FRESH COCONUT CAKE

Fresh Coconut Cake image

Categories Cake Dairy Egg Dessert Bake Valentine's Day Kid-Friendly Mother's Day Coconut Winter Shower Gourmet Vegetarian Pescatarian Peanut Free Soy Free Kosher Small Plates

Yield Serves 8 to 10

Number Of Ingredients 19

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Ingredients

For cake layers:
1 cup milk (not nonfat)
1/2 cup grated fresh coconut
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
For frosting:
3 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups grated fresh coconut

Steps:

Make cake layers:
Bring milk just to a boil in a small heavy saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in coconut. Cover and let stand 30 minutes. Purée in a blender.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 (9- by 2-inch) round cake pans and dust with flour, knocking out excess.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in whites, vanilla, and almond extract until light and fluffy again, about 2 minutes. Add half of flour mixture and beat on low speed just until blended. Beat in coconut-milk mixture, then remaining flour mixture, just until blended.
Divide batter evenly between cake pans. Bake in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool layers in pans on racks 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around edges of pans, then invert layers onto racks to cool completely.
Make frosting:
Heat whites, sugar, water, corn syrup, and cream of tartar in a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, whisking, until mixture is warm and sugar is dissolved. Beat mixture, still over heat, with a handheld electric mixer on high speed until thick and fluffy, about 7 minutes. (Depending on mixer and weather, this may take longer.) Remove frosting from heat. Add vanilla and beat until cool and spreadable.
Assemble cake:
Brush any loose crumbs from layers and put 1 layer upside down on a serving plate. Spread with about 1 1/4 cups of frosting and sprinkle with ‚ cup coconut. Place other layer on top, right side up. Frost top and sides of cake (you may have some frosting left over) and sprinkle with remaining coconut.