Rebecca Rather's Christmas Coconut Cake
Classic Coconut Cake
Do not look at the calories! J
Rebecca Rather's Christmas Coconut Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk (available in the Asian section of most
supermarkets, or see notes)
1/2 cup coconut cream (such as Coco Lopez)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 large egg whites at room temperature
Whipped cream filling (recipe follows)
Frosting (recipe follows)
3 to 4 cups unsweetened flaked coconut for decorating
Place an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and another in the top
third of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter three 9-inch cake pans,
then line each with a parchment round. Butter the paper and dust the pans
with flour; knock out excess. Using an electric mixer fitted with the
paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until
light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the
sides of the bowl. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking
powder and salt to blend. In a small bowl, stir together the milk, coconut
milk and coconut cream until smooth. Add the flour mixture in three
increments, alternating with the milk mixture in two increments, starting
and ending with the flour mixture. After each addition, mix at low speed
just to combine the ingredients. Stir in the vanilla.
Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg
whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites
into the batter until evenly blended. Divide the cake batter evenly among
the prepared cake pans. Set two layers on the top rack and the third on
the lower rack. Stagger the cake layers on the oven racks so that no layer
is directly over another. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick
inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Monitor the layers
carefully for doneness; each may be done at a different time. Remove from
the oven and let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then unmold onto wire
racks to cool completely. Make whipped cream filling; set aside.
Make frosting; set aside. To assemble the cake, stack one cake layer
on a serving plate and spread the top with half of whipped cream filling.
Repeat with a second layer. Stack the final cake layer on top of the first
two and cover the cake's top and sides with the frosting. Sprinkle the
coconut on the top and sides of the cake. Cover the cake loosely with
plastic wrap and store for 1 day at room temperature or up to 3 days in
the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving. Makes 8 to 10
servings.
Whipped cream filling: Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk
attachment, beat 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream on high speed until soft
peaks form. Beat in 2 tablespoons coconut cream (such as Coco Lopez) and
1/2 cup grated fresh coconut (optional).
Frosting: Whisk 2 large egg whites, 11/2 cups sugar, 1/3 cup cold water,
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a large
stainless-steel bowl until thoroughly combined. Place the bowl over a
saucepan filled with 2 inches of barely simmering water. Using a hand
beater or handheld electric mixer, continue beating the egg white mixture
for 4 minutes. Add 1/2 cup mini marshmallows in 2 increments while
continuing to beat. Wait until the first batch of marshmallows has melted
before adding the second. Continue beating for 2 to 3 minutes more, until
stiff peaks form. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla and continue
beating until the frosting is thick enough to spread.
Notes: It's challenging to press coconut into the sides of the cake. When
pressing the coconut in, the icing invariably sticks to my fingers and
mars the frosting's finish. I've discovered that throwing small handfuls
of coconut toward the side of the cake makes it adhere quite well a messy
but effective technique for creating a gorgeous cake.
For those who want to follow Aunt Molly's original recipe, here are her
directions for extracting coconut meat and liquid from a fresh coconut:
"First, buy a fresh coconut. To select the best one, shake it to listen
for a lot of milk inside. Prepare the coconut by first making a hole or
two in one end with a hammer and ice pick. Stand the coconut up over a
small bowl or glass measuring cup to catch the milk as it drains out.
Next, crack the hard outer shell with a hammer, then pry off the pieces.
The inner white coconut meat can then be grated [with a handheld
Microplane grater]. Refrigerate both the milk and grated coconut until
ready to use."
PER SERVING: Calories 1,090 (50% fat) Fat 62 g (46 g sat) Cholesterol 94
mg
Sodium 372 mg Fiber 6 g Carbohydrates 125 g Protein 12 g
SOURCE: The Pastry Queen Christmas
Classic Coconut Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk, or juice from a fresh coconut plus enough milk added to make 1
cup
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
White Mountain coconut icing (recipe follows)
3 cups freshly grated coconut or sweetened shredded coconut
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans and set
aside. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt and use
a fork to mix them together. Stir the vanilla into the milk. In a large
bowl, beat the softened butter with a mixer at medium speed until creamy.
Add the sugar and continue beating, stopping to scrape down the sides,
until the mixture is light and evenly combined. Add the eggs, one by one,
beating well each time, until the mixture is thick and smooth. Add
about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the batter and beat well at low speed.
Then add about half the milk to the batter, beating well. Continue beating
as you add another third of the flour mixture, followed by the rest of the
milk, and then the remaining flour mixture, 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. Remove from the oven and cool in the pans on wire racks or
folded kitchen towels for 10 minutes. Then turn out the cakes onto wire
racks or plates, turn the layers top side up and cool completely. You
could also split the layers horizontally to make 4 thin layers of cake.
Make White Mountain coconut icing (below); set aside.
To ice the cake, place one cake layer, top side down, on a cake stand or
serving plate. Cover it generously with icing and sprinkle with some of
the coconut. Place the second layer on top of the iced layer, top side up.
First, ice the sides to help keep the cake steady, and then spread icing
generously over the top, completely covering the cake. Place the cake
stand or serving plate on a cookie sheet to catch loose coconut as you
shower the cake. Sprinkle coconut all over the cake, and then gently pat
handfuls of coconut onto the sides and top to cover bare spots. Transfer
leftover coconut to a jar or resealable plastic bag and store it in the
freezer. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
White Mountain Coconut Icing:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 egg whites
Stir 1 cup sugar into 1/2 cup water to dissolve it. Bring the mixture to a
gentle boil and cook without stirring for 3 minutes. Then boil for 5 to 10
minutes more, stirring often, until the syrup has thickened and will form
itself into a thread about 2 inches long when poured from a spoon back
into the pot. Set the syrup aside. Beat 2 egg whites in a large bowl
with a mixer at high speed until they are bright white, shiny and pillow
into voluminous clouds. While beating at high speed, slowly pour the
cooked syrup into the egg whites to blend them into a fluffy white icing,
4 to 5 minutes.
PER SERVING: Calories 738 (39% fat) Fat 33 g (22 g sat) Cholesterol 151
mg
Sodium 398 mg Fiber 4 g Carbohydrates 104 g Protein 10 g
SOURCE: Southern Cakes
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