Coconut Cake, Fresh from Scratch

By MarieR

Recipe courtesy of the Blue Willow Inn, Social Circle, Georgia

Ingredients

• Yield: 1 (3- or 4-layer) cake
• 1 fresh coconut (Choose one with a lot of liquid.)
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 recipe 7-Minute Icing

Preparation

Step 1

1.Preheat oven to 500°.
2.Pierce one eye of coconut with a sharp, pointed knife. Drain liquid into a glass. Taste a small amount of liquid to be certain that coconut is fresh. Refrigerate liquid until ready to use.
3.Bake coconut in the shell for 6 minutes.
4.Break coconut shell with a hammer and remove coconut meat.
5.Using a vegetable peeler or a knife, remove brown layer from coconut. Wash and grate coconut. Refrigerate until ready to use.
6.Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 3 or 4 (9-inch) cake pans; set aside.
7.In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add beaten eggs, beating well.
8.In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
9.Add dry ingredients alternately with milk to butter mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients; beat well after each addition.
10.Add vanilla and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly.
11.Ladle batter into prepared pans, dividing equally.
12.Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cake layers cool for 10 minutes in pans. Invert onto cooling racks and let cool completely.
13.Frost cake with 7-Minute Icing. Spread icing between cake layers and sprinkle with grated coconut. Spread icing on top and sides of cake and sprinkle with remaining grated coconut.