Been wanting to try the Coconut Cake from CI, so I made one today.

michael-in-phoenix

Well-known member
It came together very well. I'll post another pic of a slice after we take it to a get-together with some friends later on.

We'll see if it tastes good, too.

Michael

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t159/Storehouse78/002-1.jpg

Coconut Layer Cake

Makes one 9-inch, 4-layer cake.

Cook's Illustrated Published March 1, 2001.

Cream of coconut is often found in the soda and drink-mix aisle in the grocery store. One 15-ounce can is enough for both the cake and the buttercream; make sure to stir it well before using because it separates upon standing.

Cake

1 large egg

5 large egg whites

3/4 cup cream of coconut

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon coconut extract

2 1/4 cups cake flour (9 ounces), sifted

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon table salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 12 pieces, softened, but still cool

2 cups packed sweetened shredded coconut (about 8 ounces)

Buttercream

4 large egg whites

1 cup granulated sugar

pinch table salt

1 pound unsalted butter (4 sticks), each stick cut into 6 pieces, softened, but still cool

1/4 cup cream of coconut

1 teaspoon coconut extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. For the Cake: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with shortening and dust with flour.

2. Beat egg whites and whole egg in large measuring cup with fork to combine. Add cream of coconut, water, vanilla, and coconut extract and beat with fork until thoroughly combined.

3. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on lowest speed to combine, about 30 seconds. With mixer still running on lowest speed, add butter 1 piece at a time, then beat until mixture resembles coarse meal, with butter bits no larger than small peas, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.

4. With mixer still running, add 1 cup liquid. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 45 seconds. With mixer still running, add remaining 1 cup liquid in steady stream (this should take about 15 seconds). Stop mixer and scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then beat at medium-high speed to combine, about 15 seconds. (Batter will be thick.)

5. Divide batter between cake pans and level with offset or rubber spatula. Bake until deep golden brown, cakes pull away from sides of pans, and toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes (rotate cakes after about 20 minutes). Do not turn off oven.

6. Cool in pans on wire racks about 10 minutes, then loosen cakes from sides of pans with paring knife, invert cakes onto racks and then re-invert; cool to room temperature.

7. While cakes are cooling, spread shredded coconut on rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until shreds are a mix of golden brown and white, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times. Cool to room temperature.

8. For the Buttercream: Combine whites, sugar, and salt in bowl of standing mixer; set bowl over saucepan containing 1 1/2-inches of barely simmering water. Whisk constantly until mixture is opaque and warm to the touch and registers about 120 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes.

9. Transfer bowl to mixer and beat whites on high speed with whisk attachment until barely warm (about 80 degrees) and whites are glossy and sticky, about 7 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-high and beat in butter 1 piece at a time. Beat in cream of coconut and coconut and vanilla extracts. Stop mixer and scrape bottom and sides of bowl. Continue to beat at medium-high speed until well-combined, about 1 minute.

 
Lovely! That is alot of work for a Sunday get together~ Must be great friends! What a fun way to

end the weekend! Picture is great!

Best,
Barb

 
Wow, nice incorporation of the flavor into all elements. Musta been really "coconutty". Next time,

wonder what would happen if you used a chocolate ganache in the center layer. Chocolate and coconut. Mmmmmmmm!

 
I was thinking either a chocolate ganache center, or a simple strawberry...

...compote with mashed berries cooked with a little sugar until thickened, then a handfull of sliced fresh berries mixed in when it has cooled. Slather that between a layer or two.

I have loved Mounds and Almond Joy bars since I was a kid. Chocolate ganache would be great!

The flavor was very good. The cake was tender and just sweet enough. Very coconutty.

Altogether a very good cake if coconut and buttercream are high on your list!

Michael

 
or dulce de leche...

One of my favorite cakes was a homemade coconut cake at a diner I used to eat lunch or dinner at several times a week in days of yore (alas, it is no more : (

They saturated the cake with a sweet syrup that used cream of coconut, then topped with a coconut buttercream, then topped with sweetened coconut. It was an amazing flavor.

 
I still love that lazy pina colada cake

Where you mix a can of Coco Lopez, a can of Eagle Brand and pour it over a warm yellow cake, then top with whipped cream & coconut & chill.

 
Pineapple or even Passion Fruit would be another great addition. The mind boggles. Of course my

mind boggles at the idea of putting on my socks so, I s'pose it's not that unusual to be boggled.

 
The cake tastes wonderful! Very coconutty, as I said to S2inLA and the ...

...texture was light and airy.

Very good stuff if you like coconut and buttercream.

Michael

 
My boys and their cousins play "Boggle" as if it were a contact sport.

"Boggled" is a way of life here too.

Michael

PS: This cake is a launching pad (lunching pad?) for a tropically sweet feast, eh?

 
Michael, I've learned two buttercream tricks--by making mistakes first, of course.

The first is to ensure the hot sugar mixture is at the right temperature. I use a thermometer, but Rose L. B has a microwave method that also works.

The second is to ensure the bowl is chilled after adding the hot sugar--but BEFORE adding the room-temperature butter. Otherwise, the butter melts and the texture becomes curdled, instead of silky smooth.

To expedite this, wrap gel ice packs in a tea towel and wrap that around the bowl. This will reduce the amount of cooling time from half an hour to less than 10 minutes...closer to five.

Good luck!

 
Thanks for the tips. I'm going to record them with the recipe in my binder.

I followed the CI recipe for the buttercream and it's the first time I've EVER had success with this frosting.

In fact, just to show you how paranoid I am, I had all the ingredients for coconut whipped cream frosting ready to go in the fridge --just in case the buttercream didn't work! How's that for lack of confidence?

Thanks again for the tips.

Michael

 
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