Vegetarian Recipes
Coconut Rum Cake


My love for rum cakes runs deep. If yours does too, this is the cake for you. It’s hard to tell from the photo, but this beauty is basically a toasted coconut macaroon in cake form – doused in rum. It has a strip of freeze-dried raspberries baked in, but if you prefer pineapple, that swap is also really great. Sometimes I skip the fruit all together & let the rum really take center stage. A dusting of powdered sugar before serving makes it pretty.
Fruit or No fruit? What Kind?
You can see the strip of fruit (raspberries) in the rum cake in the photos above and below here. I’ve been using freeze-dried fruit a lot in my baking lately because it has incredibly intensity, color, and none of the moisture that goes along with fresh or frozen fruit. It works particularly well in cookies, cakes, quick breads, crusts, etc. Not as great for fruity fillings, although you could use it as a boost or accent as a percentage of the overall filling.
Rum Cake Add-Ins
Aside from the raspberries, the recipe below is quite straightforward, a great coconut rum cake canvas. From there you can take in in oh-so-many directions. Sometimes I add spices – a bit of Vietnamese cinnamon or freshly grated nutmeg is alway welcome. Grated makrut lime is amazing if you use freeze-dried pineapple in place of the raspberries. To be honest, you can’t really go wrong adding citrus zest in general – lime, lemon, Meyer lemon, orange – or a blend. All good. Last idea – how about a Dark ‘N’ Stormy rum cake? You could add dried ginger, candied ginger, and/or grated ginger. Along with the coconut? Yes please.
What Type of Rum Makes the Best Rum Cake?
Like most other recipes that call for alcohol in them, use wine (or in this case rum), choose something you drink anyway. It should taste delicious. On the rum front for this recipe there is a range of rums to choose from. I like a good-quality dark or spiced rum for this cake – the more flavor the better.
Transferring the Cake Batter into the Pan
I just want to call out the way I build this cake. I fill the baking pan two-thirds full with cake batter, and then sprinkle with the raspberries. After that I use a fork to poke and work the berries down into the batter just a bit. Lastly, top with the remaining batter (see below), and give the whole pan a couple good thwaps on your counter. This gives you a nice, condensed stripe of berries along the base of the finished rum cake. You could, of course, fold the raspberries into the batter along with the rest of the flour mixture, so they’re more evenly dispersed, but I like this version best.
How to Apply the Rum Syrup
This cake itself isn’t huge, but it can take on a good amount of rum. You can see my set up in the photo below. That is the cake hot out of the oven, just turned out of the pan. It is on a cooking rack arranged over a rimmed baking sheet. The rim on on the baking sheet keeps any run-away rum in the pan and off the counter. Be sure to brush the rum syrup all over the tops, sides, and inside the center of the cake.
Turning Cake into Rum Cake
There are other ways to get the rum syrup into the cake as well. You can pour half of it over the cake while it is still warm and in the pan. Turn the cake out after that and finish by topping it with the remaining rum. I like this approach in theory, and you’ll see it used in alot of other recipes, but the syrup tends to break down the crumb of the cake a bit, and you’re more likely to have trouble getting the cake out of the pan. I play it safe, and glaze after the turnout.
The finished rum cake dusted with lots of powdered sugar just before serving.
Here’s a close-up of a cross-section of the cake…
What type of Coconut?
One last thing, you really want to get the coconut right here. The key is unsweetened, dried coconut. And it’s important that it is finely grated. I see a lot of big-flake coconut in the stores now, and I love it, but it’s not right for this cake. If you want to get that nice, moist crumb you see in the pics, get the finely grated – I usually grab the Bob’s Red Mill brand for this cake if I see it in the store.
I hope you really enjoy this rum cake! It’s incredibly moist, tasty, and versatile. Aside from this cake I’ve been doing a lot of baking lately, both sweet and savory. I call out a few recent favorites that you might also enjoy as well. There’s this beautiful braided onion bread, this zucchini bread, cinnamon rolls forever, and this easy little bread made with rolled oats and whole wheat flours. These brownies are my absolute favorite, and everyone loves this Violet Bakery Chocolate Devils’ Food Cake. Happy baking! -h
Coconut Rum Cake
The cake bakes right to the edge (pictured above) of a 6-cup pan which can make some bakers a bit nervous. If that’s you, bump up to a 7-cup bundt pan. I’ve also had success using a 1-lb loaf pan (8.5-inch x 4-1/2-inch) for this cake, but you will need to bake the cake significantly longer for the middle to set.
- 1/3 cup / 65g sugar
- 2/3 cup / 160ml rum
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- 9 tablespoons / 135g unsalted butter, room temp, plus more for the pan
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups / 140g finely grated unsweetened coconut
- 1 1/2 cups / 300g sugar
- 1 1/2 cups / 190g unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon / 4g baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon / 3g fine grain sea salt
- 3/4 cup / 180 ml buttermilk
- 1- ounce / 28g freeze-dried raspberries, crushed a bit
- Powered sugar, for serving
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Combine the 1/3 cup sugar with 1/3 cup water in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, stir in the rum and allow to cool to room temperature while you work on the rest of the cake.
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If you haven’t already done so, allow your butter and eggs to come up to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 350F with a rack in the center.
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Prepare the pan. Butter and flour (or coconut flake) a 6-cup bundt pan (see the head notes for alternate pan size ideas). Set prepared pan aside.
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Combine the coconut and a big spoonful of the sugar in a food processor (or blender). Pulse until the coconut breaks down into tiny dry flecks. Stop short of the coconut breaking down into any sort of paste. You’re after a coarse coconut meal texture. Whisk this coconut mixture in a medium bowl along with the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
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Make the batter. Using a mixer (or by hand), beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and continue to mix until uniform. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl a few times along the way. Gradually add the buttermilk, mixing until it is just incorporated. Fold in the flour mixture, mixing just until the batter is uniform. Transfer 2/3 of the batter immediately to the pan, sprinkle with the raspberries, and then use a fork to press the berries into the batter a bit, you want to make sure they are pushed into the batter, so you don’t end up with any dry pockets. Cover the berries with the remaining cake batter, and rap on the counter a few times to knock out any air bubbles.
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Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a cake tester to the center comes out clean. If you’re baking in a loaf pan, this can take quite a bit more time. When done baking, remove from the oven, wait five minutes, and turn out onto a cake rack arranged over a rimmed baking sheet. Brush, with the cake right side up, all over with the rum syrup. I usually do this in two batches, letting the cake absorb the first half of the syrup first. Wait ten minutes, then apply the rest of the syrup.
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Serve dusted generously with powdered sugar.
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This cake stores beautifully, wrapped and refrigerated, for days. Bring back to room temperature to serve, redusting with more powdered sugar if needed.
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Serves 12.
The post Coconut Rum Cake appeared first on 101 Cookbooks
Vegetarian Recipes
Lemon Ricotta Pasta


Here’s a quickie recipe for those nights when you just need something fast and delicious. This Lemon Ricotta Pasta is super fast, light, and fresh, which makes it perfect for an easy weeknight dinner during the summer. The bright lemon flavor perfectly compliments the light and creamy ricotta, and the little pops of sweetness from the peas make every bite a little more interesting. Simple, fresh, and easy.
Originally posted 3-4-2011, updated 6-8-2022.
Do I Have to Use Fresh Lemon?
This is one of those recipes where you really do want to use a fresh lemon instead of bottled juice. The zest from the lemon adds a ton of bright, summery lemon flavor to the pasta without making the sauce too sour. We add just a little of the juice to balance the creaminess of the ricotta, but the zest is where you’re getting all that gorgeous sunny lemon flavor!
Not All Ricotta is Created Equal
I find there is quite a bit of variation in the quality of ricotta from brand to brand. Some are smooth, mild, and sweet like fresh milk, while others are bland and grainy. My preferred brand is Galbani, but they didn’t have any at the store when I went, so I got the generic Kroger brand. It was definitely a bit grainy, but the pasta was still quite delicious despite that!
Also, make sure to get whole milk ricotta. Low-fat ricotta just doesn’t hit the same in this recipe.
What Else Can I Add?
This simple pasta is a great jumping-off point for making a more elaborate pasta, if that’s what you’re in the mood for. Try adding some sliced chicken breast, fresh basil, or fresh spinach. Garlic butter shrimp would also go great with this pasta!
What to Serve with Lemon Ricotta Pasta
This pasta is so light and fresh that I suggest keeping any side dishes really simple, light, and fresh as well. I would go with a super simple side salad, or maybe some roasted asparagus and tomatoes.


Lemon Ricotta Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lemon $0.89
- 8 oz. pasta* $0.67
- 1 cup frozen peas $0.50
- 1 clove garlic, minced $0.08
- 1 Tbsp butter $0.11
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta $1.60
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan $0.36
- 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste) $0.02
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper (or to taste) $0.02
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper (or to taste) $0.02
Instructions
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Zest and juice the lemon. You’ll need about ½ tsp zest and 1 Tbsp lemon juice.
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Cook the pasta according to the package directions (boil for 7-10 minutes, or until tender). Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the starchy water from the pot.
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Place the frozen peas in the colander before draining the pasta so the pasta will thaw the peas as it drains.
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Add the butter and minced garlic to a large skillet and sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic is fragrant.
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Add the drained pasta and peas, and about ½ cup of the starchy pasta cooking water to the skillet with the butter and garlic. Stir to combine, then turn off the heat.
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Add the ricotta, Parmesan, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon lemon zest to the skillet. Stir until everything is well combined, the residual heat from the skillet and pasta have warmed the ricotta, and the ricotta has formed a creamy sauce. Add more of the warm reserved pasta water if needed.
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Season the pasta with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
How to Make Lemon Ricotta Pasta – Step By Step Photos
Zest and juice one lemon. You’ll need about ½ tsp of zest and 1 Tbsp juice.
Cook 8oz. pasta according to the package directions (boil for 7-10 minutes, or until tender). Reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
Add 1 cup of frozen peas to a colander, then pour the boiled pasta over top to thaw the peas as you drain the pasta.
Add 1 Tbsp butter and 1 clove garlic to a large skillet. Sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic becomes very fragrant.
Add the still-hot pasta and peas to the skillet along with about ½ cup of the hot reserved pasta water. Stir to combine, then turn off the heat.
Add 1 cup whole milk ricotta, ¼ cup grated Parmesan, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, and ½ tsp lemon zest to the pasta. Stir until the ingredients are combined, the residual heat from the pasta and skillet have warmed the ricotta, and the ricotta has turned into a creamy sauce.
Add more of the reserved pasta water if the mixture is too thick or too dry. Season the pasta with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste.
Enjoy the lemon ricotta pasta while still warm!
The post Lemon Ricotta Pasta appeared first on Budget Bytes.
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