Almond, Coconut & Raspberry Layer Cake
Moist white cake, zingy raspberry filling and decadent snowy icing make this festive treat the year’s must-have dessert.
Moist white cake, zingy raspberry filling and decadent snowy icing make this festive treat the year’s must-have dessert.
This showstopping dessert will wow your crowd with both its looks and its taste. The combination of moist cakes, mascarpone icing and orange cream is a match made in heaven.
Every spring we would eagerly anticipate the phone call. We never knew when it was coming. Sometimes it came in April, sometimes in May, and sometimes in June. Grandma would call and tell my Dad there was a package coming for us bus parcel express and that he had better be there to meet it . My Dad would shout, "Grandma's sending morels!" The entire day was then spent in morel anticipation. Dad would take one of the kids out to buy the finest steaks money could buy, and to be at the bus station to get the morels when they arrived. No matter what time of the day it was, he'd then rush home and prepare a to-die-for steak and morel feast. When my Grandma got a little older and could no longer go hunting for morels, the roles shifted. Dad took the whole family out searching for morels every spring. (That's when fiddle heads, which are found in the forest at the same time as morels, were added to the morel feast.) Sometimes we were successful, and sometimes we were not; but when we were fortunate enough to find the elusive treats, Dad always packaged some on ice and bus parcel expressed them to Grandma. This recipe melds the succulent, addictive flavour of morels with the scent of springtime in the forest. It is a Canadian gastronomic delight!
The shimmering metallic accents on this cake go beautifully with any bride's colour scheme. Look for prepared gum paste and rolled fondant at any cake-decorating supply store. Gum paste mix is also widely available and can be mixed according to package directions for the same result. To give the flowers a curved shape, set them on a plastic artist's paint palette with round wells. Gum paste dries quickly, so by the time you've filled all of the wells, you can begin to remove the flowers to make room for more.
For the past 25 years I have been receiving Canadian Living magazine, have purchased the cookbooks and special publications. I have several file folders that are stuffed to overflowing with years' worth of my favorite recipes. A few years ago I finally gave away most of my mother's cookbook collection because I never used them. Those well used folders of CL recipes are the foundation of my cooking. I often think of CL magazine as a proud parent - one of my proud parents. Canadian Living has been with me from my infancy as a cook and has stood by me as my kitchen skills were honed and my cooking instincts matured. I would not be the cook I am today without CL. So, thank you, thank you, thank you for the years of wonderful meals and lessons. My guests think I am a cooking genius but it is the support system behind the cook that is the real genius.
I created this recipe because I love Greek inspired flavours and I love make-ahead meals when entertaining. You can enjoy a day out with family and friends and still have dinner ready for your guests half an hour after you get home. This meal can be made early in the day of the dinner or the day before guests arrive. The recipe looks daunting but it is not difficult to put together. The key is to chop and prep all of the vegetables and fresh herbs needed for all components prior to cooking. Use ready to go pre-washed, packaged spinach. If made ahead the flavours have a chance to meld together. This recipe features BC halibut, prairie grown wild rice and walnuts that grow in many regions of Canada. Also, Canadian orchard fresh nectarines when in season. During spring and summer use locally grown farm fresh herbs and vegetables (or from your garden) as well as locally produced free range or organic eggs.
Approx. cost: $90.00
