Coconut Cake Nests
Mini fluted cakes are transformed into adorable cake nests filled with frosting, coconut "grass" and chocolate eggs.
Recipe Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
1 cup MOUNDS Sweetened Coconut Flakes
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Vanilla Frosting (ready-to-spread or your favorite recipe)
Tinted Coconut:
1/2 teaspoon water
Food color
1 cup MOUNDS Sweetened Coconut Flakes
CADBURY MINI EGGS Candy or HERSHEY'S Candy Coated Milk Chocolate Eggs (optional)
Cooking Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour twelve 4-inch fluted tube pans.
- Beat butter, shortening, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla until creamy. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add alternately with buttermilk, beating until well blended. Stir in coconut and pecans.
- Beat egg whites until stiff; fold into batter. Divide batter evenly into prepared pans.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake centers comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.
- Prepare vanilla frosting if not using ready-made.
- Prepare Tinted Coconut: Combine water and a few drops of food color in small bowl or small jar with cover or re-sealable plastic food storage bag. Add coconut. Toss with fork or shake closed jar or plastic bag until coconut is evenly coated; store in airtight container.
- Frost cake tops with vanilla frosting; sprinkle frosting with tinted coconut. Fill "nest" with 3 candy pieces that are the same color.
Makes 12 servings.
*To sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup.
Recipe and photograph courtesy of the Hershey Kitchens, and reprinted with permission of The Hershey Company. © The Hershey Company.