I finally got around to finishing the Coconut Cloud Layer Cake from Fran Costigan’s More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts - the same one I attempted to make for hubby’s birthday but didn’t get past the icing. Well, the same Island Coconut Cream Filling & Frosting has been well chilled in the fridge for several days now and yesterday the cake itself was finally made.

I needn’t have feared because the cake was very straightforward. In fact, the cake was completely simple to make in comparison to the icing which took me the better part of an afternoon - I’m a vegan baking novice and there were lots of ingredients involved as were multiple cooking and processing stages. Plus this was one expensive cake to put together.

It better be good.

The baked layers also require up to 8 hours of chilling time so after spending the night seran-wrapped to a carboard disc in the fridge (as directed), they were finally ready to be iced. Hallelujah.

At this stage, no cake taste testing has been done but it smells damn good. I sincerely hope that after all this effort it actually tastes good. Truth be told, I’m hoping that it turns out to be the best thing I’ve ever tasted but perhaps that’s being a bit unreasonable. It is the first time I’ve made a full-blown vegan cake after all.

The icing is fluffed and applies quite nicely. Check.

Cake must chill a few more hours before returning it back to room temperature, sprinkling with toasted coconut, and finally, slicing. Check, check, check and check.

It looks the deal.

I was very pleased with the texture of the cake - especially after my overly moist cupcakes earlier in the week. The icing was awesome - Fran suggests in her book that the recipe can also be used as a pudding and I can see why. Scrumptious.

Much to my chagrin, the taste of the actual cake wasn’t the perfection I’d (perhaps unfairly) hoped for.

It was hard to put my finger on the exact problem but there seemed to be a slight aftertaste to the cake. Where, oh where, did I go wrong. I had been very precise with all my measurements. My ingredients were all fresh. The only thing I can think of that might have had an adverse effect is the baking time. I had purposely left the cakes in the oven for the full 30 minutes despite the allowed 20 to 30 minute range. They looked like they could have come out at 24 minutes but I chose to leave them in longer, perhaps foolishly, fearing the dreaded overly moist, almost wet results I’d experienced with the cupcakes of yore. As to whether the baking time might cause an aftertaste, I’m not sure. I am fairly confident that responsibility for the less than perfect result lies with my less than perfect self.

Since the cake part wasn’t too difficult I’ll be making it again sometime soon to see if I get different results before passing final judgment - on myself, not the cake.

In a final touch of irony hubby was stricken by food poisoning yesterday and could not even test the cake.

April 16, 2008 - Update: This cake improved with age - the aftertaste I spoke of disappeared. It’s a mystery. Hubby recovered and declared he liked it - the entire cake was eaten.