National Coconut Torte Day - Mar. 13th; Chef Mindy Segal

Chef Mindy Segal

Mindy Segal won the 2012 James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef, as well as numerous other awards. After honeymooning in Paris and visiting bakeries there, she came back home to Chicago a changed woman, with plans to create a new bakery, and has a cookbook in the works. Mindy’s HotChocolate is already one of Chicago’s acclaimed eateries.

 

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March 13th is Coconut Torte Day. "Torte" is German for cake, but they are often made with little or no flour, using ground nuts or breadcrumbs. I don't have any true torte recipes, but I do have a multi-layered coconut cake recipe. This was my papaw's favorite:

Italian Cream Cake
Ingredients:

1 stick margarine

1/2 C. shortening

2 C. sugar

5 egg yolks

2 C. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 C. buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 small can coconut

1 C. chopped nuts

5 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Directions: Cream together margarine, shortening and sugar; beat until smooth. Add egg yolks; beat well. Combine flour and soda, stir into sugar mixture alternately with milk. Stir in vanilla; add coconut and nuts. Gently fold in egg whites. Pour into 3 greased and floured 8" round pans. Bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes. Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

3/4 stick butter, softened

1 – 2 tsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 C. powdered sugar.

Directions: Cream the cheese and the butter together. Add the powdered sugar gradually. Add the milk and vanilla, using more milk if needed for spreading consistency.

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