It’s been a busy week here in the Deadly Force world!! ONE DARK WISH, the second book in the Deadly Force series, debuted on Tuesday and EVERY DEEP DESIRE (the first book in the series) became an Amazon bestseller!!!
While my family and I have been celebrating, I’ve also been spending time with Sarah Munro (the heroine of ONE DARK WISH) and today is the last installment of Carina’s Fundraising Party–the one that I crashed with Sarah.
And this week’s recipe is one of my absolute favorite desserts: Coconut Cake.
Sarah Munro ~ “We have so much to celebrate tonight! My book (the one where I fall madly in love with my hero Nate Walker and almost lose everything due to a group of secret assassins and a psycho arms dealer) has just been released!! I’m so excited and ready to do some calorie damage with serious carbs!
I’m not sure if Carina is just annoyed at me or at everyone, but since she noticed that I brought Sharon with me to her party Carina has been bossier than ever. In fact, because a mosquito had the audacity to bite her, she moved the entire party inside her mansion. Apparently, when you’re uber wealthy and also a U.S. Senator, you have enough staff to redirect a party of over a hundred people without them even noticing.
Now we’re in her ballroom where waiters are serving coffee, cognac, and Coconut Cake. Once we find a corner to hide our shame (because we each have TWO slices of cake and multiple glasses of prosecco), Sharon raises her glass and says, “To Nate and Sarah and their book ONE DARK WISH. It was the hardest book I’ve ever written but also one of my favorites. May you and Nate be happy forever!”
We click glasses and I sip my sparkling wine when I realize something. Sharon actually has to power to change my happily ever after in later books. Now, with my hand shaking, I offer my toast. “To Sharon, now an Amazon Bestselling Author.” I figure any suck-up time I get with the woman in charge of the Deadly Force world should be exploited.
Since Sharon knows me so well, she just winks. “Everything with you and Nate will be great… for now. Try not to worry.”
Easier said than done! But as I eat the delicious cake, and Sharon and I watch Carina smoothly and silently reorder her world while walking around on stilettos and glaring at wayward guests, Sharon whispers, “I promised you and Nate a happy future. And I’ll deliver. But not everyone is going to fare so well.”
“You mean Carina?” I say around a bit of sweet coconutty frosting.
“Maybe.” Sharon raises her glass one last time. “To Happily Ever Afters. May they happen to all of us.”
“Cheers.” I clink again and bite into my second piece of cake. Considering what I know about the villains in the Deadly Force world, I’m not quite as confident as Sharon. But, for tonight, I’m willing to believe.”
Coconut Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 3/4 pound 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pans
- 2 cups sugar
- 5 extra-large eggs room temperature, lightly beaten
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting the pans
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 cup milk
- 4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
Frosting
- 1 pound cream cheese softened
- 1/2 pound 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 pound confectioners’ sugar sifted
- 6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
Cake
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Preheat at the oven to 350℉. Grease 2 9" round cake plans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Grease the pans again and dust with flour.
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Using the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium high heat for 3-5 minutes. Beat until it's yellow and fluffy. Add the eggs and then the vanilla extract and almond extract. The batter will look weird and curdled, but that's okay. It should look like this.
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In another large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set the mixture to low speed and alternate beating in the flour mixture and the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
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Fold in the coconut and pour the batter into the 2 pans, keeping them equal. Smooth the tops with a knife and bake in the center of the oven for 50-55 minutes, or until the tops are browned and a cake tester in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and cool on baking racks.
Frosting
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In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat on low and then add the confectioner's sugar. Mix until smooth and fluffy.
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Place 1 cake layer on a cake plate and spread the top with frosting. Place the other cake on top and then front the top and sides, using all the frosting. Cover the cake with shredded coconut.
