This cake was specially made for my DIL Kristina's birthday. Kristina had mentioned to me quite some time ago that she wanted a coconut cake. So, in my search for coconut cakes I found this one from Cooking Light.
The frosting is a fluffy meringue flavored with vanilla and coconut extracts (like my Nanny would make for my mayonnaise cake ~without the coconut extract!). The cake is topped with coconut between layers and on the top of the cake.
The butterfly cake dome? That was a gift to Grumpy and I when we were married - from Kristina! We also got a beautiful butterfly salad bowl to match. I love how springy the cake looks in the bright light with colorful butterflies and the white frosting!
Yeah, I did get a little photo happy. I didn't get photos of the inside of the cake because I sent it home with Justin and Kristina. If they happened to get a photo, I'll drop back by this post later and add the sliced pic.
Double Coconut Cake
Cooking Light, December 2001
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon cake flour
2 ¼ cups sifted cake flour * (see note)
2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ⅔ cups sugar
⅓ cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Fluffy Coconut Frosting * (see below)
⅔ cup coconut
Preheat oven to 350°.Coat 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour.Combine 2 ¼ cups flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (for about 5 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in vanilla.Pour batter into prepared pans. Sharply tap the pans once on countertop to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on wire racks, and remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1 cup Fluffy Coconut Frosting. Sprinkle with ⅓ cup coconut. Top with remaining cake layer; spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle ⅓ cup coconut over top of cake. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator.(Totals include Fluffy Coconut Frosting.)*NOTE: If you do not have cake flour you can substitute all purpose flour. For every cup of all purpose flour you use, remove 2 tablespoons.
Yield: 14 ServingsWW Points: 7
*Fluffy Coconut Frosting
4 large egg whites
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
Dash of salt
1 cup sugar
¼ cup water
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon coconut extract (I did not have coconut extract on hand so I went with all vanilla)
Place egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until candy thermometer registers 238°. Pour hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over egg whites, beating at high speed. Stir in extracts.
Bob
Mmmmm, coconut cake. Looks delicious and lovely!
Creative One
What a delicious looking cake! Your pictures look great.
Elyse
This cake looks absolutely fabulous!! Love that you used the butterfly cake dome for Kristina's cake. How perfect. This cake looks like it could totally cure my winter blues. Mmm, delicious!
Cristine
The cake looks fantastic! I love coconut! Your daughter-in-law is a lucky lady... hope she enjoyed her birthday!
Marthe
This cake looks absolutely gorgeous! What a great gift for your daughter in law!!
Katy
Beautiful, beautiful white frosting! And I'll bet the cake was so delish! You are both well blessed to have each other in each other's lives :o}
natalia
You made a chef d'oevre ! I'm sure Kristina knows everyday more I much you love her !!!
Danielle
the cake looks great!
Donna-FFW
This cake looks awesome. It must have been delicious!! Your daughter in law is so lucky to have you..
Anj
That is one beautiful cake. Such a nice thing to do for your daughter-in-law.
Barbara Bakes
What a beautiful cake! I'm sure she was so pleased! Love the butterflies too!
recipes2share
I am constantly amazed at your 'cooking light' it really is fantastic!
Megan
I love the stark whiteness of it!!! It's just beautiful. Damn-it's barking at me. 😉 Maybe for Easter!
Love LOVE the butterfly cake dome!
Carrie
That looks so gorgeous! What a lucky DIL!
Ingrid
Looks beautiful and how white the frosting!
~ingrid
Gera @ SweetsFoods
Can you make me another one for a friend's birthday that I've soon??
Look this gorgeous heavenly frosting :))
Maria
Beautiful cake!! I love the coconut! I am sure your DIL was in heaven!
Debbie
The cake looks great. I like the list of ingredients - it all sounds good!
Laura
Wow that's an impressive cake to have not tried it!
Talita
What a gorgeous cake! So simple and in the same way so great! I love it!
Pam
Will you make this for me for my birthday? This is the most beautiful cake ever - nice job Shelby.
Spryte
That's BEAUTIFUL!!
The Hungry Mouse
OMG what a lovely cake!
+Jessie
Meg
GORGEOUS!
Zesty Cook
This looks amazing!!!
CookiePie
That is a gorgeous, amazing-looking cake!!!
Jessie
I love your cooking light posts, especially when it's the sweet treats, I have such a weakness for sweets! these cooking light posts help me out a great deal.
J.Danger
That does look nice and springy! It makes me want to eat it outside! ALL OF IT.
tamilyn
What a beautiful cake. She's a lucky girl!
Pamela
That looks fabulous!
Clumbsy Cookie
It's so pretty! I love how white it is!
Maggie
Stunning! I bet it would be great egg shaped for Easter.
ChefBliss.com
I LOVE coconut cake and this is beautiful!! And so white and gorgeous and pretty. I could go on! 🙂
Lynda
Mmmmm, I love coconut cake! I love your pictures too!
duodishes
Sorry, but did you say mayonnaise cake? We love coconut, but a mayo cake is also intriguing...
Bobby
What a great birthday cake, it looks perfect!
teresa
How beautiful! You take wonderful pictures, and the cake looks delicious, don't you just love Cooking Light!
Nila Rosa
Delicious looking cake! I almost want to lick the screen 😛
Sara
Yum, I've seen that cake before but never tried it- it looks so good.
By the way, I just noticed that you weren't on our blogroll- I don't know why, but I just added you!
Happy cooking,
-Sara
Olga
omg, that looks like snow!
Maya
I adore coconut cake!!!
Bunny
Everything about this cake is fantastic Shelby, the frosting looks so good!!
Tangled Noodle
I have recently been on a coconut jag so this comes at a perfect time! It looks wonderful and the recipes sound absolutely delicious.
Lynnylu
I haven't had coconut cake in forever. Looks great!
averagebetty
Good gracious! I just saw this!! Makes me think of being home with my Mom... YUM!
s. stockwell
Wow! what perfect timing? We need a coconut cake for a special birthday girl this Saturday and we are making this one. Thanks, always love your posts. Best, s