Coconut Cake Recipe - Here's a Healthier Version with a Tropical Twist!

Prepare tropical citrus curd ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. See recipe below.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9' pan with coconut oil. Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup sugar, ¼ c butter, ¼ c melted coconut oil and vanilla and coconut extracts in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time.

In a separate medium sized bowl sift together 1 cup flour and 1 t baking soda. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture and beat just until combined. Beat in 3/4 c yogurt or kefir and 1 c shredded coconut. Pour cake batter into prepared pan.

Bake until cake is golden brown and tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 45 to 55 minutes. Allow cake to cool completely. Add 1/2 c yougurt or kefir to curd, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Cut cake into squares, top with tropical citrus curd yogurt mixture, spoon berries alongside. Garnish with mint, if desired.

Tropical citrus curd

In a heavy saucepan, double boiler or in a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water whisk together yolks, sugar, lemon juice and lime juice. Cook, stir constantly to prevent curdling, until the mixture becomes thick like sour cream, about 160 degrees F or 71 degrees C. This will take approximately 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Add butter and virgin coconut oil and whisk into the mixture until both have melted. Add the lemon and lime zest and let cool. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools. When cooled, cover immediately (so a skin doesn't form) and refrigerate until cold. The curd can be made several days in advance.

Notes:

1. Can substitute sugar with; Rapadura, brown rice syrup, white rice syrup, malt extract, dried extract malt, barley malt extract, barley malt syrup, sucanat sugar, sucant, evaporated cane sugar, date sugar, corn high maltose syrup, sorghum syrup, maple syrup, turbinado sugar, pure maple syrup (dehydrated maple syrup), amasake, blue agave nectar (agave sugar, agave sweetener or agave syrup) Note: Refer to a baking guide for the correct amount to substitute for the sugar and for adjustments to the amount of liquids.

2. For a healthier choice, whenever possible, choose organic raw milk and other raw dairy products such as; raw cream, raw butter, raw cheese etc. Further information: US - The Campaign for Real Milk www.realmilk.com and in Canada - Natural Milk - www.naturalmilk.org

3. For a healthier choice, whenever possible, use eggs from pasture fed chickens. Eggs from commercial, battery raised hens are less nutritious, higher in omega-6 and much lower in omega-3 than 'farm laid' eggs. Choose organic 'free-run' pasture fed chickens that graze on grass and insects. It is also important to find out the percentage of grain they consume. Avoid soy fed birds.

4. Choose organic, non-enriched flour when possible. Can substitute regular flour with; coconut flour, spelt flour, rice flour, brown rice flour, gluten free flour, tapioca flour, potato flour, rye flour, teff flour, oat flour, sorghum flour, barley flour, chestnut flour, buckwheat flour etc.

5. Kefir is a cultured, creamy product available in fine shops and health food stores. It has amazing health attributes. Kefir's tart and refreshing flavour is similar to a drinking-style yogurt, but it contains beneficial yeast as well as friendly 'probiotic' bacteria found in yogurt. The naturally occurring bacteria and yeast in kefir give superior health benefits when consumed regularly. It is loaded with valuable vitamins and minerals and contains easily digestible complete proteins. For the lactose intolerant, kefir's abundance of beneficial yeast and bacteria provide lactase, an enzyme which consumes most of the lactose left after the culturing process. You can make your own Kefir at home using kefir grains and a base of any type of milk, cow, goat, sheep or even coconut milk! For the lactose intolerant, kefir's abundance of beneficial yeast and bacteria provide lactase, an enzyme which consumes most of the lactose left after the culturing process.