"Hoping for a Husband--or Wife?" by Living Well | Local news, sports, weather, blogs, opinion, crime, obituaries, business, directory, marketplace, education, high school, family, shopping, arts, entertainment, movies, books, cooking, auto, real estate, jobs, classifieds, photos, videos, comics, contests, and mountain pass webcams from Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Chelan, Leavenworth, Waterville, Cashmere, Quincy, Entiat, North Central Washington newspaper

Hoping for a Husband--or Wife?

Blog: Living Well

February 9, 2010

While in Brazilian tradition a "Hoping for a Husband" cake, this dessert these days might be renamed "Hoping for a Spouse" and prepared by someone hoping for a husband or wife, so turn down the lights, put on some soft music and serve up the torte with your favorite dessert wine. Here's hoping you get your heart's desire.

Hoping for a Husband--or Wife--Cake

1 ¼ cups grated fresh coconut................................................
1 cup milk
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 jar (12 oz) apricot jam or seedless raspberry jam
1 tablespoon orange-flavored liqueur
½ cup sliced unblanched almonds

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Directions 1. Heat coconut and milk in small saucepan over medium heat until hot, about 10 minutes; cool slightly. Strain milk, pressing liquid from solids; flake coconut in small bowl. Reserve.

Sift flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Cream butter and sugar in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy; beat in egg yolks until smooth. Beat egg whites in small mixer bowl until stiff but not dry; beat into egg yolk mixture alternately with dry ingredients. Beat in strained milk; fold in flaked coconut.
Pour batter into 3 buttered and floured 9 inch round baking pans; bake until wooden pick inserted into center is withdrawn clean, about 35 minutes. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.
Make Frosting
Mix jam and liqueur. Place 1 cake layer on a serving platter; spread 1/3 cup of the jam over the layer. Place second layer over first layer; spread 1/3 cup of the jam on the layer. Top with remaining layer; spread sides and top with frosting. Spread remaining 1/3 jam over top of cake. Press almond slices onto all sides of the cake, retaining some almonds to use as top decoration.

Frosting (makes about 3 cups) 1 cup whipping cream 1 ¾ cups sugar 3 eggs, separated ½ cup butter 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 ¼ cups grated fresh coconut ¼ teaspoon orange-flower water

Heat cream, 1 cup of the sugar, the egg yolks and butter in medium size saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick, about 20 minutes; cool slightly. Beat in vanilla and coconut with spoon until light. Beat egg whites in small mixer bowl until soft peaks form; beat in remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff and glossy. Stir in orange-flower water; fold egg white mixture into egg yolk mixture. Use immediately.

You can read the full article without the recipe in the World's weekend edition, in Thrive magazine.

Want to comment on this story? All Wenatchee World members are invited to comment on stories, by using the form below. Please know that we at wenatcheeworld.com hope our site is useful, entertaining and civil. So we'll delete comments that are obscene, abusive or way off topic. We appreciate it when readers use the "suggest removal" button to flag inappropriate comments. For more about interacting with the site, see our Use Policy.