Coconut Buttercream Frosting

This coconut buttercream frosting is great with coconut cake.

 Ingredients:

4 large egg whites
1 cup granulated white sugar
Pinch of salt
1 pound unsalted butter (4 sticks) (room temperature and cut into 1 inch pieces)
1/4 cup cream of coconut
1 tsp. coconut extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract

 Instructions:

Combine egg whites, sugar and salt in the bowl of a large stand mixer (like a KitchenAid). Set bowl over a saucepan over a flame on the stovetop with 1 to 1 1/2" barely simmering water in it. Keeping the egg white mixture over the hot water, whisk by hand for about 2 minutes. After about 2 minutes, the mixture should look opaque. It should be warm to the touch and register about 120° on a candy thermometer.

Remove bowl from over the saucepan and put onto mixer. Beat with the whisk attachment until the outside of the bowl feels barely warm. After about 7 minutes, the egg whites should look glossy and sticky.

With mixer running at a low speed, add butter pieces one piece at a time. When all butter has been mixed in, turn mixer to high and whip until light and fluffy. Scrape down sides and bottom with rubber spatula. Mix in vanilla, cream of coconut and coconut extract. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula.

Coconut Cake

Coconut lovers delight.

Yield: 1 10-inch round cake or 2 8-inch round cakes 
Time: 1 hour 
Preheat Oven: 325°

Ingredients:
 1 large egg
 5 egg whites
 3/4 c. cream of coconut
 1/4 c. water
 1 tsp. vanilla extract
 1 Tbsp. coconut extract
 2 1/4 c. cake flour
 1 c. granulated sugar
 1 Tbsp. baking powder
 3/4 tsp. salt
 3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature and cut into small cubes)
 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°.

Line baking pans with parchment and spray sides with non-stick spray.

Liquid Ingredients:

In a medium bowl, beat together whole egg and egg whites.

Add cream of coconut, water, vanilla and coconut extract.

Stir until thoroughly mixed.  Set aside.

Dry Ingredients:

In a large stand mixer (like a KitchenAid) with a paddle attachment, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix on low speed to combine.

With mixer running on low speed, add butter one piece at a time. Mix until the mixture looks like wet sand (2-3 minutes).

 Combine Liquid and Dry Ingredients:

With mixer running, pour in half of the wet ingredients and mix until light and fluffy (about 1 minute). Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula.  Mix briefly (15 seconds).

With mixer running, add the remaining wet ingredients. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula.  Mix briefly (15 seconds).

Add shredded coconut and mix until incorporated.  Scrape sides and bottom of bowl with spatula one final time.

 Pour into pan: Pour the batter evenly into the parchment lined cake pans.

Bake: Place the pans in the middle shelf of a pre-heated oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Test cake for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. If the tooth pick comes out with few or no crumbs, remove from oven. If there are wet crumbs, bake another 5 minutes and test again.

Remove from oven: Remove cake pans from oven and place on wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. 

Remove cake from pan: Run a butter knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake from the pan. Place a cardboard cake round or plate on top of the cake pan. Invert the cake pan onto the the plate or cardboard. Pull off the parchment. Place the wire rack on top of and cake and invert again. Set aside and let cool thoroughly.

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