As a child one of my favorite candy bars was an Almond Joy. Moist coconut topped with crunchy almonds and slathered in chocolate made for the perfect special treat. As I grew older my love for this flavor combination continued and here it has manifested itself in an amazingly moist and flavor packed cake that is sure to disappear all too quickly.
I’ve adapted this cake from The Brown Eyed Baker. The cake is rich and moist and filled with coconut goodness thanks in part to using three different types of coconut. Coconut oil takes the place of traditional butter or vegetable oil thus making the cake both moist and flavorful. Coconut milk adds an additional punch ensuring that you taste coconut in every bite. And if that isn’t enough, you get a touch of crunchy toasted coconut on top of the cake. Its delicious.
ALMOND JOY BUNDT CAKE
For the Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup coconut oil
2½ cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1⅓ cups unsweetened coconut milk
For the Glaze:
4 to 6 tablespoons coconut milk
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
6 ounces dark chocolate, melted and still warm
Shredded coconut & sliced almonds, toasted, to garnish
To make the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-cup or 12-cup Bundt pan and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the coconut oil and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the eggs and the yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Scrape down the bowl again, add the almond and vanilla extracts and beat until just incorporated.
- Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the coconut milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, mixing after each addition until just combined. Be careful not to overtax the batter.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top into an even layer.
- Bake until a sharp knife or toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs, 50 to 55 minutes.
- Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool completely before continuing.
To make the Glaze:
- In a large bowl, whisk together 4 tablespoons of the coconut milk, the almond extract and vanilla extract.
- Add the powdered sugar and whisk until incorporated and smooth.
- Slowly stir in the melted chocolate. The glaze should be thick yet pourable; adjust with additional coconut milk if necessary.
- Pour the glaze in large, thick ribbons over the crown of the cake, allowing the glaze to spread and drip down the sides of the cake.
- Top with the toasted shredded coconut immediately and slivered almonds.
- Allow the glaze to set before serving.
Yields 16 slices
Tagged: almonds, chocolate, coconut, coconut milk, coconut oil
This cake looks delicious!