Coconut and Cardamom Cake

• Total Time

  1 hour 30 minutes (plus 2–3 hours for cooling)

The nutty and mildly floral flavors of East African mkate mimina, a bouncy yeasted rice cake, inspired this version of a classic American-style yellow cake. Here the sweet, buttery batter gets a kiss of coconut extract and floral ground cardamom. Think of the toasted coconut flakes that blanket the tender cake like sprinkles on steroids: They add both flavor and tons of crunchy-chewy texture. As always, make sure the cake has cooled completely before frosting it. 

Depending on the climate, your buttercream might split. To avoid this, make sure all buttercream ingredients are the same temperature and resist the urge to use high speed; keeping a medium to medium-high speed on the mixer will ensure your emulsion stays together. If the mixture still splits, remove about ⅓ cup of the frosting and warm in the microwave until melted. Return to the rest of the buttercream and whisk; the heat should help form a stable buttercream. 

Ingredients

8–10 servings

Preparation

1. Cake

   Step 1

   Place a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 325°. Grease an 8″-diameter cake pan with unsalted butter and line with a parchment paper round.

   Step 2

   Whisk 1⅓ cups (167 g) all-purpose flour, 1¼ tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ½ tsp. ground cardamom in a medium bowl to combine.

   Step 3

   Beat 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar and ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add 2 large eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, and ½ tsp. coconut extract and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low and gradually pour in ½ cup whole milk; beat until incorporated. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix to combine. Add dry ingredients and gently fold in with spatula just until no dry spots remain.

   Step 4

   Scrape batter into prepared cake pan; smooth surface. Bake cake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 45–50 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool, 1–2 hours.

   Do ahead: Cake can be baked 2 days ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.

2. Frosting and assembly

   Step 5

   While the cake is cooling, heat a dry small skillet over medium. Toast 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut, stirring often, until mostly golden brown, 5–7 minutes. Immediately transfer to a small bowl and let cool (coconut will continue to darken slightly as it cools).

   Step 6

   Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, in a medium bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add 2 cups (220 g) powdered sugar in 2 additions, beating until combined after each addition. Add ¾ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt and ½ tsp. coconut extract and beat until incorporated. Reduce speed to medium-low and beat, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until mixture is very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add ¼ cup heavy cream and beat until frosting is smooth. Frosting should be spreadable; if it’s too thick, beat in more cream 1 Tbsp. at a time.

   Step 7

   Invert cake onto a platter and unmold; carefully remove parchment paper. Using an offset spatula, spread frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle shredded coconut over to coat top and sides; press gently to adhere.

   Do ahead: Frosting can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature, then beat until fluffy again before using.