I haven't done a cake post in a while, and I was thinking that this is a perfect time to share my recipe for the BEST coconut cake you will ever have in your entire life. With Mother's Day coming up next month, I can't think of a better cake to serve at a brunch for your mother or mother-in-law, or a more perfect gift for the dessert-loving mama in your life.
I tend to associate coconut cake with Easter, as one has always graced our Easter table since God was a boy. And I also associate coconut cake with my own mother. One of my most vivid memories of her in the kitchen was when she was making the frosting for a coconut cake right before Easter. I was in high school, and I was in the living room watching television with my friend; we were doing our own thing and not paying much attention to anyone else. Until we heard a crash. And a clang. And a shriek. And then expletives. Oh, the expletives. My friend said, "Um..maybe you should go check on your mom..?"
I was a little terrified to walk in the kitchen, nervous about what I might find in there. But I cautiously entered, and I found myself in the middle of a war zone. Eggs were everywhere. Literally everywhere. It looked like she had thrown them up against the wall in a rage. My sweet mama had the biggest eat-shit-and-die look on her face and an egg in her hand. "Are you okay, mama? What happened??"
She leaned over the counter and began to sob. "I've made this damned frosting three times and I can't get it right!" I went over and hugged her, and we decided that it wasn't worth redecorating the house over, and that she would try it one more time. I guarantee you that many a coconut cake has gotten tossed in the trash because of that pesky Seven Minute Frosting, and that makes me sad because they could've been salvaged. I won't lie, the fluffy frosting is really frustrating, and it has take me lots of practice to learn tricks to get it right.
The biggest issue most people run into is ensuring that they have NO yolk in the egg whites. One huge tip I learned is to use Egg Beaters Egg Whites from a carton instead of separating the whites out of real eggs. It works just as well, you can't taste the difference, and it saves you from throwing eggs up against your wall. I promise.
I have given further detailed instructions below. I personally do not have a double boiler, so I use my silver mixing bowl that goes to my stand mixer. I hold it above a pot of boiling water with one hand and continuously whisk with the other hand. This can get really old after doing it for 7 minutes straight, but it turns out perfect every time. No pain, no gain. Afterward, I transfer the bowl back to the stand mixer and then whip using the whisk attachment until the mixture turns into a beautiful, glossy, fluffy frosting.
Another short cut option is to use Duncan Hines' Signature Coconut Supreme Cake Mix. I didn't use it this time, but I have used it in the past when I was in a pinch. If you would prefer to do this, then simply substitute whole milk for water and butter for oil. It actually turns out just as good as the recipe made from scratch. I'm not even kidding, I swear. Once the filling and frostings are added, you can't even tell the difference, and nobody would ever guess.
Coconut cake is my favorite cake in the whole world, which speaks for itself because I like a whole lot of cakes. It's one of those cakes that tastes like candy. My recipe has a lot going on--it's a cake, a filling, and two different frostings. But trust me here. The cake is moist; the filling is sweet but ever-so-slightly tart from the sour cream; the butter cream is rich and decadent; and the fluffy frosting is a light as a marshmallow. To make this cake extra special, I used large-grated coconut shavings on top.
Coconut cake is amazing in itself (it was even our wedding cake!). But, I promise you, this is the BEST coconut cake I've ever had. It's taken many years of perfecting, but I finally got it right. I hope that you decide to try it. I promise it's worth the time and effor, and I promise your mama will love it!
Coconut Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups sifted self rising flour
1 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray Baker's Joy spray into four 8-inch cake pans (alternatively, you could use three 9-inch pans).
*Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed.
*Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake for about 30 minutes or until done (test with toothpick to make sure that the cake is cooked in the center).
*Cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto cooling racks. Cool completely.
Filling
1/2 cup powder sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp coconut milk
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 cup shredded coconut
*Mix all ingredients into a medium sized bowl and set aside.
Buttercream Frosting
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
4 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp coconut milk (may use a little more or less)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
*Sift the powder sugar and set aside.
*Beat softened butter on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add in powdered sugar slowly, pouring in coconut milk alternately to loosen the frosting to the desired consistency. Add in vanilla, and beat until smooth.
Fluffy Frosting
1 1⁄2 cups sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
1⁄3 cup water
2 egg whites
1 1⁄2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
*Place sugar, cream of tartar, salt, water, and egg whites in the top of a double boiler. (Actually, the way I do it is to use the bowl from my stand mixer and to hold it above a pot of boiling water on the stove. This is kind of physically demanding and gets really old after a couple of minutes, but it is the alternative if you don't have a double boiler).
*Mix it together with a whisk until combined. Place pan (or mixing bowl) over boiling water, being sure that the boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan/mixing bowl (if this happens, it could cause your frosting to become grainy, and that's no bueno). Whip vigorously and constantly with a whisk for seven minutes. WITHOUT STOPPING.
*Pour the mixture into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer (unless that's what you were using to begin with) and transfer to a stand mixer. With a whisk attachment connected, add in vanilla extract, and then beat the mixture on high until you have a fluffy meringue-like frosting that forms nice peaks. It should look like this:
Assembly
*Place the bottom cake layer on a plate and pipe a ring of the Butter cream Frosting along the edges, creating a dam for the filling. Add 1/4 of the filling in the center of the cake and spread to the edges. Add 1/3 cup of the Fluffy Frosting on top of the filling and spread to the edges. Place the next layer on top. *Repeat the previous step.
*Repeat the previous step.
*Place the top cake later atop the cake stack. Frost a crumb coat on the cake using the Butter cream Frosting and place in the refrigerator to let set (usually 10-15 minutes).
*Remove cake from refrigerator. Frost with the remainder of the Fluffy Frosting. Cover in shredded coconut.
*Enjoy!
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