Pumpkin Coconut Cake

Super moist, and deliciously pumpkin flavoured, this Pumpkin Coconut Cake is a perfect dessert for the cooler months ahead. Pair this cake with your favourite hot beverage for a delightful chilly afternoon indulgence!

Pumpkin Coconut Cake is one of my favourite cakes. It’s absolutely delicious! Not only does it taste great, but it’s also very moist and it presents beautifully. Pumpkin becomes my life in the fall of the year. I really can’t get enough of it.  One day, I promise, I’m going to buy whole pumpkins from a local farmer’s market and make my own version of a pumpkin puree. Don’t get me wrong, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking a shortcut and using the store-bought canned variety, but sometimes (just sometimes!) as a food blogger, I feel guilty about using store-bought products.

It’s almost like I’m cheating, or taking the easy way out.  But, if I applied that same rationale to everything I prepare for this blog, my recipe count would be very low!  Store-bought it is for now, then!

One of the things that I love most about this recipe – other than the fact that it’s so delicious! – is that this recipe uses both real pumpkin puree and a pumpkin spice blend. So, you know you’re getting the real deal here! Many times, pumpkin-flavoured recipes only have the spices, so the addition of the puree really adds so much more pumpkin flavour, not to mention the fact that the puree helps to keep the loaf super soft and moist too!

WELCOME TO A LORD BYRON CHRISTMAS!

I’m going to tell you all about this recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season, but first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. I know we’re getting closer to the big day, so it’s time to get to the holiday-themed recipes! Over the past decade, I have built a reputation for sharing series-type recipes. The most popular would be my annual 24 Cookies of Christmas, which was fashioned after an advent calendar. But, I have others that are only 12 days, which were fashioned after the 12 Days of Christmas.

This particular recipe is a part of my first holiday series for this year. So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Pumpkin Recipes Series. Just like every other series that I’ve shared over the years, this one will also see a new recipe shared each day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW AND NEVER MISS ANOTHER RECIPE!

Traditionally, every year I share a series of recipes that you might already be familiar with. For example, I’ve previously shared 12 Holiday Trifles, 12 Holiday Bars & Squares, and even these 12 Edible Holiday Wreath recipes! Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! And, just in case you’re curious, you can see previous annual posts for my 24 Cookies of Christmas Series here!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Pumpkin Puree – Most of us buy this in a can, but you can make it yourself.  It is peeled and cooked pumpkin that has been pureed without the addition of any other ingredients.
• Sugar
• Vegetable Oil
• Eggs
• Vanilla Extract – You can use pumpkin extract for more pumpkin flavour if you wish.
• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Pumpkin Spice – This is a blend of ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.  Depending on the brand, allspice is sometimes absent, but I think the flavour is better with it. I have a homemade version that I use for everything. You can find it here.
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda
• Salt
• Unsweetened Coconut
• Confectioner’s Sugar – Optional. Used as a garnish only.

HOW TO MAKE A PUMPKIN COCONUT CAKE

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. In a large bowl, add the pumpkin puree, eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla. Using a mixer, beat until well combined – about 3 minutes. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix into the pumpkin mixture until well combined. Lastly, use a rubber spatula to fold in the coconut.

Pour the batter into prepared bundt pan. Do not fill the bundt pan more than 3/4 full! (If you have leftover batter, you can use it to make muffins. Transfer the leftover batter to greased muffin tins, again, no more than 3/4 full and bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean.) Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. (No more than 35 minutes depending on each individual oven.)

Allow cake to cool for 20 minutes before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to continue cooling. Once fully cooled, dust with confectioner’s sugar if you so desire.

THE TYPE OF COCONUT IS IMPORTANT

When it comes to coconut to bake with, there are two kinds – sweetened and unsweetened. Those two types can be found in different levels of fineness and coarseness. It’s important to use unsweetened coconut for this recipe because the cake might be too sweet otherwise.

You’ll want to use unsweetened coconut. The size of the shredded coconut won’t make a difference to the taste, but it certainly will make a difference to the look. The longer shreds of coconut might make for a messier cake and you want your delicious cake to look just as amazing as it tastes!

Depending on the brand, some coconut is shredded, grated, or desiccated. Shredded usually refers to larger pieces, while grated tends to be smaller. Desiccated has nothing to do with the size of the pieces but means the coconut is dried or the moisture has been removed. In most cases, you will find a fine or medium grade. Medium is my personal coconut of choice in most cases and it is what I used here.

HERE’S WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE A PUMPKIN SPICE BLEND

• Cinnamon – Cinnamon is a spice created from the inner bark of the Cinnamomum tree.   The bark is dried until it curls into a roll known as a cinnamon stick.  These are ground into powder.  Commonly found in baked goods, cinnamon is aromatic with a warming flavour.
• Ginger – Ground ginger is fresh ginger that has been peeled and dried before being ground into a powder.  It has a pale yellow in colour and a pungent, spicy smell.  It adds a warming, spicy flavour to recipes.
• Nutmeg – Nutmeg is a seed that comes in whole or ground form.  It is a key ingredient in many baked goods and is essential to anything eggnog related.  I often use it in fall dishes, especially in mashed potatoes!
• Allspice – Contrary to what its name suggests, allspice isn’t a blend of other spices.  Allspice comes from a dried brown berry from a tree.  It is a warm-tasting spice and is very aromatic.
• Cloves – Ground cloves come from whole cloves which have been finely ground.  They are a flower bud that comes from the clove tree.  Whole dried cloves look like small nails.  The name clove comes from the Latin word for nail.  They are extremely fragrant and commonly found in spiced cakes and confections.

BAKING A PERFECT CAKE

Whenever I bake a cake, I have to fight the desire to open the oven door and take a peak. It’s because I’m a control freak and I tend to worry and obsess over just about everything. If you open that oven door, you will put all of your cake-making effort at risk.

When I was a kid, I remember my mother giving us all a very stern warning whenever she baked. “Don’t walk too hard on the floor!” she would shout. The vibrations in the floor from a heavy walker would flatten her cake or her bread. I’m not sure it ever happened, or if it would! We were too afraid to test it.

That same warning should be applied to the oven door. Opening the door can release heat, depending on how long you leave the door open. And, maybe my mother was on to something about vibrations. Maybe the oven door causes a little shift or jolt, resulting in a deflated cake. Don’t risk it folks!

THIS CAKE DEMANDS TEA OR COFFEE!

Maybe it’s my British heritage, or maybe it’s because I know a good thing when I see it! Afternoon sweet treats with a cup of tea or coffee have always been a part of my life.  An afternoon hot beverage is very common in Newfoundland, and I still have coffee almost every afternoon.  On the weekends, particularly, I love to have my coffee with a scone, a biscuit, or a piece of cake.

That’s what I love about this Pumpkin Coconut Cake. It’s a cake that has no fuss about it; it’s really not that difficult to make. And, you don’t need to do anything fancy with it to fully enjoy it. I simply dusted the top of the cake with confectioner’s sugar – decorating couldn’t get any easier than that! Slice off a wedge and sit back with a hot coffee or tea. Nothing can beat that! How long is it going to take you? Ten or fifteen minutes? I think everyone deserves a little downtime once in a while. And, while you’re at it, have a piece of cake! Life is short; enjoy it!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!