Coconut Cake, Southern Style

This one is time consuming if you make the cake from scratch (I do and don't, depending on the day, actually. They're both as good as the other. I just feel a little more worthy when I do it all) and go with the lovely, fluffy 7-minute frosting as suggested here. Feel free to use your favorite cream cheese frosting, though I heavily frown upon the canned icing as it tastes much like paste in the vanilla and cream cheese forms. Anyways, enjoy this recipe from Paula for a super-moist and wonderful Southern specialty.

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 1 Cup Room Temperature Butter
• 2 Cups Sugar
• 4 Eggs
• 3 Cups Sifted Self Rising Flour
• 1 Cup Coconut Milk
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

But, if you're short on time like I am, take the shortcut! Use a boxed yellow cake mix, prepared according to package instructions. Add 1/2-3/4 Cup Sour Cream (makes it super moist) and a generous teaspoon of vanilla. I also added 1/2 cup shredded coconut or crushed pineapple to this for flavor and moisture (in the case of the pineapple).

FILLING

• 1/3 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Sour Cream 1
• 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons milk or cream
  
• 1/2 Cup Shredded Coconut (blue bag, of course!)
  

FROSTING

• 1 1/2 Cups Sguar
• 1/4 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
• 1/8 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/3 Cup Water
• 2 Egg Whites
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans.

2. Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed.

3. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Level batter in each pan by holding pan 3 or 4 inches above counter, then dropping it flat onto counter. Do this several times to release air bubbles and assure you of a more level cake. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. Cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto cooling racks. Cool completely.

4. While cake is baking, prepare filling. Stir together sugar, sour cream, milk, and coconut in a bowl until well blended.

5. Remove cake layers from oven and allow cake to remain in pans as you prepare to stack and fill. Remove first layer and invert onto cake plate. Using the wrong end of a wooden spoon, poke holes approximately 1-inch apart until entire cake has been poked. Spread 1/3 of filling mixture on cake layer. Top with second layer, repeat process. Top with last layer and repeat process again. (As I stack layers together I stick them with toothpicks to prevent cake from shifting).

6. To prepare the frosting, place sugar, cream of tartar or corn syrup, salt, water, and egg whites in the top of a double boiler. Beat with a hand-held electric mixer for 1 minute. Place pan over boiling water, being sure that boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan. (If this happens, it could cause your frosting to become grainy). Beat constantly on high speed with electric mixer for 7 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Frost the sides of the cake first, being careful not to get crumbs in the icing. When cake is completely covered, gently cover frosting with coconut.