White Cake {Coconut Frosting}

Something that I really want to focus on here at i am baker is recipe quality.  I have spent a year getting my feet wet in decorating, and now I want to stick my toes into the recipe pool.

Gross.  Feet and recipes?  Not my best analogy.

So my goal is to start with the basics.  To find a great basic recipe then to tweak it to fit my needs, or if it is amazing, leave as is and bow to the feet of the creator.

What is with me and feet today?

My first trial is with is with white cake.

I love white cake and love it when it is soft and light and airy (but not spongy).  However, the thing I like best about white cake is that it lends itself so easily to other flavors.  You can pair it with a fantastic chocolate frosting or a super sweet strawberry sauce. (say that 3 times fast)

Or in this case, the soft elegance of coconut.

Traditionally, a coconut cake is accompanied by coconut filling and frosting.

But I am weird and only like a hint of coconut... hence a white cake with coconut topping.

Or, after it was all said and done, white cake, chocolate cake, and coconut frosting with decorative coconut flakes.

So, after all that confusion, I will get back to the point.  White cake.

Basic White Cake (adapted from Joy of Baking-great site!)

2 large eggs separated

1 3/4 cups sifted cake flour

2 tsps baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup room temperature butter

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract*

1/2 cup milk

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

*I love the addition of almond extract, but you can certainly leave this out for a more pure vanilla flavor.  The original recipe does not call for it.

Directions:

Separate the eggs, placing the whites into one container and the yolks into another. Let come to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour two 8in (I used 9in) pans.  Normally I use PAM, but this recipe really calls for the butter and flour method.  Just trust me on this one.

Put sifted flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set aside.

Using an electric mixer ( I love that this recipe calls for an electric mixer as I do not even own a KitchenAid Mixer), beat the butter until soft and creamy, about 1 minute.  Add 3/4 cup of sugar (reserving the rest) and beat for an additional 2 minutes.  Now add egg yolks, one at a time, until completely incorporated.  Add vanilla and almond extract until combined, about 30 seconds.

Now you are going to add your flour mixture and milk.  Starting with the flour, add 1/3 of the mixture and mix until incorporated.  Now add 1/2 milk mixture, mix until combined.  Add half the remaining flour, combine.  Now add the rest of your milk and combine.  Add remaining 1/3 of your flour mixture, and go ahead and mix until combined.  This whole process should take less then 2 minutes, as you do not want to over beat the batter.

In a separate clean bowl with clean whisk attachment, whip eggs whites until foamy then add the cream of tartar. (I did this on medium speed) Beat until soft peaks occur, and then gradually add in your remaining sugar.  You will want stiff peaks, which took me about 3 minutes.  Now, take your rubber spatula and fold your eggs whites into your cake batter.  Make sure they are fully incorporated, but do not over stir the batter, as you do not want to eggs to deflate.

Put batter into prepared pans and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Cakes are done when an inserted tooth pick comes out clean or with very few crumbs.  At this point I place the cakes directly into the freezer and leave them there for at least an hour.  This locks in moisture and also makes it easier to frost.

Seven Minute Coconut Frosting

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup water

3 large egg whites

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp coconut extract

(I did not have enough frosting to cover the outside of my cake and had to improvise, but I also added another entire cake to the interior, so I believe if you are making the white cake alone you will not have the same problem.)

Directions:

In a double broiler (or a stove top safe glass bowl over the top of a pot of boiling water) combine sugar, water, egg whites, and cream of tartar with electric mixer and whisk attachment until combined, about 30 seconds.   Place bowl on top of pan of boiling water (water should only be about 1-2 inches deep) and beat with electric whisk attachment for seven minutes until soft peaks occur.  Remove from heat and add coconut extract.  Beat for 2 to 3 minutes or more until frosting is spreading consistency.

Since I was covering this cake in coconut, I used a majority of the frosting on the internal structure, alternating between each layer of white and chocolate.  

The addition of this type of frosting to the interior left this cake beyond moist. 

 

The final result was delicious.  

Like, I am going to start making this for peoples birthdays as a special treat delicious.

The white cake was distinctive and delectable, and can easily stand on its own!

Comments

[Sommer J]

Looks absolutely perfect!

[Ingrid]

Wow! This cake is one I can taste right now! Yum!!!!

[Alanna J]

I made this today, as a layer cake, with a cream cheese-based coconut frosting for the layers and sides, then for the top I made a ganache from melted Bounty bars. OH MY GOD. It took me to another level, taste-wise!!!!! Thanks for the inspiration!!!

[Christina]

Hey there! I just stumbled upon your blog today and this coconut cake of yours caught my eye. I've wanted a coconut cake for the past two years for my birthday, but no one knew how to make one (a girl can't bake her own birthday cake!). I'm saving this for my next birthday!

[Burrdy]

I'm making this for my son's 12th birthday in a couple of months. It's just gorgeous! My to-be 7 year old will need his own cake on the same day, so I can't wait to see what other ideas you have. Thank you!

[sheila @ Elements]

That cake looks SO good!!! I'm bookmarking this. I definitely have to try it! Love that 7-minute frosting too! :)

[Adrian Larose]

Just used this for a birthday part as alternative to the icing recipe with the "Pina Colada Cake" recipe in Sky High Cakes (3-layer cake recipe book). Big hit and this icing is so easy to work with, plus no fat?!? (Or almost none - I mean - there's enough fat and sugar in the cake if you can avoid fat and have it taste just as good...)

It's funny because I had never heard of this sort of 'meringue-like' icing recipe, but as I was cooking it my mother-in-law arrived, and immediately she said "oh you're making 7-minute icing!"...maybe this recipe USED to be better-known, or maybe my family is weird.

Went beautifully with the rum brown sugar cake and pineapple filling from the Sky High recipe, and this icing made plenty to ice the top and sides of a 3-layer cake.

Thanks for sharing!

[Marie Baars]

Hey! I am just in the process of baking the white cake ( I am actually going to use it to make a checkerboard cake! ) but just a question...your ingred. list says baking powder, but your instructions say baking soda...I am going to assume you mean baking powder?

[Kate C]

I was about to write the same thing Marie Baars wrote regarding the powder/soda thing, but I just went with powder since that's what the listed ingredients said.

My other question is to the consistency of the batter...it's so thick. Like cookie batter thick. Is this normal for this recipe?

[Christy]

How thick does this cake end up being? I feel like I might have made a mistake as my cake definitely isn't very tall... Does it get much thicker than when you pour the batter in?

[cheryl]

Amanda, you list "butter" in the coconut cake recipe (and other recipes. I normally use unsalted butter. Please tell which butter - salted or unsalted that your recipe are calculated for.

thanks!!
Cheryl

[Dena Farrar]

Can I double the recipe? I want to make a sheet cake.
Or would it work without doubling the recipe? We have birthdays at work and I want to make a cake to bring into work.

[Pmidesign]

Hi! I'm attempting to make this cake right now. I just put it in the oven actually, so I'm really excited to see how it turns out. One question - in the Joy of Baking recipe they put in baking powder instead of baking soda. Did you modify that purposefully or is that a mistake? I only noticed because I was putting away my ingredients and realized I never the baking powder, though it's on the ingredient list. Does using baking soda change anything significant about the cake?

I'll let you know how mine turns out! It's one of my first cakes from scratch.

Ps. LOVE your site!

[madonnae@gmail.com]

Are saying that when you remove the cake from the oven you place it directly into the freezer - pan and all?

[Julia]

I've only recently come across your blog, but keep coming back to it, again and again. I'm LOVING it!!!! I agree, love white cake for it's ability to pair well with any flavor.

[Kim]

I was wondering if I can make this cake in a 9 x 13 cake pan?

[Jessica-Marie Dixon]

I dont have cake flour, can I use self raising or plain?

[Mary]

Do you have a good recipe for a WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING? I have your coconut cake in my oven just now...yum!