Coconut Layer Cake

I've decided to make my own birthday cake. Since my dear friends Kate and Louie got me a baking book for my birthday, why not make a cake out of there.

So I assembled all the ingredients, then I set them out to warm to room temperature. Apparently, if you do not warm the milk, eggs, and butter to room temperature so that they blend properly.

So the whole process went fine. Though a side note when it says to cool on a wire rack you better do it, because the cake sticks to other surfaces.

Now a little note on frosting. Apparently I cannot make a proper one. I tried this one twice. The first time I poured all of the sugar syrup into the eggs at once. So the second time around I poured it in very slowly. Still I could not get it creamy or to have stiff peaks. I did not want to try a third time because it takes 1.5 cups of sugar for each go. So the nice white ring round the cake that looks nice is all the frosting pouring/dripping off of the cake.

But... No Apologies.

Ingredients:

Cake

• 1-cup unsalted butter


• 2-cups sugar


• 4 large eggs


• 1 - 1/2 cups self-rising flour


• 1 - 1/4 cups all purpose flour


• 1 cup milk


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling

• 3/4 cup milk


• 1/2 cup sugar


• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour


• 1 seven ounce package of sweetened shredded coconut


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting

• 3 egg whites


• 1 - 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract


• 1/2 cup cold water


• 1 - 1/2 cups sugar


• 1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Garnish

• Sweetened, shredded coconut

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees


• Grease and lightly flour three 9 x 2 inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with wax paper


• Cake...


• In a large bowl


• Cream butter until smooth


• Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy


• Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition


• Combine flours


• Combine in four parts, alternating with the milk and the vanilla extract, beating well after each addition


• Divide batter among the cake pans


• Bake for 20 - 25 minutes


• Cool on wire rack


• Filling...


• In a medium sauce pan


• Whisk the milk with the sugar and flour until thoroughly combined.


• Cook and stir constantly over medium-high heat (about 5 minutes) until thickened and bubbly.


• Remove from heat


• Add coconut


• Stir in vanilla


• Cover and cool to room temperature


• Frosting...


• In a mixer bowl


• Combine egg whites and vanilla and set aside


• In a medium-size sauce pan over high heat


• Combine the water with sugar and the cream of tartar


• A mixture begins to bubble at edges, stir once to make sure the sugar is dissolved completely


• Let come to a rolling boil


• Remove immediately from heat


• Now beat the egg whites and vanilla extract until foamy


• Pour in the sugar syrup into the beaten egg whites in a thin steady stream


• Continue beating constantly for about 5 minutes or until stiff peaks form


• Assembly...


• When cake cooled spread half the filling between the first two layers of cake


• Then the other half between the second and third layers


• Frost the top and sides of cake


• Generously sprinkle top with shredded coconut.

Bon Appétit

D