Coconut Cake

For the 2nd time in my life, I decided to bake a cake from scratch. The first, was a chocolate cake. This one, for my husband's birthday, was coconut.

It turned out well, moist and coconut-y, albeit a bit dense for my personal taste. The frosting was definitely a keeper; my mother-in-law has mentioned to me, numerous times how much she liked it (yay!).

I made the cake & frosted it on a Friday, refrigerated it overnight and served it Saturday evening and it was not dry at all, although the refrigeration may have contributed to the density. I think the quantity of butter also was a factor; don't get me wrong, it wasn't overwhelmingly dense, just moreso than I was hoping for. Even after cutting into the cake, it wasn't dry, despite refrigeration 2 nights in a row.

I adapted a recipe from Ina Garten, that I found on The Food Network website.

Coconut Cake

3/4 lb (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans

2 c sugar

5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp pure almond extract

3 c all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 c milk

3/4 c TOTAL sweetened & unsweetened shredded coconut, mixed*

For the frosting:

1 pound (2 blocks) cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp pure almond extract

3 - 3 1/2 confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 c TOTAL sweetened & unsweetened shredded coconut, mixed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two (9-inch) round cake pans.

In a bowl, using the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 - 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping the bowl while mixing. Add vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. 

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter. Mix until just combined and mix in coconut.

Pour batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the tops are browned and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.

Frosting: In a bowl, use an electric mixer to combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth.

Assembly: Place 1 layer on a flat serving plate and spread with frosting. Sprinkle frosting with coconut. Add second layer and frost the entire cake. Finish by covering with coconut. Serve room temperature.

* My favorite unsweetened coconut is by Bob's Red Mill; the original recipe called for 100% sweetened coconut but I was afraid that would lead to an overly sweet cake. The combination of unsweetened and sweetened provided the right balance with the cake and frosting.