Coconut is one of my favorite ingredients—and this traditional coconut cake is a stunning way to use it. The cake has both shredded coconut and coconut extract in the batter, which gives it a nice intense flavor. Then it gets a generous coating of fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting. Finally, lots of shredded coconut is pressed into the frosting for decoration, making the cake absolutely gorgeous.
Makes 10 servings
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line them with parchment paper.
2 Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks and coconut extract.
3 In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and 1⅓ cups (115 grams) of the coconut.
4 With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and the buttermilk, in alternating batches, until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
5 In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.
6 Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
7 Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
8 To assemble the cake: Place one cake layer on a flat serving plate or cake pedestal. Spread some cream cheese frosting on the top all the way to the edges of the cake. Top with the second cake layer and spread the remaining frosting evenly over the top and down the sides of the cake.
9 Gently use the palm of your hand to press the remaining 3 cups (255 grams) shredded coconut onto the sides and top of the cake, covering it completely.
10 Store at room temperature, covered, for up to 4 days.