Ina Garten's Coconut Cake
Coconut cake. I absolutely love it! This cake is moist and flavorful. There's a little almond extract in the batter, along with coconut flavor. This cake freezes really well, too.
Servings 12
Calories 1064kcal
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE:
- 3/4 pound unsalted butter 3 sticks, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
- 2 cups sugar
- 5 extra-large eggs at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting the pans
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup milk can use coconut milk, if you prefer
- 4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
- 6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 pound cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature, 2 sticks
- 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract can use coconut extract, if you prefer
- 1 pound confectioners' sugar sifted
FOR THE FROSTING:
Instructions
FOR THE CAKE:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Then line them parchment paper. Grease them again and dust lightly with flour.NOTE: I just Baker's Joy spray instead of grease and flour. Works great!
- Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, for about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Crack the eggs into a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing.
- Add the vanilla and almond (or coconut) extracts and mix well. The mixture might look curdled; don't be concerned.
- 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 in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula.
- Split the batter evenly into the pans. Then 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 cake tester comes out clean.
- Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.
FOR THE FROSTING:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed.
- Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth, making sure not to whip it.
- To assemble, place 1 layer of cake on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with frosting. Place the second layer of cake on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides.
- To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature. Edit my recipe
Notes
Recipe source: Barefoot Contessa at Home: Everyday Recipes You'll Make Over and Over Again: A Cookbook Hardcover – October 24, 2006