If you’ve been a follower of The Vivid Kitchen since the beginning (almost 2 years now!), then you are definitely aware of my love for Portland, Maine. In the span of less than two years, Alex and I have visited the city three times, with each visit more special and memorable than the last. Although Portland is such a small city, it has so much to offer in terms of culture, beauty and genuinely good people, and we came to the realization that we want to know all that we can about it on a much deeper level.

That’s why on April 1st, Alex and I are leaving the bubble that is Orange County and moving over 3000 miles to Portland. This is no April Fools’ joke and actually something that has been planned for almost a year!

I’ve met a lot of people in the past couple of months that after telling them that I’m moving to Maine, they’re a bit confused because most people around the country consider California the place to live. And although I sometimes may agree with that, California simply isn’t doing it for me right now and I’ve felt this feeling of stagnation for years. I know that sounds kind of bratty to say, but I really think that if you’re not happy with your surroundings, why not leave your comfort zone, try something new and see what else the world has to offer? I know it’s easier said than done, but it’s a risk that Alex and I are both willing to make in order to see where this journey takes us.

Moving to Maine, which is literally the furthest state away from where I am now, is of course going to be an exhilarating and new experience, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified. But I strongly believe that change is something that is healthy and promotes growth and maturity, and although I’m nervous as hell to leave my comfortable life behind (including my family and friends) I know that nothing but good will come from this decision. And if for whatever reason moving to Portland doesn’t work out, then I’ll at least know that I tried and it’ll be a great story to tell my grandchildren.

What I’m trying to say is, if you’re thinking about moving across the country, starting a new business, or thinking about anything else that may be deemed as a “dream”, do it now, because nothing is forever.

As for this blog, I’m going to keep truckin’ on because this platform brings me so much joy and I treat it not only as a source for recipes and the occasional city guides, but also as a snapshot of my life’s experiences. I haven’t decided if I’ll keep it exactly the same or if I’ll sprinkle in more photo diaries and lifestyle posts because I know I’ll be living a whole different life out there filled with many firsts… which I would love to share!

Now let’s get to today’s very delicious recipe.

To me, loaf cakes are the best kinds of cake because you can essentially bake any flavor of your choosing, whether it be red velvet, lemon pound cake or carrot cake, but it requires so much less skill and time when compared to a frosted layer cake. For example, I am almost always craving my carrot layer cake, but that recipe in particular calls for a large quantity of each ingredient (grating all those carrots is a chore) and yields a massive cake that serves at least 10 people. This of course isn’t ideal when I just want to snack on it myself and don’t feel like decorating a huge cake. But with a loaf cake, the scale is much smaller, it’s easier to throw together, and more acceptable to bake for oneself. I couldn’t imagine baking myself a two layer cake just because, so loaf cakes are the answer for when you want cake, but without the fuss. Bonus: it’s also easier to transport and thus makes gifting to others much less stressful.

Unlike my carrot layer cake, in today’s version I left out the raisins, chopped pecans and crushed pineapple. The first two are little extras that aren’t necessarily needed (thus making this recipe simpler) while the pineapple was mostly to achieve a moist texture. In my loaf cake version, I’ve added buttermilk to get that needed moisture and unsweetened shredded coconut to give a whole new depth of flavor. Carrots and coconut actually pair really well together and the combination is addicting. I also added toasted unsweetened coconut to the top of the cake not only for aesthetic reasons, but also for more coconut flavor and a nice crunch that was needed since we left out the pecans. In conclusion, I’m probably only going to make this carrot cake from now on.

The cake itself isn’t too sweet which is great if you want to have it without the frosting and eat it for breakfast, but in my opinion, a carrot cake without a cream cheese frosting isn’t a carrot cake at all. But you do you. And lastly, in addition to using all-purpose flour, I added whole wheat flour to get a nuttier flavor, but if you don’t have it in your pantry, just use all-purpose (2 cups worth).

Carrot and Coconut Loaf Cake

Yields (1) 9x5 inch loaf cake

Ingredients

For the cake:

1 cup whole wheat or white whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg, freshly grated recommended
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup finely grated carrots
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

For the frosting:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. milk or heavy cream (almond milk works as well)

To finish:

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted

Directions

Make the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease and flour a 9x5” loaf pan.
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, spices and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a small/medium bowl, whisk the oil, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla extract together until well combined. Add this to the bowl of dry ingredients and combine with the whisk.
Stir in the shredded carrots and coconut with a spatula. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake loaf pan, and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the oven for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and wait about 5 minutes before removing the cake from the pan.

Make the frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer) fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and no lumps remain. Add the confectioners’ sugar, mix on low for 10 seconds, and then turn the speed up to medium until incorporated. Add the milk/cream, starting with 1 tbsp., the vanilla extract and pinch of salt. Mix until combined.
When the cake is completely cooled, add the frosting to the top and use an offset spatula to spread it. Sprinkle the toasted shredded coconut on top and enjoy immediately!