekends going by way too fast this summer! Your cake looks delightful and I’m totally impressed that you grilled it. I’ve never seen a grilled cake. Genius once again. 🙂 Well, here’s to national holidays and long weekends and of course meeting good friends!
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Thanks Kristy, I was surprised at how we just picked up like we’ve known each other for years! It’s a testament to our blogging for sure. I’m very, very glad to have had the pleasure to meet you in person and spend a lovely evening together…here’s to another one real soon 😉
I was just mentioning to John that the idea for grilling a cake came out of the blackout we had years ago that affected the entire Eastern Seaboard. My friend was actually baking a cake in her oven when the power went out and she called me and asked if I would mind her using our BBQ as ours is natural gas and she figured she didn’t have enough propane in her tank. I of course, said yes, knowing we’d be able to enjoy her lovely cake. The coconut cake came out very well and I am so excited to share the final dessert with you on Thursday.
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Happy Canada Day Eva! And I love the get together. I wish I were going close to Toronto when I visit Canada so that I could meet up with you!
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Hi Lorraine, thank you so much. We had such a lovely time together, it’s almost unbelievable that we only just met that night!
Do let me know when you have firm plans for your visit to Canada, I have a few air miles points and I may just decide to pop over to meet you! Now wouldn’t that be a blast?
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Aah, finally I get to see a photo! How strange to see you all together! I hope you had a wonderful time. Next time we all meet in Paris, right? (that way I get to join the party!) ;).
I hope you had a great Canada day Eva and I’m shocked to see the BBQ baking! How cool is that?! It’s a shame that the top didn’t get browned (well, not surprising given the cooking method) – I suppose I might have been tempted to blow-torch the top to give it a golden colour, or do you think that would have ruined the appearance?
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Hi Charles, it was indeed a fun meeting. And yes, I would be ALL OVER meeting you again in Paris — hopefully soon!
The cottage was a bit chilly this weekend, but it was still lovely to be away.
I don’t want to give away everything, but I didn’t allow the cake to brown on top for a very specific reason, which will be revealed on Thursday. Had I not done this additional step, I would have surely gotten out my blow-torch to colour it up a bit and add a bit of flavour to the coconut which is amazing toasted!
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Our lovely evening out already feels sooooo long ago. What a great night! I can imagine that your coconut pound cake would go great with some fresh fruit and cream. Talk soon!
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Hi Barbie, it does, doesn’t it. The pound cake does indeed go well with fresh fruit and cream…stay tuned!
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Happy Canada Day!
You didn’t take a photo of all the beautiful shoes…what a shame!
Love everything coconut! The pound cake looks awesome, Eva.
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Thanks Angie, ahhh yes, the shoes, we had quite the collection of pretty colours and heals!
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Happy Canada Day, Eva! I hope you both are having a relaxing time up at the cabin and that the weather is cooperating.
That is some cake your grilled. Grilled!?!?! Substituting homemade apple purée for half the butter was a creative — and smart — thing to do. But, again, grilled!?!?! You really do love a challenge and I cannot wait to learn of how this cake is going to be served.
Safe travels for your way home!
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Hi John, thank you for your lovely words, we had a very nice time entertaining friends and celebrating my nephew Brian’s birthday with about a dozen of his friends (they stayed at their place and we stayed at ours!).
Grilling the cake idea came by when we had that blackout years ago that affected the Eastern Seaboard, my friend was baking a cake in her oven and the power went out. She didn’t have enough propane to use her own grill, so she asked if she could use ours since it was natural gas. We obliged because she promised us cake, of course! Necessity is the mother of invention.
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http://lovelyseasonscomeandgo.wordpress.com Happy Canada Day to you! oh wow this cake looks delicious, I cannot wait to try and make it with my husband’s help of course. Thanks for posting this. Have a great day!
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Thank you for your comment Lovely Seasons, it’s nice to hear from you. I’ve learned to master the BBQ because sometimes my hubby isn’t home when I want to use it! It’s an easy cake that you can adapt to a conventional oven too.
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🙂
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BBQ cake, now that’s a first.
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Hi David, I have BBQ’d a few things which would seem quite unconventional, but if you think of the BBQ as an oven, it’s not hard to imagine what else you can bake in it; for example, I’ve baked bread when it’s too hot to turn the oven on inside and it’s worked out very well.
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G’day! Happy Canada Day, true!
Sounds like a fun time was had by all and what better way to celebrate than with friends and a fun-filled food adventure too!
Cheers! Joanne
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Thanks Joanne, it was a very fun time indeed.
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Ah, I haven’t visited in awhile, but you got me when I saw “coconut pound cake” in the title. I’m betting you could bake this in a conventional oven as well somehow. Happy Canada Day!
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Hi Sharyn, nice to hear from you. Yes indeed you can bake this in a conventional oven, I only baked it on the BBQ because of the challenge for the dinner party. Thank you so much for your kind words, hope you have a wonderful Independence Day this week too!
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