Coconut Cake is a year-round Southern favorite. Whether at a summer ice cream social or a snowy white centerpiece at Christmas, this light, fluffy three-layer cake impresses. I include an Easter variation made as twenty-four cupcakes. While bunny and lamb cake molds are often popular at Easter, this recipe produces a cake too tender to stand on end. Children will find the cupcake chicks as delightful as the molded cake, and cupcakes are ready to serve without arguments over who is getting a bigger/better piece.
Tips:Coconut Cupcake Chick Variation:
Instead of baking in three 8-inch layers, line two 12-count cupcake tins with paper liners and fill each cup 2/3 of the way up with batter. This should evenly distribute the batter across all 24 cupcakes. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes until wooden pick inserted in center of a middle row in each pan comes out clean.
Cool on wire racks. While cooling, make the same frosting recipe as above, but add a few drops of yellow food coloring to the frosting. Using a clean and sterile glass jar with a lid, fill half the jar with coconut and add a few drops of yellow food coloring. Shake the jar or stir with a metal spoon until the coconut looks like wispy yellow feathers. Add more coloring if necessary.
Frost with yellow icing and sprinkle yellow coconut feathers liberally on the top of each cupcake. Press on two chocolate chip morsels for eyes, then a single raw almond for the beak, and you have adorable and delicious coconut chicks!
SIFT (3X):
2 ¾ cups cake flour
4 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
CREAM:
¾ cup butter (or solid, room temperature coconut oil)
¾ cup granulated sugar
COMBINE:
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
WHIP:
4 Eggs Whites (keep the yolks for pot de creme)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
FROSTING INGREDIENTS:
1 1/3 cups white shortening or coconut oil
2 tsps. Vanilla
¾ tsp. Almond Extract
5 – 6 cups sifted powdered sugar
3-5 tablespoons of coconut milk or cow’s milk
Shredded sweetened coconut
Instructions:TOOLS:
Prepare three 8″ round layer cake pans. If you want to assure a smooth release, cut a parchment round to fit the bottom of pan. Grease the pan first, lay the parchment on the bottom and grease over it again, then flour. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
SIFT the dry ingredients over a large bowl three times, then set aside in a smaller bowl. We want the baking powder and salt to be thoroughly mixed throughout the flour, hence the obsessive three siftings.
In the large bowl use a hand mixer to CREAM the butter (or coconut oil) and sugar.
COMBINE coconut milk with flavorings: Shake your container of coconut milk. You can use regular or low-fat coconut milk from a can or boxed in the dairy case. Coconut milk tends to separate, so if the shaking doesn’t work, prepare to whisk it by pouring one cup into a two-cup liquid measuring cup. Add vanilla and almond flavorings to the coconut milk.
Using an electric hand beater, add to the creamed mixture a bit of the flavored coconut milk, then a half cup of the dry sifted ingredients. Alternate the milk and the dry ingredients until both are blended into the creamed mixture. Wipe down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula until a smooth batter is formed.
WHIP EGG WHITES: In a separate large bowl, such as the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or the hand mixer with clean beaters and a bowl with high sides, WHIP the egg whites, gradually adding a stream of 1/4 cup sugar until stiff peaks form. The stand mixer is preferred here as it takes a while to get to the meringue consistency needed for this recipe.
Using a rubber spatula, gently FOLD the stiff egg whites into the rest of the batter.
Divide batter into prepared 8” round layer cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Remove layers from pans.
EASY WHITE FROSTING:
Beat the fat and flavorings, then on low speed gradually add half the powdered sugar, adding a tablespoon, or two, of the coconut milk. Beat until smooth. Repeat with the other half. Add more milk or coconut milk to get mixture to spreading consistency.
Place the first layer on a serving plate and frost. Sprinkle the top with some of the shredded coconut. Repeat with other layers. Frost sides and sprinkle whole cake with shredded coconut. If you are looking for a little extra sparkle, add a sprinkling of sparkling decorator’s sugar just before serving.
