Chocolate Mocha Coconut Cake with Coconut and Chocolate Buttercream (Portal Cake)

How has your summer been? I'm sad because mines' almost over. Just a couple more weeks then I have to start school again! Anyways, I have very good news to share with all of you!

I just got into the nursing program at my university! No more being unsure! No more having to worry about my future! It's literally in my hands now. With that feeling aside, I know I won't be able to bake as much anymore. It's upsetting, but I have to do what I have to do right? Sacrifices must be made! Feelings must be hurt! People must be pushed aside!

Ugh, the reality of it all is truly daunting.

On a better note, my brother's birthday was just a couple days ago! To celebrate, I made a Portal cake! Apparently this cake is from a game called Portal. I have no clue as to what that is, but now I know that this "companion cube" that I've seen countless of other times is from the same game. I just know that this cake looks amazing. The cake itself is moist and delicious! Truly one of my best works! I also made a cake shaped like a pokeball!

I made a chocolate mocha coconut cake for the portal cake. The layers in between are coconut buttercream and the outside layer is composed of regular chocolate buttercream. After I put the layer of chocolate buttercream, I used cut chocolate to make the rugged design on the outside. In place of whip cream, I used standard vanilla buttercream on the top of the cake! Maraschino cherries go on top of it.

For the portal cake, you need:
4 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate shaved/broken or chocolate shavings
8 maraschino cherries
Whip cream or white frosting
*Refer to here for assembly.

I think it looks stunning! I give it an A+++! :D Hmm...pictures in natural light always turn out wonderful! Don't you think?! :)

Original recipe from The Heritage Cook.

Chocolate Mocha Coconut Cake:
For a 2 layer cake (8 in)

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
6 tbsp instant coffee powder or espresso powder
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp sour cream

Extra butter and flour to coat pans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg and sugar until smooth and no lumps remain. Add milk, butter and vanilla, and mix until combined.
3. Sift dry ingredients together in another bowl and add to wet mixture. Mix until batter is smooth, and then stir in sour cream.
4. Coat pans with butter, then sift extra flour on top. Discard any excess flour from the pan. Distribute cake batter into both pans so that they have around the same amount. Bake for around 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Chocolate Buttercream:

Yields around 3 cups - Recipe from Savory Sweet Life

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks or 1/2 pound), softened
3 to 3 1/3 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 tablespoons milk

Instructions:

1. Cream butter for a few minutes in a mixer on medium speed. 
2. Turn off the mixer. 
3. Sift 3 cups powdered sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl. 
4. Turn your mixer on the lowest speed until the sugar and cocoa are absorbed by the butter. 
5. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and milk and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add a little more sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add additional milk 1 tablespoon at a time.

Coconut Buttercream:

Yields around 3 cups

Ingredients:
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
3 to 3 1/3 cups powdered sugar or more if needed
Pinch kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 to 2 tsp coconut extract
1 to 3 tbsp of coconut milk or regular milk, or as needed
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Directions:

1. Cream butter in the bowl of an electric mixture until completely smooth and creamy. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in powdered sugar. Gradually increase mixer speed and add salt, vanilla, and coconut extracts. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally. Continue to whip for another 4 to 5 minutes, scraping sides and bottom of bowl as needed.
2. If frosting is too thick, add coconut milk, 1 tsp at a time until desired consistency is reached. If it’s too thin, add powdered sugar gradually until it thickens.
3. Fold in shredded coconut and mix until just combined.

Chocoflan

Chocoflan!

I've been reading a lot lately. After I read The Hunger Games, I just kept going like an insane maniac looking for new books to read. I am currently reading The Running Dream by Wendelin van Draneen.

Divergent, Insurgent by Veronica Roth

One book that I've read since my spree was Divergent by Veronica Roth. Let me tell you, that was the book that definitely satisfied my HG withdrawals. It was absolutely amazing! There is also a second book (it is a trilogy) called Insurgent that is equally amazing. I recommend it to anyone that loves dystopian novels. I had the pleasure of actually meeting Veronica Roth during her Dark Days Tour! I was so happy, especially since I was able to get both books signed by her! It was my first time at a book signing and my first time meeting an author. I guess when I went up to meet her I was "starstruck"... I could barely keep my composure and talk normally! Pretty embarrassing actually...

Veronica Roth at her Dark Days Tour

On a different note, I got 12 bug bites on my legs across a span of 2 weeks. SO itchy! :( No more wearing shorts! Ugh.

Last week, I made this really cool cake/flan - Chocoflan! Chocoflan is a Mexican dessert which combines layers of caramel, creamy flan, and rich chocolate cake. It was delicious! I made this for my neighbors' block party and all of them raved about it! The whole cake was almost gone by the time the night ended! 

The cool thing about this dessert is the magic that happens when you bake it! When assembling, the layers go like this: caramel sauce, chocolate cake, flan. After it's done baking: caramel sauce, flan, chocolate cake! The flan and the chocolate cake switch spots! Amazing! See! It's magic!

Not really...it's actually because the flan is more dense than the cake, causing them to invert places. Another example of this is when you place oil in water or a pool noodle in water, they always float to the top. I think I have never been more excited to make a cake before. The whole time I was giggling, I bet you will too! 

Inside the Chocoflan!

This is definitely something I would make again and again! Make sure to let it cool down completely before taking it out of the bundt pan! I wasn't able to and the flan kind of sank a little bit on the sides. Also, make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature. It must be soft or else it will not blend into the flan mixture, leaving glops of it behind. If you do, just simply strain the mixture and add more lost cream cheese.

I used dulce de leche as the caramel sauce for my cake. I made it from one 14oz can of condensed milk. I was short on time so I made it the quick way, by microwave.

Recipe from Marcela Valladolid's Mexican Made Easy. 

Chocoflan:

Makes about 12 servings

Ingredients:
12-cup capacity Bundt pan
Softened butter, to coat pan
1/4 cup cajeta or caramel sauce

For the cake:
10 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

For the flan:
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the garnish:
1/4 cup cajeta or caramel sauce

Directions:

1. Put an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
2. Coat a Bundt pan with a little butter, then coat the bottom with 1/4 cup cajeta and put it in a large roasting pan. (The roasting pan will serve as a water bath during baking.)
3. For the cake: Add the butter and sugar to a bowl and using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa in a medium bowl. Beat 1/3 of the flour mixture, and 1/2 of the buttermilk into the egg mixture. Repeat, ending with the flour mixture. Blend until well incorporated.
4. For the flan: In a blender, combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, cream cheese, eggs and vanilla. Blend on high for 30 seconds.
5. Scoop the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan and spreading evenly. Slowly pour the flan mixture over the cake batter. Cover with foil and add about 1-inch of hot water to the roasting pan.
6. Carefully slide the pan into the oven, and bake 1 hour, until the surface of the cake is firm to the touch, or an inserted toothpick comes out clean. When cake is done, remove from the water bath and cool completely to room temperature, about 1 hour.
7. Invert a large, rimmed serving platter over the Bundt pan, grasp tightly together, giggle a little and flip over. Remove the pan and scrape any remaining cajeta from the pan onto the cake and serve!

Hmmm...Everytime I look at my pictures, I want a new camera! Point and shoots. Or I should take pictures during the day in natural light. Haha.