Coconut Cake
2 1/2 C. sifted cake flour, spooned & leveled (I did a little less)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
3/4 C. unsalted butter, softened
1 2/3 C. sugar
5 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 C. sour cream, at room temperature
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. coconut extract
1 C. canned unsweetened coconut milk, at room temperature (make sure to shake the can well)
1 C. sweetened shredded coconut (pulse in food processor to chop up)
Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, soda and salt together. Set aside. With mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the egg whites until combined, then add the sour cream, vanilla, and coconut extract. Beat until combined. Mixture will look curdled as a result of the varying textures. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and coconut milk. Beat on low speed until combined, then add the shredded coconut. Whisk it by hand to make sure that there are no butter lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick. Pour batter evenly into greased cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes (around 35 minutes for a 9x13 pan) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting.
Coconut Buttercream Frosting
1 1/2 C. unsalted butter, softened
5 C. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. canned unsweetened coconut milk (make sure to shake the can well)
1 tsp. coconut extract (recipe didn't call for this, but I added it)
Using a mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add 2 C. of powdered sugar and beat on medium-low until most of the sugar is moistened. Gradually add in the remaining sugar, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the salt and the coconut milk, 1 Tbsp. at a time, beating on medium speed until fully incorporated. You may need more or less of the coconut milk depending on how strong you'd like the flavor. Turn the speed up to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy. Frost cake and serve with toasted coconut if desired.
Toasted Coconut
2 C. sweetened shredded coconut
Spread 2 C. coconut in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes until the coconut begins to brown. Watch it closely because it can go from browned to burned in just a few seconds! Remove from oven and transfer to a dish to cool completely.
*The recipe called for a coconut cream cheese frosting, but we thought a buttercream frosting sounded better, so that's what I made. I would definitely like to try it with the cream cheese frosting sometime though.
Cake recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction, Frosting recipe from Baked by an Introvert
