Ingredient: pink gel food color

Double Strawberry Mini Muffins

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Double Strawberry Mini Muffins

These cute little pink muffins are the strawberriest muffins ever. I had to use a word that’s not even in the dictionary to describe them because these little gems are bursting with strawberry flavor. They’re made with fresh strawberry purée and finished with homemade strawberry sugar. The strawberry purée helps to make the muffins soft and moist on the inside and the strawberry sugar gives a nice crunchy texture and a bright strawberry flavor on the outside.

The strawberry sugar is made by pulverizing freeze dried strawberries together with sugar. Freeze dried strawberries are not the same as dried strawberries. You can find freeze dried strawberries at grocery markets, gourmet stores and online. They’re typically located near the nuts and dried fruit in most markets.

To watch the Instagram video of Double Strawberry Mini Muffins click here.

Double Strawberry Mini Muffins

Strawberry Mini Muffins Coated in Homemade Strawberry Sugar
Print Recipe
Servings 24 mini muffins

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup (200g) plus 2 tablespoons (25g) sugar, divided
  • ½ cup (14g) freeze dried strawberries not dried
  • 1 ½ cups (191g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • â…“ cup (74ml) vegetable oil
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon pure strawberry extract
  • ½ cup (118ml) strawberry puree
  • 2 pea size drops pink gel food color optional
  • 6 tablespoons (85g) butter, melted

Instructions
 

  • Combine the freeze dried strawberries and 2 tablespoons (25g) of sugar in a small food processor or a clean spice grinder. Process until finely ground. Add 1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz or 100g) of sugar and pulse a few times until well combined. Place the strawberry sugar in a shallow bowl and set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease and flour a 24-serving mini muffin pan.** Do not skip this step and do not use liners. The muffins need to form a crust on the outside so they don't soak up too much butter in the final step.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup (100g) of sugar with the oil, egg and extracts until smooth. Whisk in the strawberry purée until well combined.
  • Stir in the flour mixture with a rubber spatula, just until combined. The batter will be thick.
  • Transfer the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan cups.
  • Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean, about 10-12 minutes. Do not over bake! Be diligent, since over baking can happen very quickly with mini muffins.
  • Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn the muffins out onto a cooling rack. Place the melted butter in a small bowl. Dunk the warm muffins briefly in the melted butter, then roll them in the strawberry sugar.

Notes

To find the gel food color I used, click here.
To find the mini muffin pan I used, click here.
Keyword muffins, strawberry

Pink Velvet Cookies

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Pink Velvet Cookies

Whenever I walk into a bakery, my eyes are always drawn to anything pink. Pink cupcakes, cookies, donuts or anything with pink icing will inevitably come home with me. This probably started in childhood. Most bakeries back then, including the bakery my aunt always took me to, had pink boxes, so I associate it with delicious, freshly baked treats. Maybe pink desserts do taste better or maybe our minds just tell us that. Either way, if you love pink treats, you’ll love these cookies.

Pink velvet is similar to red velvet, but without the cocoa powder and red food color. The texture should be somewhat velvety, like red velvet cake. I have yet to taste a velvety red velvet cookie, but I think the texture of these cookies is pretty velvety as long as they’re not over baked. Pink velvet desserts are typically vanilla flavored. I upgraded the flavor by adding a touch of cherry flavoring. It’s not enough to give you cherry flavored cookies, but it will add depth to vanilla flavored treats. It’s an old bakery trick that I learned years ago that adds a fruity note in the background.

For best baking results, I recommend using a scale to weigh your ingredients, especially your dry ingredients. If you love baking, you should invest in a food scale if you don’t already have one.

To watch the Pink Velvet Cookies TikTok video, click here. To watch the Pink Velvet Cookies Instagram video, click here.

Pink Velvet Cookies

Pink vanilla flavored crinkle cookies with chewy exteriors and soft, velvety centers
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 14 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ¾ cups (7 7/8 ounces) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • scant ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon natural cherry flavoring See notes below*
  • 1 small pea size drop pink gel food color I used Americolor deep pink**

Optional

  • ½ cup white chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.
  • In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and oil until light and fluffy.
  • Beat egg whites into butter mixture in two addition, until well combined.
  • Beat in extracts until well combined.
  • Add gel food color, a little at a time with a toothpick, until desired shade of pink is reached. (Adding remaining ingredients will lighten the color slightly.) Beat until evenly distributed.
  • Add flour mixture to batter and beat just until combined. Mix in white chocolate chips if using.
  • Roll dough into balls, about 2 tablespoons each. I used a #30 portion scoop.*** Roll dough very generously in powdered sugar. Place two inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets.
  • Bake until cookies are puffed and tops are set, about 11-13 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Notes

*The cherry flavoring in this recipe is not intended to make a cherry flavored cookie. The addition of cherry flavoring adds a subtle fruity note. You can also use pure cherry extract. Use a bit less (scant 1/2 teaspoon)  because extracts tend to be stronger than flavorings. DO NOT use imitation cherry extract. It has a medicinal flavor that will disappoint you. If you want your cookies to be cherry or strawberry flavor, reduce vanilla extract to 1/2 teaspoon and  use 1- 1 1/2 teaspoons of natural cherry or strawberry flavoring.
**To find the pink gel food color I used, click here.
***To find the portion scoop I used, click here.
This recipe was updated on 2/14/23.
Keyword cookies, pink velvet

Little Strawberry Heart Cake

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

A cute little, stress-free, perfectly pink heart cake is my gift to you for Valentine’s Day. The vanilla cake is soft and fluffy. The frosting is super easy and delicious, with only two ingredients. It all comes together with fresh strawberries and it’s so good, you won’t want to share.

Little Strawberry Heart Cake

A six inch heart shaped vanilla cake with fresh strawberries and two-ingredient frosting
Print Recipe
Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup chopped strawberries
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) cake flour, sifted
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup (3 1/2 ounces) sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • â…“ cup whole milk, room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons sour cream, room temperature
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 7.5 ounce jar Marshmallow Fluff
  • tiny drop pink gel food color I used Americolor deep pink*

Optional Decor

  • strawberries
  • meringue powder** or pasteurized egg whites
  • sugar

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, combine strawberries and 2 teaspoons sugar. Set aside to macerate for about 30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line the bottom of a 6-inch heart shaped cake pan*** with parchment paper. Grease and flour the sides.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
  • In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and oil with an electric mixer, until light and fluffy.
  • Beat in egg and vanilla in two separate additions until well combined.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together milk and sour cream.
  • Beat flour mixture into batter in two additions, alternating with milk mixture.
  • Transfer batter to prepared cake pan. Bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Let cake cool in pan 10 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool.
  • In a large bowl, stir cream cheese with a spatula to smooth out lumps.
  • Add marshmallow fluff and beat until well combined. Add food gel color with a toothpick and beat until evenly distributed.
  • Split cake into two layers. Top the bottom layer with frosting. Drain strawberries and spoon onto cake. Top with second layer, then more frosting.

Optional Decor

  • To make sugared strawberries, mix 1 part meringue powder with 3 parts water. Dip strawberries in meringue mixture, cover with sugar, then let dry. Alternately you can dip the strawberries in pasteurized egg whites, cover with sugar, then let dry.

Notes

*To find the gel food color I used, click here.
**To find meringue powder, click here.
***To find the heart cake pan I used, click here.
 
Keyword cake, strawberry

Pink Lemonade Cake

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

This cheerful little loaf cake feels like a spring or summer picnic with lemonade and sunshine. It’s similar to a pink lemonade cake that my elderly neighbor used to make when I was growing up. She made it for all the neighborhood kids and we always gobbled it up. When I was about ten years old she taught my friend and me how to make it. She used a yellow cake mix in a large baking pan and poked holes all over the cake, then drenched it in a pink, sugary lemon icing. I transformed that happy pink lemonade memory into a delightful loaf cake made from scratch.

To watch the TikTok video, click here.

Pink Lemonade Cake

A tender, moist loaf cake that tastes just like pink lemonade
Print Recipe
Course Brunch, Dessert
Servings 1 8 x 4-inch loaf

Ingredients
  

Pink Lemonade Cake

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (5 oz or 142g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ cup (2 oz or 59ml) whole milk
  • ¼ cup (2 oz or 59ml) sour cream
  • 1 cup (7 oz or 200g) sugar
  • ½ cup vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 ½ teaspoons strawberry extract
  • 1-2 drops pink gel food color I used Americolor deep pink*

Lemon Syrup

  • juice of one lemon
  • ¼ cup (1 3/4 oz or 50g) sugar

Icing

  • 2 tablespoons (1 oz or 28g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (4 oz or 113g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2-2 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon strawberry extract
  • pinch fine sea salt
  • 1 tiny drop pink gel food color I used Americolor deep pink*

Instructions
 

Pink Lemonade Cake

  • Preheat oven to 325ºF (163ºC). Line the bottom of an 8 X 4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the sides.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and sour cream.
  • In a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, eggs, lemon zest and strawberry extract until smooth.
  • Stir in the flour mixture in two additions, alternating with the milk mixture. Stir just until combined. Stir in food color a little at time until your desired shade is achieved.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare lemon syrup.
  • Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and transfer to a cooling rack. Poke holes all over the top of cake with a skewer.
  • Brush the warm cake generously with the lemon syrup. Let the cake cool completely, then top with icing.

Lemon Syrup

  • In a small saucepan, combine the juice of one lemon with enough water to equal 1/4 cup. Add sugar and stir over medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.

Icing

  • In a medium bowl, beat the butter, powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, the strawberry extract and a pinch of salt, until smooth. Add more lemon juice until your desired consistency is reached. Mix in gel food color.

Notes

*To find the gel food color I used, click here.
Keyword cake, pink lemonade

The Nutcracker Land of Sweets Cupcakes

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Nutcracker Land of Sweets Cupcakes

The tradition of enjoying the Nutcracker Ballet at Christmastime has been in my family for over 20 years. The Nutcracker Land of Sweets is a magical theme that has me mesmerized. Gingerbread, candy canes, gumdrops and billowy clouds of pink frosting are what dreams are made of. And that’s exactly what these dreamy cupcakes are made of. The cupcake flavor is a subtle spice cake. The recipe is adapted from a Martha Stewart cake recipe I made last summer. The original cake was paired with blackberry jam, but I knew plum jam would be perfect for these cupcakes. I topped them with a mildly sweet, fluffy Swiss meringue buttercream.

Part of the fun of making these cupcakes began at the store as I collected the sweets to decorate the cupcakes. Another perk of the job is taste testing the candy. I discovered that purple spice drops are licorice flavored and red spice drops are cinnamon. Who knew?

You might also like my Nutcracker Land of Sweets inspired candy bark. It’s a delightful holiday bark I designed that is often imitated. To view it, click here.

The Nutcracker Land of Sweets Cupcakes

Spice cupcakes filled with plum jam, topped with fluffy pink frosting, gingerbread men and Christmas candy, and dusted with sugar snow
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
  

Spice cupcakes

  • ¾ cups (3 1/4 ounces) all purpose flour, sifted
  • ¾ cups (3 ounces) cake flour, sifted
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • small pinch ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (6 1/8 ounces) fine granulated sugar or regular granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
  • â…” cup whole milk
  • ¾ cup plum jam I used red plum jam

Pink Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream

  • 4 large egg whites
  • 1 â…“ cups (9 3/8 ounces) fine granulated sugar or regular granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ cups (12 ounces) softened, unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract or pure vanilla etract
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 drops pink gel food color I used Americolor deep pink

Decorations

  • small gingerbread cookies
  • mini candy canes
  • assorted candies such as spice drops, gumdrops, peppermints,
  • sprinkles or sugar pearls
  • powdered sugar

Instructions
 

Spice Cupcakes

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a 12 serving muffin pan with disposable baking cups. (I used silver foil liners.)
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, spices and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
  • Add egg, egg white, and vanilla, one at a time, mixing until well combined.
  • Add flour mixture in two additions, alternating with milk. Mix until combined.
  • Divide batter evenly into wells of prepared muffin pan, filling about 2/3 full.
  • Bake until light golden and toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 16-18 minutes.
  • Let cool in muffin pan for 5 minutes. Gently transfer cupcakes to cooling rack to cool completely.
  • Core the center of each cupcake, removing a 3/4-inch deep circle. Fill with jam and replace the circle top.
  • Frost cupcakes with pink Swiss meringue buttercream. Decorate with cookies and candies. Lightly sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Pink Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercreamgue Buttercream

  • Combine egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Set over a pan of gently simmering water.
  • Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and temperature of 160ºF is reached.
  • Transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixture with a whisk attachment. Whisk on low speed, gradually increasing to medium-high speed. Whisk until glossy, stiff peaks form and mixture reaches room temperature.
  • Turn mixer to medium-low speed. Add butter, a few pieces at a time, allowing the butter to fully incorporate each time before adding more.
  • Switch to paddle attachment. On low speed, mix in vanilla, salt and food color. Continue mixing on low speed for a few minutes until smooth.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Spice Cake
Keyword cupcakes

Cherry Blossom Cookies

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
cherry blossom cookies

Each spring, I look forward to the sight and fragrance of beautiful botanical blooms, especially cherry blossoms. We often think of cherry blossoms as something unique to Washington D.C. or Japan, but cherry blossoms can be found in many regions of the United States. Georgia has many thousands of the beautiful pink trees. They can also be found in my home state, California. Here in California we also have many other types of beautiful blossoming fruit trees.

Inspired by the beautiful pink blossoms, I baked some cherry blossom cookies. There are many varieties of the blossoming pink trees. The Yoshino variety that we love to admire is not the same as the trees that produce cherries that we typically eat, but I decided to make the cookies cherry flavor. Cherry extract is more accessible, but it’s also possible to make the cookies sakura blossom flavor if you prefer. You can purchase culinary sakura blossoms or sakura powder and flavor the cookies with it.

These perfectly pretty, pink cookies are easy to make and fun to decorate. You can sprinkle sparkling sugar on them before baking and call it a day or you can make some pink cherry icing and add sugar pearls or sprinkles. Either way, they look beautiful and taste delicious!

 

Cherry Blossom Cookies

by Mari Vasseur
Pink cherry flavored sugar cookies with cherry icing
Print Recipe
Course Brunch, Dessert
Servings 6 dozen

Ingredients
  

Cherry Blossom Cookies

  • 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 6 tablespoons (3 oz / 85g) cream cheese, softened
  • ¾ cup (150g) sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure cherry extract or natural cherry flavoring *see note below
  • â…› teaspoon pure almond extract
  • 3 cups (383g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • Pink gel food color **see note below

Cherry Icing

  • 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt
  • 4-5 tablespoons (59-67ml) whole milk
  • ½ teaspoon pure cherry extract or natural cherry flavoring
  • Pink gel food color

Optional Cookie Decorations

  • White sparkling sugar
  • Pink sugar pearls
  • Pink nonpareils

Instructions
 

Cherry Blossom Cookies

  • In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together with an electric mixer on medium speed, just until smooth and well blended.
  • Add the sugar and salt. Beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in the egg, then the extracts until incorporated.
  • On low speed, mix in the flour in two additions, just until combined.
  • Mix in the food coloring, a tiny bit at a time, until the desired shade is achieved.
  • Divide the dough into two disks. Wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours or up to overnight.
  • Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to 1/8" thickness. Cut out cookies with a 2-inch blossom cutter..***
  • Place the cookies about 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with sparkling sugar if using.
  • Bake for 7-9 minutes until the bottom edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
  • Cool completely then ice with cherry icing, if desired. Decorate with sugar pearls or sprinkles before the icing sets.

Cherry Icing

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, salt, 3 tablespoons (45ml) of milk and the cherry extract. Add additional milk until the desired consistency is reached. Whisk together until smooth.
  • Mix in pink gel food color, a tiny bit at a time, until the desired shade is achieved.

Notes

*Do not use imitation cherry flavoring or extract. Imitation extracts may make your cookies taste medicinal. 
** I used Wilton gel food color in shade rose. Click here to find it. 
*** Use your favorite blossom cookie cutter or click here to find the blossom cutters I used.
Keyword cherry, cherry blossom, cookies

Honeydukes Inspired Pink Coconut Ice Cake

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

Honeydukes Inspired Pink Coconut Ice Cake by Brownie Mischief

I recently enjoyed a girls’ day out at Universal Studios Hollywood. My daughter is a Harry Potter fan, so of course we beelined straight to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter upon arrival at the theme park. We were spellbound by the ominous looking Hogwart’s Castle and the sparkling snow-topped shops of Hogsmeade. My daughter was in Harry Potter fan heaven, flitting around Hogsmeade, testing out her interactive wand and sipping some refreshing Butter Beer. It’s definitely a must-try

Our favorite shop was Honeydukes sweet shop, where anyone with a sweet tooth can get his or her candy wishes fulfilled. The candy selection was nothing short of magical. We picked up some Chocolate Flies, a Chocolate Frog and some Pink Coconut Ice candy.

Honeydukes Candy                   Pink Coconut Ice Candy

I was most excited to try the Pink Coconut Ice. I’ve been intrigued by the thought of this candy ever since it was mentioned in the book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling. The Pink Coconut Ice candy is similar to a stiff fudge. It’s very sweet, so you can cut it into small squares and have plenty to share with friends.

Pink Coconut Ice Candy

I imagined the “shimmery pink squares” a little differently so, I decided to build on my imagined version of the coconut candy by making a shimmery pink coconut cake. I used my favorite coconut cake recipe and pink coconut buttercream. I tinted my buttercream with Americolor gel food color soft pink. I covered my cake in large flakes of unsweetened coconut. To find unsweetened coconut flakes, click here. I think the large flakes look more whimsical and add texture, but feel free to use whatever kind of coconut you prefer. I colored my coconut a shimmery, soft pink. Click here to see how I colored my coconut flakes.

Honeydukes Inspired Pink Coconut Ice Cake by Brownie Mischief

You don’t have to be a Harry Potter fan to appreciate this pink, fluffy, coconut-covered cake. I can imagine this pretty cake at any party or event with a pink theme. I hope you enjoy this perfectly Pink Coconut Ice Cake as much as we did!

Pink Coconut Ice Cake

Moist, fluffy coconut cake with pink buttercream and coconut flakes
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 1 6-inch cake (serves 6)

Ingredients
  

Coconut Cake

  • 3 1/2 cups (11 1/2 ounces) cake flour *see note below
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ¾ cups (12 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar preferably ultra fine
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons natural coconut extract **see note below
  • 6 large egg whites
  • 1 ½ cups canned light coconut milk ***see note below

Pink Coconut Buttercream

  • 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
  • â…› teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3 ¾ cups (1 pound) powdered sugar, sifted
  • ¼ cup canned light coconut milk
  • ½ teaspoon natural coconut extract
  • pink gel food color I used Americolor soft pink (link below)

Pink Coconut Flakes

  • 3 cups unsweetened coconut flakes (link below)
  • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
  • edible pink petal dust I used Rosie Sterling Pearl Dust by GSA (link below)
  • food safe gloves

Instructions
 

Coconut Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease three 6-inch cake pans.
  • In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and oil together with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Beat in coconut extract. Gradually beat in egg whites until mixture is well combined, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl.
  • Beat in flour mixture in three additions, alternating with coconut milk, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl.
  • Pour batter into prepared pans, evenly distributing batter between the pans. Bake for 28-32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of pans comes out clean.
  • Place pans on wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and place on rack to cool completely.

Pink Coconut Buttercream

  • In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed, until light and fluffy.
  • Add salt. Beat until combined.
  • Turn off mixer. Add powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until sugar is moistened, then turn up to medium speed and beat until combined.
  • Add coconut milk a little at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Add coconut extract and beat at medium speed until buttercream is smooth.
  • Add gel food color with a toothpick, a little at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Beat at low speed until well blended.
  • Fill and frost cake with Pink Coconut Buttercream.

Pink Coconut Flakes

  • Place powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add a small amount of petal dust. Whisk together with a small whisk. Add additional petal dust until desired color is reached.
  • Spread coconut flakes out onto a large shallow dish. Sprinkle powdered sugar mixture over coconut with a small sieve. Toss gently with gloved hands.
  • Place cake on a baking sheet to catch excess coconut. Press colored coconut onto sides and top of cake.

Notes

*Do not substitute all-purpose flour. For best results weigh your dry ingredients. **For best results, use natural coconut extract. Imitation coconut flavorings may give your baked goods an unpleasant flavor. ***If your coconut milk is separated when you open the can, simply place it in a blender to emulsify before using. To find my favorite 6-inch cake pans, click here. To find the gel food color I used, click here. To find unsweetened coconut flakes, click here. To find the edible pearl dust I used, click here.