Double Butterscotch Coconut Cake

October and Liam is already asking about Halloween with the sustained focus that I have begun to recognize as his signature mode of anticipation. He does not wonder about things. He campaigns. He has been campaigning for Halloween since September 20th. The costume has been decided: a fire truck. Not a firefighter. The truck itself. Sean found a costume online that is a wearable fire truck and Liam has seen the product photo and received it as evidence that the universe understands him.

We looked at a house in Quincy on Sunday. It was not the house. I knew within five minutes. I said nothing for thirty minutes and let Sean run the process and at the end I said "not this one" and he said "I know" and we drove home. We are getting better at the process of looking. I am getting better at the patience. This is a thing I am actively working on: the patience to wait for the right thing instead of the available thing. The floor has taught me something about this. You don't rush a patient to a decision because you are uncomfortable with waiting. You hold the space and let the right time arrive.

Nora says "no" now with a confidence that I respect in theory and experience in practice. She says it clearly, with eye contact, and she means it and she will say it again if you don't receive it the first time. She is not dramatic about it. She is just clear. I think about the women I want her to grow up to be. Women who can say no clearly, with eye contact, and mean it. She is practicing.

Butternut squash soup on Sunday, the blended kind with cream and nutmeg. October in a bowl.

After we drove home from Quincy — quiet in the car, the house already filed away as not-the-one — I wanted something in the kitchen that asked something of me without asking too much. The soup had simmered itself into dinner, and the evening still had room for something sweet, something that carried the same warmth the season keeps trying to hand us. This cake is October-colored in the best way: butterscotch runs deep and golden, the coconut adds just enough texture to make each bite feel like it landed somewhere, and it rewards the patience of someone who is, actively, learning to wait for the right thing.

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 12

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted, divided
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup full-fat coconut milk, shaken
Butterscotch Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat and prepare. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
Toast the coconut. Spread shredded coconut on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 5–7 minutes, stirring once, until light golden. Set aside to cool. Reserve 1/4 cup for topping.
Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in 3/4 cup of the toasted coconut.
Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and dark brown sugar on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in vanilla.
Combine. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the coconut milk (beginning and ending with flour), mixing just until combined after each addition. Do not overmix.
Bake. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the butterscotch frosting. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved, about 2 minutes. Pour in heavy cream and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool 15 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl and beat in powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth and spreadable. If too thick, add cream 1 teaspoon at a time.
Frost and finish. Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread a generous layer of frosting over the top. Set the second layer on top. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Scatter the reserved toasted coconut over the top.

Nutrition (per serving)

Double Butterscotch Coconut Cake — The Sweet End to a Sunday That Asked a Lot