Emily Dickinson’s Cocoanut Cake

Emily Dickinson's quick bread – or cake – is dense and buttery, especially delicious when toasted. Even better, cut a loaf in 3/4-inch, place the slices on a rack on a baking sheet, and bake in a slow oven – 275 degrees or so – until fully dried out, resulting in coconutty biscotti perfect for dipping into coffee.

March 20, 2022

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda (or use 1½ teaspoons baking powder instead of cream of tartar and baking soda)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup butter, room temperature
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 cup grated coconut

About this recipe

Makes one 9x5” loaf cake  On the back of this list of ingredients was the beginning of the poem “The Things that never can come back, are several.” There are no baking instructions, so we are using a typical quick-bread technique.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x5” loaf pan. Whisk together flour and cream of tartar and baking soda, or baking powder. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the flour in three additions, alternating with milk, stirring just to blend. Add grated coconut. Spread in the pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a rack before serving.

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda (or use 1½ teaspoons baking powder instead of cream of tartar and baking soda)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup butter, room temperature
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 cup grated coconut