Boasting cranberries in the compote filling, pink glaze topping, and garnish, these delightful cake stacks, studded with coconut and macadamia nuts, are bursting with delightful flavor. Pictured with our Pink Lemonade Spritz Cookies and Hibiscus-Rose Tartlets.
Cranberry, Macadamia Nut & Coconut Mini Cakes
Serves: 12
Ingredients
- 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1⁄8 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1⁄4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1⁄4 cup toasted and finely chopped macadamia nuts
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1⁄4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1⁄2 cup full-fat coconut milk
- Cranberry-Orange Compote (recipe follows)
- Cranberry Glaze (recipe follows)
- Garnish: Sugared Cranberries (recipe follows) and fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 14 1⁄2x9 1⁄2-inch rimmed baking sheet with baking spray with flour. Line bottom of baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray parchment paper with baking spray with flour.
- In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, coconut, nuts, baking powder, and salt. With mixer at low speed, gradually add to butter mixture alternately with coconut milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating after each addition just until combined. Pour batter into prepared baking sheet. Using an offset spatula, smooth top of batter.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool completely in baking sheet.
- Using a 1 3⁄4-inch round cutter, cut 24 rounds from cake, discarding scraps. Spoon Cranberry-Orange Compote onto 12 cake rounds. Top each with remaining cake rounds to make 12 (2-layer) stacks.
- Place Cranberry Glaze in a piping bag and cut a 1⁄4-inch opening. Pipe glaze onto tops of cake stacks in an even circle, neatly covering tops without running over. (Use a toothpick to guide icing toward edges of cake, if necessary.)
- Garnish each cake stack with a Sugared Cranberry and a mint leaf, if desired.
Cranberry-Orange Compote
Serves: approximately 1⁄2 cup
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
- 1⁄3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
- 1⁄4 cup fresh orange juice
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, cook together cranberries, sugar, zest, and juice over medium heat until cranberries burst and mixture thickens slightly. Transfer compote to a heatproof bowl, and refrigerate until chilled, at least 20 minutes and up to 2 days, before using.
Cranberry Glaze
Serves: ¼ cup
Ingredients
- 1⁄3 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 teaspoons cranberry juice
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together confectioners’ sugar and juice until smooth. Use immediately.
Sugared Cranberries
Serves: 12
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1⁄2 cup water
- 12 fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
Instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan, heat together 1⁄2 cup sugar and 1⁄2 cup water over medium heat, stirring occasionally, just until sugar dissolves. Let cool slightly. Stir in cranberries until coated in syrup. Using a slotted spoon, remove cranberries from syrup, letting excess drip off, and place on prepared baking sheet. Let dry for 30 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, toss together cooled cranberries and remaining 1⁄2 cup sugar. Use immediately.
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