Name: Coconut Cake
Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients: 1 14-ounce package sweetened shredded coconut; 2 cups hot water; 2 sticks butter, softened; 2 cups sugar; 6 eggs; 1 pound mochiko (sweet mochi rice flour available at most Asian grocery stores)

This recipe's a family favorite from my Auntie Delores. It's actually a version of bibingka, a Pilipino dessert. I call it coconut cake, because I don't know how to translate "bibingka" into French, and Laurent and I mostly speak French. At home we simply cut it into squares. For a fancy restaurant-style presentation, you can cut it into various shapes using cookie cutters. If you want to cut out shapes, lining the cake pan with parchment paper will make it easier to unmold the cake. Packages of coconut are usually 14 ounces, but an ounce or two more or less won't make a difference.

Recipe notes

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