Please update your Google Reader! http://feeds.feedburner.com/howsweeteats/smSp
Mother Lovett baked constantly. If you haven’t read her story, one memorable detail is that she suffered a heart attack while hand-mixing cake batter. Even in the hospital she worried more about her messy kitchen than anything else.
I clearly didn’t inherit her obsession for tidiness—I can barely be bothered to wash a dish. When we lived in our so-called castle, we didn’t have a dishwasher, and dishes piled in the sink until they became ridiculous. I’m not sure why we were so unhappy there; perhaps it had something to do with me not cleaning, skipping showers, and refusing to leave the couch. My husband would probably agree.
Growing up, Mother Lovett would bake every Saturday—pies, cakes, and all manner of sweets to carry the family through the week. One of her specialties was an orange cake. Full disclosure: she often used boxed cake mix. I don’t mind boxed mixes myself, but I prefer scratch baking when I can, so I adapted her orange cake into a yellow cake from scratch and loved the result.
She always made me zest the oranges, which felt like busywork at the time. That’s likely why she had my grandfather do it later—she wasn’t shy about delegating. The orange zest adds brightness, though, and it was worth the fuss.
I had a hard time resisting the freshly squeezed orange juice while I was baking.
I’ve never been a big juice drinker, but lately my husband and I have been enjoying a glass of OJ each morning. It’s refreshing—apart from his habit of measuring it obsessively in ounces every day.
Once the batter was ready, I added the key flavors: fresh orange juice, plenty of zest, and a handful of shredded coconut. The coconut added a lovely texture and a tropical note that complemented the citrus.
The batter was dangerously tempting—the creamy, coconut-scented mixture was nearly irresistible.
I finished the cupcakes with an orange cream cheese frosting inspired by Mother Lovett’s recipe. She left out the cream cheese, but I can’t imagine frosting without it; it adds a tang and richness that balances the sweet powdered sugar and bright orange.
Orange Coconut Cupcakes
yellow cake recipe adapted from smitten kitchen
4 cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
zest of 5 oranges
1 cup shredded coconut
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pans with liners.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition. At low speed, beat in the buttermilk until just combined—the batter may look slightly curdled. Add the flour mixture in three additions, mixing until each is incorporated. Stir in the orange juice, orange zest, and shredded coconut.
Fill cupcake liners about three-quarters full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Zest of 2 oranges
1 to 1 1/2 pounds powdered sugar, sifted
Cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add about half of the powdered sugar, then mix in the orange juice and zest. Add the remaining powdered sugar and beat until the frosting reaches your desired consistency. Adjust powdered sugar as needed.
Top each cupcake with frosting and sprinkle with additional shredded coconut if desired.
I always leave a few cupcakes plain when I bake with coconut because some people—like my husband and brothers—aren’t fans. Last night I teased my husband that if he truly loved me, he’d love coconut too. Maybe he’ll make that his New Year’s resolution.
Happy New Year!