Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Coconut Cake & Tropical Fruit Parfaits


I'm happy to be participating the Virtual Vegan Potluck for the first time.  Please use the "go forward" and "go back" links at the bottom of this post to continue on to more vegan deliciousness. I had a hard time deciding what to bring to the potluck, because I like fruity desserts, but I also really like cake.  These parfaits offer both, with chunks of dense coconut cake and layers of pineapple, mango, and whipped coconut cream.  Makes 8 parfaits.

The Ingredients:
1 batch coconut cupcakes (recipe follows)
1 batch whipped coconut cream (recipe follows)
4 c pineapple, chopped
4 c  mango, chopped
1/3 c flaked, unsweetened coconut

The Process:
  1. With a sharp knife, cut each cupcake in half horizontally, then into quarters vertically to get 8 bite-sized pieces.
  2. Layer 6 pieces of cake in the bottom of a glass.  Top with a layer of 1/4 c pineapple and 1/4 cup mango, then about 3 tablespoons of coconut cream.  Repeat each layer once.
  3. Top each parfait with about 2 teaspoons of coconut flakes.

Coconut Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 1/3 c flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2/3 c coconut milk
1/3 c agave
1/3 c coconut oil, melted
1 t vanilla extract
1 t coconut extract
1/2 c shredded, unsweetened coconut

Process:
  1. Preheat oven to 325°.
  2. Prepare a cupcake tin with 12 papers.
  3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine coconut milk, agave, coconut oil, and extracts.
  5. Stir wet and dry ingredients together until combined.
  6. Fold in shredded coconut.
  7. Place batter in prepared cupcake tin, and bake for 20-22 minutes or until cooked through.  Cool on a baking rack.

Whipped Coconut Cream
Ingredients:
1 can coconut milk (full-fat, not "light"), refrigerated at least 12 hours.
1 T agave
1 T pineapple juice

Process:
  1. Place a metal mixing bowl in the freezer for 10-20 minutes.
  2. Open the can of coconut milk from the bottom, and pour off the semi-translucent liquid (you can save it to use for something else).  Pour the thick white solids into the pre-frozen mixing bowl, and beat with an electric mixer at high speed until soft peaks form.
  3. Add agave and pineapple juice, and beat until soft peaks form again.
  4. Can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and kept, covered, in the fridge.
Continue on to Fridge Scrapings

22 comments:

  1. Yummo! Looks fabulous - I'm a sucker for anything tropically-inclined :)

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  2. Parfaits! What a delight!

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  3. Ooh I bet that your whipped coconut cream would be good on so many desserts. I might want to try it with OJ instead of pineapple juice on top of hot cocoa this winter!

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  4. Who doesn't love a good parfait. And with pineapple and mango YUM!

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  5. Oh golly! At last - DIY vegan whipped cream! I'll definitely be making some for my Thanksgiving pumpkin pie. Happy potluck!

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  6. I don't have much of a sweet tooth so I always struggle with ideas for puddings when I have a dinner party but this looks delicious and definitely the sort of thing I could a) manage to put together and b) enjoy! :)thanks for sharing

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  7. Cake, coconut and fruit? Sounds excellent to me - yes please!

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  8. I'm a sucker for layered, creamy desserts...Beautiful! Thank you so much for participating in the Potluck!

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  9. That sounds and looks incredible! I'm positive that coconut cake is the best kind of cake.

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  10. My mouth is watering so much now!! (It doesn't help supper is late baking in the oven, either - lol.) This looks fabulous. I'm going to have to try to make the cake gluten-free (without the light-weight gluten-free flours that I dislike.) Can't wait to play with it. :)

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  11. These look heavenly! I love parfaits, they're so pretty!

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  12. Looks fabulous! I can't believe something so creamy is vegan!

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  13. Looks spectacular! I've bookmarked this to try, as tropical fruits are coming into season now! Nice to meet you at the potluck!

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  14. Thanks for dropping by, everyone! I had a great time participating in the potluck, and have bookmarked lots of new recipes to try!

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  15. I absolutely adore these fruit parfaits! Thanks so much for being part of the potluck!!! xx

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  16. Parfaits are so great...no matter what you put in them they come out looking elegant! I love the tropical flavors...make me already longing for summer!

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  17. OMG!!!!! Drooling over here as I bookmark your page....

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  18. Your recipe sounds delicious, and looks so pretty in the glasses. Thanks for sharing :-)

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  19. I am a parfait lover, add tropical to the mix and I am super sold :)

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  20. Oh my WOW, this looks sensational! I have never tried making coconut cream and I love the pineapple idea!

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