Coconut, Chocolate, Almond Anytime Cake

I miss my youth all the time, but I find myself especially missing it during holidays. Childhood traditions just don't translate well into young adulthood. For one, I don't live at home (thank goodness for that). Less kids at home mean my family actually gets to do fun things during breaks from school, like go to Charleston, SC or Marco Island, FL...without me. For Easter in particular, all of this means that I don't get to go to Easter mass or eat Easter brunch with everyone, or have a giant basket of goodies waiting for me when I wake up on Easter morning.

Boiled down, holidays are all about family, good food, and candy. And for the last few years, I've been using my boyfriend for both his company and family. As for the good food and candy? Oh, I've got that taken care of! Nowadays, however, I much prefer to play with my candy--or candy flavors--than to actually eat it by itself.

Hello, cake.



The base of the cake is slightly dense and wonderfully saturated, largely thanks to buttermilk (but there are also some butters helping out too). The actual flavors are inspired by the three components of an Almond Joy bar; except they are developed into something a little bit more mature. The result isn't overwhelming in any particularly flavor; instead, it's close to a perfect harmony between coconut, chocolate, and almond.



And don't you love it when a cake is beautiful and simple? There's no separating out the batter into multiple pans, cutting layers, or even icing involved. All it takes is a little sprinkling of magic--in the form of shredded coconut, slivered almonds, and cookie crumbs--just prior to baking to make this table-ready.



This no-fuss cake would be the perfect addition to your Easter breakfast or brunch. It's also a great compliment to afternoon tea. And let's not forget dessert! Really, this cake is appropriate for serving and eating at any time of day. The choice is up to you :)

Coconut, Chocolate, Almond Anytime Cake 

("Almond Joy" Cake)

Cake Base Adapted from Our Best Bites

Servings: 1 9-inch cake, 8-10 slices

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, plus 1 egg yoke
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons coconut butter
3/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon low-fat buttermilk
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup sliced almonds, plus 1 tablespoon reserved
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, plus 1 tablespoon reserved
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped
Optional: 3 tablespoons chocolate cake crumbs

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray & flour a loaf pan or 9-inch cake pan. In a bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder.

• In a separate bowl, beat together sugar, butter & oil, egg & yoke, buttermilk, and extracts until well combined (if you are using a standing mixer, mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes). Add in ½ of the flour mixture and stir until just combined, followed by the reserved tablespoon of milk. Add in the remaining flour mixture until just combined. Fold in ¼ cup almonds, coconut, and chocolate chips, taking care not to over mix.

• Pour batter into prepared pan and scatter remaining almonds, coconut, and chocolate chips or crumbs over the top of the batter. Bake 30-35 for cake pan or 50-60 minutes for loaf pan.