Coconut and Cardamom Cake

The nutty and mildly floral flavors of East African mkate mimina, a bouncy yeasted rice cake, inspired this version of a classic American-style yellow cake. Here the sweet, buttery batter gets a kiss of coconut extract and floral ground cardamom. Think of the toasted coconut flakes that blanket the tender cake like sprinkles on steroids: They add both flavor and tons of crunchy-chewy texture. As always, make sure the cake has cooled completely before frosting it. 

Depending on the climate, your buttercream might split. To avoid this, make sure all buttercream ingredients are the same temperature and resist the urge to use high speed; keeping a medium to medium-high speed on the mixer will ensure your emulsion stays together. If the mixture still splits, remove about ⅓ cup of the frosting and warm in the microwave until melted. Return to the rest of the buttercream and whisk; the heat should help form a stable buttercream.