Sam Champion's Coconut Cake

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 6 egg whites
• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon coconut flavoring
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 1/2 lbs confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon coconut flavoring
• 4 -5 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
• 2 1/2-3 cups flaked coconut (to cover cake)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 2 butter liberally and flour two 9-inch cake pans.
• 3 in an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
• 4 slowly add the egg whites until incorporated.
• 5 in a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, the baking powder and the salt.
• 6 add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until incorporated but don't over mix.
• 7 add the coconut flavoring, and the coconut milk until combined .
• 8 add 1 cup of flaked coconut.
• 9 divide the batter equally between the two prepared cake pans.
• 10 bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly golden and firm to the touch.
• 11 let cool in pan on wire racks until cakes are completely cool, then carefully unmold.
• 12 using a serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally into 2 equal layers (creating a total of 4 layers).
• 13 to make the icing;.
• 14 cream the butter, shortening, and confectioner's sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy.
• 15 beat in the coconut flavoring and the coconut milk.
• 16 in a separate bowl, combine 2 cups of the whipped frosting and 1½ cups of flaked coconut.
• 17 set aside.
• 18 assembling the cake:.
• 19 when ready to ice the cake, place the first cake layer on serving dish.
• 20 dollop 1/3 of the frosting with coconut flake added to it, and spread evenly with an offset metal spatula.
• 21 continue this process with each layer, smoothing over the extra frosting that may ooze out between each layer.
• 22 with the remaining frosting (that does not contain flaked coconut), frost the top and sides of cake.
• 23 finish by gently pressing the remaining 2 1/2 – 3 cups of flaked coconut on the frosted cake, covering the cake entirely with the coconut.