Double-Coconut Cake

This recipe produces a cake that is a little dense, mostly due to the coconut milk, but is wonderfully moist and delicious.  It originally appeared in Cooking Light magazine and has only been modestly tweaked.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat 2-9" round cake pans with cooking spray and lightly dust with flour, tapping pans to remove any excess.

In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  Beat sugar and melted butter in a mixer at medium speed until well blended, about 5 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

With mixer running add one third of the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and allow to mix well, scraping sides as needed.  Add one half of the milk and mix to incorporate.

Repeat with one third of the flour followed by remainder of milk, mixing each well before adding the next.  Lastly add the remaining flour mixture.  Add the vanilla and incorporate thoroughly in the mixer.

Pour batter into prepared pans tapping each sharply on countertop to remove air bubbles.  Bake for 30 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out clean.  Cool cake in pans for about 20-30 minutes and then remove from pans and allow to finish cooling ion wire racks.

Clean and dry the mixer thoroughly.

While the cakes are cooling prepare the frosting by beating egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in a large mixing bowl; beat at high speed until stiff peaks form.  Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cook, without stirring, until candy thermometer registers 238 degrees.

Note:  Stirring the mixture will prevent it from coming to temperature as quickly and will cause more splattering of the sugar syrup onto the sides of the saucepan where it will harden.  If any splattering occurs wash the sides of the pan with a brush moistened with water.

When sugar syrup is up to temperature pour hot mixture in a thin stream over the egg whites, beating at a high speed.  Lastly, stir in extracts.

Place 1 cake on a plate and spread the top with 1 cup of frosting and sprinkle on half of the coconut.  Top with remaining cake layer and use remaining frosting on the top and sides of the cake.  Sprinkle on remaining coconut.