There’s no shortage of new cookbooks hitting the shelves this month, but few that really deliver something new. Chef Carla Hall’s “Carla Bakes” breaks that mold.
Into her traditional foods, she introduces less traditional ingredients, like sorghum flour in a short bread cookie or malt powder in a cake. She has a recipe for a baklava that eats like a pecan pie. And why not put chicken pot pie into a Pop Tart (with curried cream cheese dough)?
Hall — known for her food talk shows, her judging on Food Network shows like “Holiday Baking Championship” and “Next Level Baker,” and her fierce competitiveness on shows like “Top Chef” — talks to host Robin Young about her new book, which blends her southern heritage with her love of international cooking.
Book excerpt: ‘Carla Bakes’
By Carla Hall
Coconut Cake with Mini Chocolate Chips
Makes one 9-inch round cake, 12 servings
- Unrefined coconut oil and flour, for the pan
- 2 cups / 252g all-purpose flour
- 1 cup / 218g granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3⁄4 cup / 163g cold-pressed, unrefined coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- 1⁄4 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 cup / 232g well-stirred full-fat unsweetened coconut cream (not coconut milk or cream of coconut)
- 1⁄2 cup / 26g unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1⁄2 cup / 89g mini semisweet chocolate chips (do not use standard-size chocolate chips or chunks)
FOR SERVING
- Coconut Glaze (optional; recipe follows)
- 1⁄2 cup / 56g unsweetened coconut chips, toasted, for sprinkling (optional)
So many of my cake ideas are attempts to re-create the joy I experienced with my first taste of something sweet. Here, I’m paying tribute to the Mounds candy bar, that perfect duo of dark chocolate and coconut. No almonds please, they’re not invited to this party. As an adult, I find the candy’s coconut bits unpleasantly tough and its sugar content tooth-achingly high. But the childhood memoy is still so sweet. I developed this cake, using large pieces of shredded unsweetened coconut, which is softer than sweetened flake coconut, and, obviously, less sugay. I can’t say enough good things about cold-pressed coconut oil, which, like cold-pressed olive oil, is minimally processed and retains so much of the fruit’s natural flavor.
This cake travels well, so it’s great for potlucks and picnics. And if you keep unsweetened shredded coconut, mini chocolate chips (big
ones might sink to the bottom of the pan), and coconut oil in your panty, you can make it anytime the craving strikes. The glaze is optional, but I like it because it helps the toasted coconut chip garnish (more coconut!) cling to the top.
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with a little coconut oil and dust it with flour, tapping out any excess. Line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. Oil and flour the paper.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds until evenly incorporated.
3. With the mixer still running, add the coconut oil. Beat on low speed until completely incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each one is incorporated. Beat in the bourbon (if using), vanilla, and coconut extract. The mixture should be smooth and too thick to pour.
4. With a wooden spoon or stiff spatula, gently stir in the coconut cream just until incorporated. The batter will become pourable and lighten in color. Stir in the shredded coconut and mini chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a small offset spatula. Lightly tap the pan on the counter to release any air bubbles.
6. Bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. The cake should be golden and springy to the touch.
7. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges to loosen it. Invert it onto a wire rack and remove the parchment. Reinvert, loosely wrap the cake in plastic wrap (this will help it retain its moisture), and cool completely.
8. To seve: Unwrap the cooled cake and place it on a platter. Pour the glaze on top of the cake and smooth it with a small offset spatula, letting a bit of it drip down the sides. Before the glaze sets (this will take only a few minutes), scatter the toasted coconut over the top (if using). The cake will keep in an airtight container or under a cake keeper at room temperature, for up to 2 days.
COCNUT GLAZE
- 1 cup / 115g powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons well-stirred full-fat unsweetened coconut cream (not coconut milk or cream of coconut), or more as needed
- 1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- 1⁄4 teaspoon coconut extract
- Pinch of fine sea salt
This glaze is a little bit of tropical luxuy with a hint of Southern charm. The coconut cream makes it rich and silky, the vanilla adds warmth, and the bourbon gives it a subtle kick. It’s the kind of glaze that drapes
beautifully over a cake, soaks into warm scones, or turns a simple pound cake into something special. If bourbon isn’t your thing, leave it out—this glaze will still shine.
Make-Ahead Tip: You can make the glaze hours or even a day ahead of time. Rewhisk it before using.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and coconut cream until opaque, smooth, and pourable. If the glaze is too thick to spread, add more coconut cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, to achieve the desired consistency. Stir in the bourbon (if using), vanilla, coconut extract, and salt until fully incorporated. Cover and let stand at room temperature for up to 1 day, rewhisking it before using if necessay.
Striped Malted Pound Cake
Makes one 9 by 5-inch loaf, 12 to 16 servings
- Softened butter or cooking spray and flour, for the pan
- 1 3⁄4 cups / 220g all-purpose flour
- 1⁄4 cup / 34g cornstarch
- 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
- 16 tablespoons / 2 sticks / 226g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1⁄4 cups / 273g granulated sugar
- 1⁄4 cup / 37g malted milk powder
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons plus 1⁄4 cup / 110g heavy cream, divided
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons whiskey or bourbon (optional)
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cacao powder or cocoa powder
- 1⁄2 cup Malted Vanilla Syrup (optional; page 253), for soaking
My earliest dessert obsession was the malted milkshake, which I indulged in every time I had enough babysitting money. My oldest, best friend, Toi, was equally obsessed with Whoppers, and we both wondered why malted sweets were so good. Turns out, the secret is in the combination of malted barley, wheat flour, and evaporated whole milk that gets toasted to caramelize the sugars contained in it.
This cake is my latest malted creation. Layering the malted vanilla and chocolate batters so they create a striped pattern isn’t just an aesthetic choice. Doing so really does keep the flavors distinct. Starting off in a cold oven allows the cake to bake evenly without overbrowning and results in a smooth, fine, melt-in-your-mouth crumb. For extra malted flavor, use a pastry brush to brush the top of the cake with malted vanilla syrup in several additions, letting the syrup sink in after each addition.
1. Grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray. Dust the pan with flour, shaking out any excess.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, combine the butter, sugar, and malted milk powder. Beat, starting on low speed and increasing to medium- high speed until lightened in color and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.
4. On medium-low speed, add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each one is incorporated.
5. Add one-third of the flour mixture and beat on the lowest speed until just combined. Add 2 tablespoons of the heavy cream and beat on low speed until just combined. Add another one-third of the flour mixture, beating until combined, and another 2 tablespoons of the cream to combine. Add the remaining one-third of the flour mixture and beat until the batter is smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Mix in the vanilla and the whiskey (if using).
6. Transfer 11∕2 cups of the batter to a medium bowl. Sift in the cocoa powder and add the remaining 1∕4 cup heavy cream, stirring to form a smooth chocolate batter.
7. To create the striped layers, drop 1 cup of the vanilla cake batter into the center of the loaf pan and then drop 1∕2 cup of the chocolate batter on top of the vanilla batter. The alternating layers do not have to totally cover each other and let the layers spread naturally. Continue to drop those same-size portions of batter directly on top of each other, alternating the vanilla and chocolate, until all the batter is used. The batter should have spread to the corners, but if not, gently rap the pan on the counter to help it even out. Smooth the top with a small offset spatula.
8. Place the cake in a cold oven and set the temperature to 300°F. Bake until the loaf is golden, its top is slightly cracked, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes.
9. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges to release it. Invert the cake onto a wire rack,
reinvert, and cover the warm cake loosely in plastic wrap until completely cooled. If desired, use a pastry brush to brush the top of the cake with the malted vanilla syrup several times, letting the syrup sink in after each addition. The cake will keep, wrapped in plastic at room temperature, for up to 5 days.
Reprinted with permission from “Carla Bakes: Sweet, Savory, and from the Heart” by Carla Hall with Lauren Chattman, copyright © 2026. Published by 4 Color Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
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