Coconut Layer Cake and Seven (14) Minute Frosting - American Cake

I always imagined coconut layer cake would taste this good! 

I think this is a new Christmas Classic for my family. I made it for Christmas dinner not really knowing if we had any anti-coconutters or even if I was going to be able to pull it off. With all the holiday running, (Ohio to Michigan to Illinois back to Ohio) I didn't leave myself any spare time or ingredients if this failed. I knew that there would be cookies and candies because it's Christmas and my people bring sweets, so if it did fail we wouldn't be bereft.

But was a success. Not just a little, like that didn't stink, but like, "OH MY GOSH IT LOOKS LIKE A PICTURE!" success. I'm my worst critic but I too was tickled with the way this turned out. 

The cake: This can be anyone's perfect yellow cake. It's soft and has good flavor. It's the cake the box mixes are trying to be, but it is 100% more delicious. 

The icing: I learned after making the frosting it can be tricky. It was tricky. What I would do differently is use a thermometer to check the temperature of the mixture. Having read a few more recipes after the fact I would have saved some anxiety if I knew certainly that I got the mixture up to 160 degrees. 

The cake: 

3-9 inch layer pans prepped. 

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

5 eggs, separated

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

325 degree oven

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs yolks one at a time. Add the vanilla. 

Sift the soda into the flour. Add the 1/3 the flour, 1/2 the buttermilk, scrape down the sides, a second third of the flour and the last of the buttermilk, ending with the flour, scraping between all the additions. Mix well. 

Beat the eggwhites in a separate bowl. Fold a third of the egg whites into the flour mixture thoroughly. Gently add the remaining eggwhite, blending so well, but as minimally as possible as to not deflate the eggs. Distribute evenly between the pans. Bake 22+ minutes until a tester comes out cleanly. 

Run a knife around the edge of the pan then allow them to cool completely. 

Seven (14 really) Minute Frosting

2 egg whites

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1.5 cups granulated sugar

5 tablespoons water

1.5 teaspoons corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

Using a double boiler, bring 2 inches of water to a boil. Place the egg whites, cream of tartar, sugar, water and corn syrup in a non reactive bowl that fits for the double boiler. Mix with a handheld mixer on high for 4 minutes. Set over the water and mix for 7 minutes on high speed. See that the eggs get to 160 degrees, don't let the pan touch the water, however. Remove the pan from the water and beat an additional 3 or 4 minutes until it is cool and voluminous. 

Use immediately. 

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (from a natural or import store, generally). 

Combine the two coconuts. 

Lay out the first layer of cake on a cake plate. Spread enough frosting to cover lightly. Sprinkle coconut. Set the second layer on top the first and repeat. Top with the third layer and frost the top and sides. Sprinkle with the coconut mixture and press coconut into the sides of the cake.