Coconut Cake - A Diaz Men Recipe

Sunday dinner is a special time in our home.  We always try to have a special meal and when possible a special dessert.  Yesterday i asked everyone what we should have and received a resounding..."I don't know!"  Thanks to pinterest we pulled up my dessert board and the men of the house declared Coconut Cake the winner.  I said "happy baking" because I had just finished preparing a big meal and was left with no desire to prepare a "from scratch" cake no matter how yummy it might be.  They got busy and a couple of hours later this was their creation.

Not only does it look great but it tasted delicious!   I love a cake made from scratch and this one was excellent. The cake itself is simply wonderful vanilla.  The frosting by consensus wasn't our favorite but it was good.  It wasn't the taste we weren't crazy about it was just very similar to marshmallow cream which we aren't crazy about.  When we make this again we decided it should have some type of whipped cream frosting.  All in all it was a hit and I am ecstatic because I have been searching and baking trying to find a really good vanilla cake and i finally did!

Great job my handsome bakers!

Can we say S.I.L.L.Y.?

Recipe thanks to "The Heritage Baker"

Classic Coconut Cake
Modified recipe from Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott

Yield: 8 to 10 servings; enough frosting for any layer cake, 2 (9×13-inch) cakes, or 3 to 4 dozen cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

Cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk (or unsweetened coconut milk, if desired)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs

Frosting

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• About 3 cups sweetened shredded coconut

METHOD

To Make the Cake:Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) round cake pans. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together well. Set aside. In a measuring cup, stir the vanilla into the milk.

In a large bowl beat the softened butter on medium speed until creamy. Add the sugar and continue beating, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl twice, until the mixture is light and evenly combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition, until the mixture is thick and smooth.

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat on low speed until completely incorporated. Add 1/2 the milk/vanilla, beating well. Beat in another 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the remaining milk, and finally the remaining flour, beating well each time until the batter is very thick and smooth.

Quickly scrape the batter into the prepared cake pans, dividing it evenly, and place them in the oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cakes are golden brown, spring back when touched lightly in the center, and begin to pull away from the sides of the pans.

Place the pans on wire racks and cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and place back on the racks, right side up, to finish cooling completely. Once cool you have the option of splitting each layer in half to create 4 thinner layers.

To Make the Frosting:Bring about 3 inches of water to an active simmer (bubbles breaking the surface regularly) in a medium saucepan. Meanwhile, in a heat-proof bowl that fits snugly into the saucepan, combine everything except the vanilla. Beat with a mixer at low speed for 1 minute, until the mixture is pale yellow and very foamy.

Place the bowl over the simmering water and beat at high speed for 7 to 14 minutes or more, until the frosting becomes white, thick, and shiny, and triples in volume. Continue beating until the frosting forms firm peaks and loses some of its shine. Remove the bowl from the heat, add the vanilla, and continue beating for 2 minutes more.

To Frost the Cake:Place one cake layer, top-side down, on a cake stand or serving plate. Cover it generously with frosting and sprinkle with some of the coconut. Place the second layer on top of the first, top-side up. First frost the sides to help keep the cake steady, and then spread frosting generously over the top, completely covering the cake.

Place the cake stand or serving plate on a baking sheet to catch any loose coconut as you sprinkle it onto the cake. Once the top is covered, gently pat coconut handfuls of coconut onto the sides. Make sure there are no bare spots.

Transfer any unused coconut to a jar or resealable plastic bag and store it in the freezer.