Week 3 :: Mom's Coconut Cream Cake

Happy Birthday Mom! 

Coconut Cake is one of my mother's favorite desserts and this year she requested it for her birthday.  I looked high and low for the perfect recipe.  I searched online (Martha Stewart's recipe calls for 10 sticks of butter!), called a friend in NC, searched through a dozen cookbooks including my Grandmother's Original Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook and Cooking in the Deep South given to my mother by Great Aunt Nell and Uncle Shelton, and I even had a sweet friend call her mom for a recipe (Thanks Emily!).  After ALL of this research I couldn't settle on just one recipe, so I took the best parts from each recipe, added my own little twist and came up with the recipe below. 

Coconut Cake:

Prep time :: 15 minutes

Cook time :: 20-25 minutes

:: Ingredients ::

• 1 cup butter
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 cups cake flour (may use all purpose flour)
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup coconut milk (may use plain milk)
• 6 egg whites

:: Directions ::

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour three 9" cake pans.
2. Cream together butter and sugar.  Mix in vanilla extract.
3. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together.
4. Add flour mixture and milk alternating to butter mixture, ending with flour mixture.  Mix well.
5. Beat eggs until a stiff peak forms.  Fold into batter.
6. Pour batter into prepared cake pans.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

:: Helpful Hint :: Hold the pans 3-4" above the counter and drop to level out batter in pan.

Coconut Filling:

Prep time :: 5 minutes

:: Ingredients ::

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 package shredded coconut 
• + remainder of coconut milk

:: Directions ::

1. Mix together sour cream, sugar, coconut, and remainder of coconut milk left in can (optional).  Set aside.

Coconut Icing

Prep time :: 10 minutes

Cook time :: 15 minutes

:: Ingredients ::

• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar (or 1 Tbsp. corn syrup)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 2 Tbsp. coconut rum (optional)
• 3 egg whites
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

:: Directions ::

1. Mix sugar, cream of tartar, salt, hot water, and coconut rum in saucepan over medium heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved and mixture is clear.  Continue cooking without stirring until syrup is 238-240 degrees on a candy thermometer (about 10 minutes over medium heat).
2. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl beat eggs with electric mixer until soft peak forms.  
3. Remove syrup from heat and slowly beat into the eggs. Continue beating with electrical mixer until a stiff peak forms about 5 minutes).  Add vanilla extract and coloring if desired.
   

Assembling the cake ::

• Place strips of wax paper on the surface of the plate you will be serving the cake off.  These help to keep your surface clean while decorating and will be removed before decorating (Tip courtesy of Mama Whaley).

• Place first cake later upside down on plate. Top with 1/2 the filling mixture.  Place second layer upside down and top with remainder of filling. Place the final layer upside down on top (this creates a smoother surface for icing).
• Cover top and sides of cake with prepared icing.
• Finish off the cake however you like!  I used a few drops of red food coloring to make the icing pink, sprinkled the cake with the remainder of the shredded coconut and embellished with a lime slice.
• Chill the cake overnight (up to three days) in the refrigerator. If needed, it may be served immediately.

Happy Baking!