Coconut Cake

By kathryns

Can be made 3 days in advance. Also, fresh coconut flakes for garnish are best. Pre-heat oven to 350. Place whole coconut in oven until outer shell cracks. Remove and cool. Crack open coconut, saving water for drinking. Slice thin slices from cut sides and use to garnish cake top and sides (with brown skin on edges, ok).

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup packed sweetened, shredded coconut
• 2-2/3 cups sugar
• 4 large whole eggs, plus 4 large egg whites
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
• Seven -Minute Frosting
• Fresh Coconut Curls, for garnish, toasted - 1 coconut!
• 7 -minute icing
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 6 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Details

Servings 12
Preparation time 90mins
Cooking time 200mins

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-by-9-by-2-inch cake pans; line bottom with parchment paper. Butter parchment and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Place shredded coconut in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Stir chopped coconut into flour mixture until combined; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed. Add whole eggs, egg whites, and vanilla; beat until fluffy and combined. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture, alternating with the coconut milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, mixing well after each addition.

Divide batter evenly between prepared pans; smooth with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes.

Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Invert cakes onto rack; peel off parchment paper. Reinvert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up.

Using a serrated knife, trim tops of the cake layers to make level. Place one layer on a cake plate, and spread top with 1 1/2 cups frosting. Top with remaining layer, cut side down. Using an offset spatula, spread remaining frosting over entire cake, swirling to cover in a decorative fashion. Sprinkle entire cake with coconut curls, bending and curling as desired. Cake can be kept refrigerated, covered with a cake dome, for up to 3 days.

Icing:



In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine sugar, corn syrup, 1/4 cup water, and egg whites. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes.

Attach bowl to a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat mixture on high speed until glossy and voluminous, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Use immediately.











Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. With a fine sieve, sift together flour and 3/4 cups sugar four times.

In the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed, beat together egg whites and water until foamy. Add salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla; beat until soft peaks form. Increase speed to medium-high and sprinkle in remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat until stiff but not dry.

Transfer to a large bowl. In six additions, sift dry ingredients over meringue, folding in quickly but gently.

Pour batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan with removable bottom. Smooth top with an offset spatula. Run a knife through batter to release air bubbles. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown and springy to touch.

Invert pan on its legs or over the neck of a glass bottle, and let cool completely, about 1 hour.

Make the frosting: In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine egg whites, sugar, water, and cream of tartar. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.

Attach the bowl to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the mixture on high speed until glossy and voluminous, about 7 minutes. Beat in the vanilla.

Carefully run a long offset spatula or knife around the inner and outer perimeter of the cake pan to release cake.

Place on a plate, bottom side up. Using a long serrated knife, carefully slice off 1 1/2 inches from the top of the cake, being sure not to break the layer. Set aside. Cut out a 1-inch-wide, 1-inch-deep channel halfway between the center and edge of cake. Spread icing into channel and over entire layer. Sprinkle with coconut.

Gently place reserved layer on top and ice with remaining frosting. Sprinkle with coconut and serve immediately.