In the mood for a spring treat? Laura Wilson, La Dolce Vita, shares a recipe for a delicious coconut cake for spring, including TIPS to give you a fine crumb!

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Coconut Cake 

                                                3 sticks (1 ½ cups) unsalted butter,

                                                    room temperature, plus more for pans

                                                3 ½ cups cake flour, plus more for pans

                                                1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder

                                                1 teaspoon salt

1 cup packed sweetened shredded coconut

2-2/3 cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon

4 large whole eggs

4 large egg whites

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut milk, stirred until

smooth

Seven-Minute Frosting

Toasted Coconut

Preheat Oven to 350.  Butter and flour two 9” cake pans, then line the bottoms  with parchment paper.  Tap out excess flour.

Mix the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and coconut together in a bowl and set aside.  In a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to beat the ROOM TEMPERATURE butter with the sugar.  First beat the butter for a minute or so, then add the sugar.   Beat until light and fluffy, scraping the sides and getting it all.  Add the vanilla and the whole eggs and beat until fully incorporated.

Add 1/3 of the flour to the creamed butter mixture and mix well.   Then add 2/3 of the coconut milk and mix.  Add the next 1/3 flour, mixing well.  Add the rest of the coconut milk and mix.  Finish by adding the last of the flour and mix well.

Remove this bowl and add a new, clean, dry bowl.  Fit your mixer with the whisk attachment.  Whisk the egg whites, slowly until foamy, about 30-60 seconds.  Add the 1 T sugar, then turn the mixer on high until you have strong egg whites that can hold peaks.   Remove this bowl.  Take a big scoop of these egg whites and mix them in your cake batter until thoroughly mixed in.  This lightens the batter for folding. Fold in half of the remaining egg whites until incorporated, then fold in the remainder, with a large spatula, turning the bowl as you fold.

Pour into pans, only filling ½ way up.  If you have left over batter, get another pan, or a smaller pan.  Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.  It is important to keep your eye on your baked goods.  Ovens vary.  While this time works well for us, we begin to watch the cake after about 20 minutes, and rotate them in the oven.

Cool at least 15 minutes before removing from the cake pans onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before icing.

Seven-Minute Frosting

Martha Stewart

                                                1 ½ cups sugar

                                                2 tablespoons light corn syrup

                                                6 large egg whites

                                                1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine sugar, corn syrup, ¼ cup water, and the egg whites. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture registers 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes. 

Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the mixture on high speed until glossy and voluminous, about 5 minutes. Mix in the vanilla and stir for another 2 minutes. Use immediately. 

Frost your cake.  Then top with toasted coconut, sparkles, or gold dust.  

Don’t forget about Laura’s traveling excursions! She takes people to Europe once a year.  This year the group is going to Ireland and London.  The dates are Aug 5-11 for Ireland and 11-16 for London.

To learn more, visit www.ladolcevitaculinary.com.