• Home
  • About
    • This IS My Real Job
    • 5 Things I’ve Learned…
  • Beautycounter
    • Become a Beautycounter Consultant: FAQs
  • Contact
  • Recipe Index
  • Travel
  • Amazon Lists
  • Instagram
  • Fitness
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Google+
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Heather's Dish

Heather's Dish

Coconut Gingerbread Loaf Cake

Share
Pin2
Tweet
2 Shares

I know it sounds weird, but go with me on this.  You’ll be glad you did!

I don’t know about you, but I love toasted coconut.  When I worked at a gourmet shaved ice place in my hometown (and yes, I’m serious…it was delicious!) my favorite flavor was toasted coconut.  And when I learned how to make it myself?  Watch out world…Heather’s eating toasted coconut tonight!

 

See, it’s so easy to make!  You take coconut, put it in a pan, and gently heat it til it’s toasted.  Pour it on a cold plate to stop the cooking and you’ve got an irresistible treat.  Done and done.  I’ll take 3 plates!

Want to know what inspired this recipe?

 

Hand soap.  Yes, you read that correctly:  my coconut and warm ginger hand soap that I want to eat every time I wash my hands.  My hands have never been so dry.

 

My nose has never been so happy.

So here’s the scoop:  you take my Mimi’s gingerbread recipe.  You add coconut milk in lieu of buttermilk.  You frost it with a simple vanilla buttercream.  You throw gobs of toasted coconut on top.  You take it to a party where it’s eaten immediately and everyone asks you for the recipe, for your inspiration, for your hand in marriage.  You just smile and graciously thank them.

 

You win.

 

The end.

COCONUT GINGERBREAD LOAF CAKE

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup molasses
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup coconut milk (the full-fat kind)
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp cloves
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup shredded coconut, toasted
  • 1 stick room temperature butter
  • 1 lb powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2-3 Tbsp milk

Preheat your oven to 350.  Grease a 9×5 loaf pan (if you don’t have a loaf pan you can do a 9-inch cake pan, but you won’t be baking it as long).  Cream together the butter and sugar, then add the molasses and eggs.  Mix well.  Sift together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon.  Alternately mix in the dry ingredients by 1/3 at a time with the coconut milk, 1/3 at a time.  Once everything is well mixed pour into the greased pan.  Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean (NOTE: if the top starts to get too brown just lightly cover with foil).  If you’re baking in a cake pan, bake for 30-35 minutes.  Meanwhile throw together the buttercream by creaming the stick of butter with the vanilla.  Add the powdered sugar and enough of the milk to reach a thick and spreadable consistency.  Let cake cool completely before frosting.  Frost the top thickly, then press the mounds of coconut into the frosting.  Enjoy!

Thick, rich, and totally delicious.  Winning.

Share
Pin2
Tweet
2 Shares


21 Comments

Subscribe for the latest.

« Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Balls
Two-Tone Cherry Pistachio Fudge »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Jenny @ Savour the Senses says

    January 27, 2012 at 4:42 am

    My roommates would die over this, they love coconut! Sounds delicious and intriguing!

    Reply
  2. Jamie says

    December 21, 2011 at 12:57 pm

    Mmmm boy does that toasted coconut make the cake so much classier and mouthwatering! Yes, please!

    Reply
  3. Marie-Sophie says

    December 15, 2011 at 1:19 pm

    Totally making this as soon as I’ve moved and I have my kitchen back!!! 🙂 Thanks, Heather!

    Reply
  4. Steve @ the black peppercorn says

    December 14, 2011 at 2:03 pm

    oh yes – toasted coconut is a wonderful flavour. One of my favourite pies is a coconut cream pie!!! mmmmmmmm – this loaf looks really tasty – I like all these flavours

    Reply
  5. Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen says

    December 13, 2011 at 8:22 pm

    Sounds good to me, I love baking with coconut milk.

    Reply
  6. Ashley says

    December 13, 2011 at 8:14 pm

    This doesn’t sound weird at all!! Love that last shot!

    Reply
  7. Deanna B. says

    December 13, 2011 at 3:24 pm

    Toasted coconut is one of the most amazing things ever, especially when I don’t burn it. The Thai restaurant down the street from me makes toasted coconut ice cream, and it is amazing. I love that you combined two of my great food loves, coconut and gingerbread.

    Should the coconut be sweetened or unsweetened? I only ask because I have both sitting in my pantry.

    Reply
    • Heather says

      December 14, 2011 at 7:15 am

      i used sweetened, but with it being on top of the frosting you could totally use unsweetened and it would still taste great!

      Reply
  8. amypersonally @ mydreamcafe says

    December 13, 2011 at 3:17 pm

    I will definitely try this one. Anything with coconut is a must for me. Enjoying your blog!

    Reply
  9. Julie @Savvy Eats says

    December 13, 2011 at 2:52 pm

    I LOVE toasted coconut. This sounds delicious (once I get over the smell of molasses, which i hate 😉 )

    Reply
  10. nicole {sweet peony} says

    December 13, 2011 at 1:07 pm

    ummm sounds amazing! i’ll admit i was skeptical at first though 🙂 love it!

    Reply
  11. Delishhh says

    December 13, 2011 at 11:42 am

    I love coconut – so all i have to say is YUM!

    Reply
  12. Urban Wife says

    December 13, 2011 at 11:29 am

    Wow. This looks beyond amazing. And I’m not even a huge coconut fan.

    Reply
  13. sara says

    December 13, 2011 at 10:47 am

    Um, YES PLEASE! This looks insanely good, yum! I’ve never combined gingerbread and coconut, but I definitely need to try it! 🙂

    Reply
  14. Lauren from Lauren's Latest says

    December 13, 2011 at 9:57 am

    Sounds amazing!!! Looks so pretty too! 🙂

    Reply
  15. Kelly @ Foodie Fiasco says

    December 13, 2011 at 9:41 am

    I’m sorry, have you seen your pictures? They. Are. BEAUTIFUL. I just did a post on Mexican lasagna, and everything just looks like mush. Ugh.

    Drooling over that cake. Oh, my keyboard shorted out. Totally worth it.

    Reply
  16. Erin says

    December 13, 2011 at 9:02 am

    I don’t think it sounds weird at all! Coconut and gingerbread HAVE to be good together – yum!

    Reply
  17. Gina @ Running to the Kitchen says

    December 13, 2011 at 8:57 am

    These pictures make me want to dive through the screen to get at that frosting! Amazing!

    Reply
  18. Jessica @ How Sweet says

    December 13, 2011 at 8:10 am

    um no, it sounds amazing!

    Reply
  19. Blog is the New Black says

    December 13, 2011 at 8:05 am

    Um… yes, please!

    Reply
  20. Lindsay @ Lindsay's List says

    December 13, 2011 at 7:54 am

    LOVE coconut! And gingerbread! Would have never thought to put them together though.

    Reply

Subscribe



Featured on BlogHer.com




Instagram

Just a couple quick reminders: ⭐️ healthy doe Just a couple quick reminders:

⭐️ healthy doesn’t have to be hard
⭐️ you’re allowed to “mess up”
⭐️ you’re allowed to be multidimensional
⭐️ don’t overcomplicate it 
⭐️ YOU ARE CAPABLE 

I have so many thoughts swirling around in my head these days, and half the time I don’t know which way is up. But I do know this: focusing on simplicity is the name of the game this year for me. It starts with the things I can control: my food intake, moving my body, my thoughts, my actions. The rest will stem from there!

Does anyone even do a word of the year anymore after 2020? If you do I’d love to see you share it below!
“I’m angry with God.” With those 4 words my “I’m angry with God.”

With those 4 words my Daddy forever changed the way I saw God. A pillar of fire didn’t come from the sky, the ground didn’t open up and swallow him whole, we didn’t get in a car wreck on the way home from piano lessons. And my Daddy never turned his heart from God; a short 20 minutes later we sat down at the dinner table and he praised him through prayer before we ate dinner. 

He taught me that when we are sad or frustrated or anxious or angry or feel that surely the weight of life will kill us - God is big enough to handle those feelings. Not just handle them, but walk closer than our breath through them. He cares, he’s there, and he even wants us to tell him. The more I think about it the more I see that my dad sharing his anger with God was the most honest display of faith I had seen up to that point.

The other day I uttered those same words in front of my boys, “I’m angry with God.” Just like me, they looked around to see where my smiting would come from, likely shocked (as I was) when it didn’t come. And just like me, they will see their parent praise God even in the midst of a firestorm of emotion. 

Why? Because God is good no matter what. My life feels like it’s crumbling before my eyes and I have no way of stopping it...but He is still on his throne. I will praise him no matter the circumstances because he has been good to me. I will write his word on my windows as a constant reminder that this life of mine is dedicated to his glory.
For someone who loves words so much, I really don' For someone who loves words so much, I really don't have many of them right now. 
.
On December 26, 2020 - after over a decade of fighting Corticobasal Degeneration, a rare progressive neurological disorder - my incredible, near-perfect Daddy left this world and has made his home with Jesus. Ever since then I've been struggling to find the words to pay homage to the most amazing man in the world. How do you sum up the life of someone who has impacted so many for good? How do I ever share how the little day-to-day expressions, smiles, words, wit, strength, grit, grace, humility, hard work and love have been woven into my very being? One of the last things I told him before he left was that there truly are no words yet for the kind of love he shared with me, my sister, and our beautiful mother. He was truly one-of-a-kind in every way, and we are so blessed because of the way he poured himself out for us. 
.
Daddy, I love you so much. The only thing that's softening the pain of your absence is knowing that those very last words I said to you - "I'll see you soon" - will come true because I know you'll be waiting for me in Heaven. My very own Daddy - you are always with me. I love you beyond words.
Just two gals who crushed a 50 minute run today! Just two gals who crushed a 50 minute run today! 

As we move into goal setting for the new year, may I suggest starting with your physical health? Not to fit the bikini body mold that society normalizes, but to actually BE as healthy as possible. When everything hit the fan for me this year I dug into two things that have been integral to creating positive growth and a healthier mindset: 

1️⃣ my relationship with God
2️⃣ my physical health

What that’s looked like for me on the health front: holding fast to my commitment to whole food nutrition, grace for the days when I choose otherwise, pushing myself to lift heavier in workouts, and taking up running again. 

What’s happened as a result? When I push myself physically, when I choose to practice discipline to do what I know is best for my body, it makes it infinitely easier to choose that same healthy discipline in every other area of life. You want to dominate your goals? Start with your health!
Remember when I blogged about food? 😂 Gosh the Remember when I blogged about  food? 😂 Gosh the past few months have been nuts. I’m still over here figuring out how to eat well without sacrificing my life in the kitchen, and this is a bowl I couldn’t NOT share with y’all. The best thing is that everything is almost always on hand in my fridge, it’s packed with nutrition, and tastes AMAZING!

In the bowl:
-rice mixed with Trader Joe’s Zhoug sauce
-broiled shredded Brussels sprouts
-chickpeas
-baby  arugula
-grilled chicken breast
-Romesco sauce (from Trader  Joe’s but I usually make my own)
-a little  tzaziki sauce

This meal has been on repeat all week, only changing the rice for riced cauliflower and omitting the chickpeas on low carb days. YUM! I find that if I have a variety of roasted veggies, grilled chicken, and a few different sauces on hand I can almost always come up with a great bowl for almost any meal!
It’s a beautiful day for Small Business Saturday It’s a beautiful day for Small Business Saturday y’all! Almost 4 years ago I took a leap of faith and said yes to this job in an effort to create another stream of revenue. I had NO CLUE that it would change my life for the better in almost every way, that it would reignite my passion for health and community, that it would provide in so many beautiful ways. But it has, and I am so thankful to all of you who have trusted me and supported me along the way. 

When you shop with a small business you are literally a hero in their eyes, validating and supporting and protecting them. You guys are my heroes, and I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart ❤️ 

#smallbusinesssaturday #happydance
Affirmations for YOU today. Even when you don’t Affirmations for YOU today. Even when you don’t feel it, these are truths that I’m holding for you. ❤️
3 things you can do RIGHT NOW to improve your day: 3 things you can do RIGHT NOW to improve your day:

1️⃣ SMILE! Even if you don’t feel like it, smiling (even forcing it to the point of feeling weird) has actually been scientifically proven to improve mood, lower stress, and boost your immune system. I actually recommend doing it awkwardly around other people because it’ll make them smile too 😉

2️⃣ GRATITUDE! Right now, before you talk yourself out of it, say or write 3 things you’re thankful for. Big, small, or in between. In this moment I’m going to say sticky notes, my Le Creuset Dutch Oven, and the Hamilton soundtrack. BOOM!

3️⃣MOVE! Get up off your tush, right now, and move your body. Walk around your house, do some jumping jacks, lock yourself in the bathroom and do a little dance, whatever. This isn’t about looking cool, it’s about giving yourself a better day. 

Things are hard, ambiguity and uncertainty isn’t fun, but we can control ONE THING: ourselves. Praying that you choose to gift yourself a little bit of happiness today! 

Now, tell me below, what’s one thing you’re thankful for RIGHT NOW?
HASHTAG MOOD. Y’all, I’m so jealous of my dog HASHTAG MOOD. Y’all, I’m so jealous of my dog 😂 Who else feels me here? 🙋🏼‍♀️ #dogdays #2020mood
Follow @HeathersDish
POPSUGAR Select PLUS

You might also like…

Gluten-Free Sweet Pumpkin Spice Cornbread is a fabulous throw-together dish that's perfect for Fall and pumpkin season. Celebrate with this on every table! @heathersdish

Gluten-Free Sweet Pumpkin Spice Cornbread

Juicing for Beginners on HeathersDish.com

Drinking the Juice

31 Days to Learn How to #liveboldly || A woman's journey to discover the boldness that lies within her own heart || HeathersDish.com

A Dare to Live Boldly

What a Food Blogger Eats: Grain-Free Paleo Pumpkin Muffins from @yummymummyblog on @heathersdish #whatafoodbloggereats

What a Food Blogger Eats: Grain-Free Pumpkin Muffins

The Announcement

Copyright © 2021 · Heather Disarro · All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2021 · Heather's Divine Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in