Coconut Cake
the recipe critic
Cake
- 1 c butter
- 1 1/2 c sugar
- 1 c cream of coconut + 1/2 c. after cakes are cooked
- 4 eggs, room temperature and separated
- 2 1/2 c flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 c buttermilk
- 2 tsp coconut extract
Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 c butter
- 2 tsp coconut extract
- 3/4 bag of powdered sugar
- milk
- 3 c sweetened, shredded coconut, toasted
In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add cream of coconut and egg yolks and whip until fluffy. Add extract. Mix gently. In a separate bowl, sift flour. Whisk in salt, baking soda and baking powder. With the mixer on the lowest speed, alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk. Mix just until combined. Set aside. In another bowl, with a handheld electric mixer, whip egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into cake batter until no streaks remain.
Divide batter into 2 9 inch cake pans that have been lined with parchment paper and sprayed with vegetable oil (pans will be full, and batter will cook all the way to the top).
Bake at 275 for 1 hour.
Let cool for 10 minutes. Carefully take out of the pan and onto plastic wrap. Poke holes in cakes with a small knife. Pour the remaining 1/2 c. cream of coconut over the cakes while still warm. Once the cream of coconut has been fully absorbed, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 2-3 hours before frosting.
*Note: the cakes are so crumbly that it's impossible to frost them without freezing first.
For frosting: cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar until thoroughly incorporated. Whip until fluffy. Add milk as necessary. Add the coconut extract last. (Do not mix the coconut flakes into the frosting; they'll go on the finished cake.)
Spread cream cheese frosting in the middle of the two layers and sprinkle with a generous amount of toasted coconut. Frost top and sides of cake, and press remaining toasted coconut into the top and sides of cake.