Saturday, October 4, 2008

Birthday Boy

My husband's birthday was this week. And since I had just gotten back in to town and had to work late several days this week, we decided to eat out for his birthday dinner. I couldn't let his entire birthday go by without something homemade. So late at night on his birthday eve I made him a coconut birthday cake for him to enjoy on his big day.

Coconut Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Cooking Light December 2006

Igredients
  • Cake:
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 tablespoon cake flour
  • 2 1/2 cups cake flour (about 10 ounces)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 6 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup egg substitute
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup light coconut milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract

  • Frosting:
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 5 large egg whites
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons toasted flaked sweetened coconut
Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare cake, coat 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray; line bottoms of pans with wax paper.

Lightly coat wax paper with cooking spray; dust pans with 1 tablespoon flour.

Lightly spoon 2 1/2 cups flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place 2 cups sugar and 6 tablespoons butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes or until well blended.

Add egg substitute and eggs to sugar mixture; beat well.

Add flour mixture and coconut milk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon extract.

Spoon batter into prepared pans. Sharply tap the pans once on countertop to remove air bubbles.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on wire racks; remove from pans. Remove wax paper; discard. Cool cakes on wire racks. (I don't bake enough so I have never purchased wire racks - I had to use trivets. I am pretty sure that defeats the purpose, but oh well!)

To prepare frosting, combine 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes, without stirring, or until a candy thermometer registers 250°. Combine egg whites, cream of tartar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; using clean, dry beaters, beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Pour hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over egg whites, beating at high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.

Reduce mixer speed to low; continue beating until egg white mixture cools (about 12 minutes).

Beat 1/4 cup butter until light and fluffy; stir in 1/4 teaspoon extract, if desired. Fold in 1 cup egg white mixture. Fold butter mixture into remaining egg white mixture, stirring until smooth.

Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1 cup frosting. (I put strips of wax paper on my cake plate when I did the icing in order to keep it clean. Once I was finished icing the cake completely, I removed the wax paper and had a perfectly clean cake platter!)

Repeat twice with cake layers and 1 cup frosting, ending with cake layer; spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Toast coconut.

Sprinkle iced cake with toasted coconut.

Chill until set.

10 comments:

MrsSchoon said...

What a beautiful cake!

Anonymous said...

I love coconut, I will have to try this recipe. Looks delicious!

Anonymous said...

Roses are Red
Violets are Blue
I wish I was
As young as you!

Happy Birthday to the BB.

P.S. Your cake looks exquisite. Love the color of the toasted coconut. You are quite the gourmande.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday, Forrest!

Your Sister-In-Law,
Jessica

Andrea said...

Beautiful cake! Coconut cake is so unappreciated, and I haven't had it in years. Yours looks delicious!

Anya said...

That looks sooo good! Will you come make one for my birthday? hehe

Anonymous said...

Wow!!!! a cake that is not white with chocolate icing. This is only achieveable because your dad had no imput, right? I can't even guess the last time I made a cake that wasn't a Ronald Regan cake.

Mom

Woody said...

It was the best cake I have ever received. Thanks b, for the wonderful birthday.

MaryBeth said...

Your cake looks wonderful, I would love to try this one.

ContradictionEffect said...

This cake is dangerous. My wife made it and now we have to give it away lest we eat the entire thing. Thanks for the recipe!