Three Layer Coconut Cake

Three Layer Coconut Cake with Seven Minute Frosting

Makes One Three Layer Coconut Cake (with Frosting)

This layer cake is the one from my childhood dreams. It was the cake I wished my mother would bake, instead of buying the Pepperidge farm version. This recipe is a classic, and included it in one of my cookbooks, Vermont Country Store Cookbook.

Like most old fashioned cakes, it was a recipe passed down from generation to generation, standing in the kitchen alongside mother or grandmother and reflected a frugality, using only one or two eggs. In this recipe, I’ve added more egg whites to give it a lift, and detailed the step by step instructions to give you as much help as I can, in the hopes that your cake is successful and worthy of passing down to the next generation.

8 large egg whites
2 1/4 cups sugar
3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, (plus more for pans)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
4 1/2 cups white (non-rising) cake flour, (plus more for pans)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons salt
1 cup whole milk
8 cups Seven-Minute Frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 9-by-2-inch round cake pans, and dust with flour, tapping out excess.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until frothy, add ¼ cup of sugar and continue to beat until stiff and glossy peaks form, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

In the same electric mixing bowl, fitted with the paddle attachment, add the softened butter and beat with the remaining 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Blend in vanilla and coconut extract.s

In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Keep the mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three parts to the butter-sugar, alternating with milk and beginning and ending with flour; beat until the batter is just combined, careful not to over beat.

Remove from the mixer, and with a rubber mixing spatula, gently fold a third of the egg-white mixture into the batter mixture until combined, then the remaining whites. Stir to incorporate all the ingredients, careful not to over mix.

Divide batter evenly between three prepared pans, smoothing with the rubber spatula. Place in the oven and bake for 30 -35 minutes, or a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool , then invert cakes onto rack to cool completely, top sides up.

Seven Minute Frosting
Makes about 4 cups

If you have a hand held beater, you won’t have to transfer to an electric mixer. This makes a thick, creamy frosting, without all the butter of a traditional buttercream, and holds a nice peak for the coconut. To heighten the coconut flavor, substitute coconut extract for the vanilla.

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
6 large egg whites
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract ( or coconut extract)

In the top of a double boiler, or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine sugar, corn syrup, 1/4-cup water, and egg whites. Stirring frequently with a whisk, cook until mixture registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes.

Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. ( Or continue to beat with a hand held beater.) Beat mixture on high speed until glossy and voluminous, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla.

How To Frost The Cake.

Make the cake layers level, by trimming the tops with a serrated bread knife. Place one layer on a serving plate, cut side up. Spread 2 cups of frosting on the first layer, spread to the edge. Place another layer on top, and more frosting, spread to the edge. Place the top layer, cut side down, and spread entire cake with the remaining 3 cups frosting, swirling to cover. Press coconut evenly over the cake. (Coconut can be lightly toasted in a 350* oven, if desired.)

A few tips to make sure your cake is a success:

1. When buttering pans, always use softened butter instead of melted butter.
2. To give the cake volume, be sure the butter and sugar is well blended and creamy before you add the other ingredients.
3. Adding the flour or milk in batches, alternating to keep the batter from deflating.
4. Fold in the beaten egg whites until they are just incorporated — don’t over-mix.
5. For even baking, always rotate the pans inside the oven halfway through the baking process.
6. To keep the cakes from cracking on the top, cool cakes for 20 minutes in the pan on a wire rack before inverting.