AT 85-YEARS-OLD, my Mother still loves to entertain. She had an Easter brunch for 16 people and when she half-heartedly invited me, she didn't think I would really make the trip. After thinking for a while, and talking to my husband about it, I decided, sure why not?
With only three days notice, I made an 800 mile round trip which included driving twice through the sprawling hellscape of Atlanta. Everyone in the Southeast knows about "driving through Atlanta". The people who live in Atlanta know about "driving through Atlanta".
When I got to Mama's, she asked me to make the cake. In an old box of recipes, she had found her own Mother's tattered, yellowed, hand-written recipe for coconut cake. That makes this recipe at least a hundred years old.
The actual cake was a basic pound cake. It is topped with a unique, cooked icing. A sturdy cake is needed to stand up to this icing (not frosting) which is substantial and glaze-like. Poke some holes in the cake before spooning on the hot icing and also let it run down the sides. Don't let the cake's homely appearance dissuade you; this is a scrumptious cake, which tastes even better the second day.
Mama is not only a fabulous cook, she grows her own flowers for decorations and sets a beautiful table. The menu included baked ham, scrambled eggs, baked cheese grits, fruit salad, roasted asparagus with olive oil and lemon, and fluffy homemade rolls.
It was a wonderful party!
Old-Fashioned Southern Coconut Icing
1 1/2 cups milk
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup (4 oz.) butter
2 cups fresh (or frozen and thawed) grated coconut
In a heavy 3 quart saucepan, bring the ingredients to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir until thickened, about 15 - 20 minutes. Stir in coconut and continue cooking until thick, about another 10 minutes.
Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Prick it several times with a toothpick then spoon over about one third of the hot icing. Top with the other cake layer, prick a few holes, and evenly pour over the remaining icing letting it drip down the sides of the cake.
Driving through Atlanta is no picnic! I've done it a couple of times. Although now that I think about it, maybe not a bad idea to pack a picnic. ;-) Anyway, fun post, great cake. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteAnd what would you pack for your picnic, John? Deviled Ham? I actually love Atlanta and have lived there, which is much different than driving through. Thank you for your comment.
DeleteThat frosting sounds great! It also sounds like you had a great time, I am so glad you went.
ReplyDeleteMelynda, I had a really great time and I'm glad I went too. Mama loved the cake and that makes me very happy. Thanks for your comment.
DeleteI've been looking for a recipe like this for years. Excellent!
ReplyDeleteThe icing is excellent but it does take some time to cook. I hope you love it as much as we do.
DeleteI have been asking about a recipe like this for years and no one knew what I was talking about. My childhood best friend mother made this and I have been searching and no one knew what i was referring to and always gave me creamy recipes. Thanks for sharing
DeleteI was pretty happy to get the recipe from my Mother. I can remember my Grandmother's coconut cake looking just like this.
DeleteYes I can't remember my grandmother making this when I was a child and then my mother started making it runs in my family great cake
DeleteThe recipe says "1/2 cup (8 oz.) butter. 1/2 cup actually equals 4 oz of butter. Did you mean 1/2 lb. which is equal to 8 oz.? Please send your reply soon. This sounds so delicious that I can't wait to make it!
ReplyDeleteI had to call my Mom and she had to find her recipe. The original recipe calls for 1 stick butter. I have corrected the recipe. I apologize for the confusion. --Rocquie
DeleteI have been serching for this icing a very long time, my mother in law , uded to order a cake like this at Christmas! Mrs Stalling used to make them and we loved it and it had tiny sugar crystals in it and no one else made it like this! idk if she let some of the mixture cook longer or if she cooked it longer but it was some crystals in it...and i never knew how to even begin making it, so thanks a lot....i thnk it used to be a blue can of cream of coconut ...but you can't get that anymore...i think i will add coconut add a half a cup of coconut milk and 1 cup of reg and make it whole milk because 100 years ago that is what the probably used....
ReplyDeleteThis is such a sweet an awesome post! I hope that your sweet mother is still with you and able to entertain! This is the type of cake I grew up with! The only kind of coconut cake I knew anything about until I was older. The only difference it seems is the cake itself. Of course, when my grandmother and great aunt's made it it was made from scratch too. It wasn't really a pound cake type ...it was just a yellow mix that was used for all their layer cakes. Chocolate, Coconut, Pineapple, etc. They made very thin layers so a cake could have anywhere from abt 4 or 6 to 12 (chocolate was usually more). And my grandma used a fork to poke her holes. Of course they didn't measure anything either...lol. When my grandmother was much older and the cake mixes had become so good she started using them for the cake itself. I'm not sure if my aunt's ever did or not.
ReplyDeleteMy Mama is still with us! Check out this Pink Champagne Cake I made for her 90th birthday party. http://sagetrifle.blogspot.com/search/label/Cake Thank you for your sweet comment, Rocquie
DeleteMy mother didn't add the coconut to the icing. She poured the icing on the layers and sprinkle the coconut on top. After she coated the layers she spread the remaining icing around the layers. She used her hand to pat the remaining coconut around the entire cake. It was so beautiful and delicious.
ReplyDeleteHi Rocquie - you said this icing required a heavy cake. Does that mean a box cake would not work?
ReplyDelete