Cupcake in a jar

Coconut Cake with Mango Curd and Vanilla Frosting

Sitting at a Starbucks while eating this dessert and blogging.  This is exactly why cupcake in a jar is genius.  It beats getting your hands messy or worrying about getting cake stuck in your teeth.  The beauty is, if you are having a sweet tooth but don't want to eat an entire cupcake; take a bite and stick it in the fridge.  My cupcake in a jar is made with a basic yellow cake drizzled with coconut cream, sprinkled with unsweetened coconut flakes.  The mango curd compliments the coconut and vanilla frosting giving you a little hint of the tropics.  Take it to the park or the beach and add it to your picnic.

Coconut Cake with Mango Curd and Vanilla Frosting Cupcake In A Jar Recipe

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans
2 1/2 cups cake flour, plus more for pans, sifted
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
5 eggs

For the mango curd:
1 cup mango pulp
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Pinch of salt
4 large egg yolks

For the frosting:
4 egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup fresh coconut cream
3 cups flaked unsweetened coconut


INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make the cake: Heat oven to 350°. Butter and flour two 13"x9″ cake trays, and set aside. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Whisk together buttermilk and vanilla in a bowl; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, alternately add dry ingredients in 3 batches and wet ingredients in 2 batches. Increase speed to high, and beat until batter is smooth, about 5 seconds. Divide batter between prepared pans, and smooth top with a rubber spatula; drop pans lightly on a counter to expel large air bubbles. Bake cakes until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Let cakes cool for 20 minutes in pans; invert onto wire racks, and let cool. Using the top of the jar as a cake cutter, cut rounds to fit perfectly inside your jar.

2. Make the frosting: Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, and beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form; turn mixer off. Bring sugar, syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup tap water to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar; attach a candy thermometer to side of pan, and cook, without stirring, until thermometer reads 250°, 4–5 minutes. Turn mixer to medium speed, and very slowly drizzle hot syrup into beating egg whites. Add vanilla, and increase speed to high; beat until meringue forms stiff peaks and is slightly warm to the touch, about 3 minutes.

3. To make the curd: the night before. puree first 4 ingredients in processor, scraping down sides of work bowl occasionally. Add yolks; puree 15 seconds longer. Strain through sieve set over large metal bowl, pressing on solids with back of spatula to release as much puree as possible. Discard solids in sieve. Set metal bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water); whisk puree until thickened and thermometer registers 170°f., about 10 minutes. Remove from over water. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

4. To assemble, place one cake circle inside the jar and press down, drizzle with 1 tsp. coconut cream,  sprinkle with coconut flakes, spread with 1 tbsp frosting, and another cake circle, cream and flakes; top with 1 tbsp mango curd, then repeat cake, cream and flake process. Cover top with frosting, and sprinkle with coconut, pressing it lightly to adhere; chill cake to firm frosting. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Adapted from Saveur Magazine