Oh hey there! I know it's been a while since I posted, but what better time to re-start blogging than the present? The past 2 years have been super busy and exciting. I live in the big city now, and, after doing 4 years of work in 1.5 years, can officially call myself a Registered Nurse! Now if only I could find a job...This coconut cake is the perfect way to jump-start this blog back in to gear. It's over the top, pretty and (most importantly) delicious. The original recipe called for quite a few illusive ingredients such as coconut oil and UNsweetened coconut chips, so I made a few alterations. There's also supposed to be booze in the cake, but I had to improvise since all the packies in Massachusetts are closed on Sundays (who knew??)! The cake is a little invovled, but if you have an afternoon to kill, definitely go for it.... this thing is delish!!!
Ingredients
CAKE:
2 3/4 cups cake flour plus more for pans
2 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
2 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
5 large eggs
1/2 cup shortening, melted to warm
1 tsp coconut extract
1 cup buttermilk
SIMPLE SYRUP
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 water
1 tsp coconut extract
FROSTING
2 cups shredded coconut
2 8-oz packages cream cheese, room temp (I used reduced fat and it worked fine!)
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp salt
41/2- 5 cups powdered sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
Arrange racks on top and bottom 1/3 of oven and preheat to 350 F. Butter and flour three 9 inch baking rounds. Whisk flour, coconut, baking powder and salt together and set aside. Using a stand or electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until blended together in between each addition. Add the shortening. Starting and ending with the dry ingredients, alternate mixing in the flour/coconut mixture and the buttermilk. Blend until batter just comes together. Divide the mixture in to the prepared cake pans and bake for about 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in to the center of the pan comes our clean. Remove from oven, let cool for about 10 minutes, then flip on to wire cooling rack and let cool completely.
While the cake is backing, mix 1/2 cups sugar and water together in saucepan and heat until sugar dissolves in to water. Add coconut extract and let cool. When the cake is flipped on to wire cooling rack, spread syrup over each later, letting it soak in to cake.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Place shredded coconut on to cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and spread coconut evenly across. Bake for about 10 minutes, until some (but not all) of the shreds are browned. Remove and let cool.
Using an electric or stand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth, about 3-4 minutes. Add milk, coconut extract and salt and blend for another minute. Add sugar and blend on low for about a minute, and increase the speed to high for about 5 minutes. Frosting should be light and fluffy but firm enough to hold the cake together.
Assemble the cake using about 1/2 cup of frosting in between each layer. Frost top and sides of cake generously, then pat the browned coconut shreds on top and sides of the cake. Chill if waiting to serve, or dig in!
