Holiday Coconut Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) round pans; set aside. Process 1/2 cup coconut and nuts in food processor until finely ground; set aside.
• Mix matzo meal and potato starch; set aside. Beat egg yolks in large bowl with mixer until blended. Gradually add sugar, beating until thick and lemon colored. Beat in orange juice and matzo meal mixture until blended. Gently stir in coconut mixture and orange zest.
• Beat egg whites in separate bowl with mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently stir into batter. Pour into prepared pans.
• Bake 25 to 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min. Invert cakes onto wire racks; gently remove pans. Cool cakes completely. Place 1 cake layer on serving plate; spread top with about 1-1/2 cups COOL WHIP. Sprinkle with half the pineapple and 1/4 cup of the remaining coconut. Cover with remaining cake layer. Frost cake top and sides with remaining COOL WHIP; sprinkle with remaining coconut. Garnish with remaining pineapple. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. , Preheat oven to 325°. In another large bowl, beat sugar, butter and oil until well blended. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. , Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Stir in coconut and extracts.. , Add cream of tartar to egg whites; with clean beaters, beat on medium until stiff peaks form. Fold a fourth of the egg whites into batter, then fold in remaining whites., Transfer to 3 greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar and extract; beat until smooth. , Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting and sprinkle with 1/3 cup coconut. Repeat. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake; sprinkle with remaining coconut. Refrigerate for 2 hours before cutting. Store in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with shortening; lightly flour. In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt; set aside.
• In large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Gradually add 2 cups sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat 2 minutes longer. Add whole eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and almond extract. On low speed, alternately add flour mixture and milk, beating just until blended. Divide batter evenly among pans.
• Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely.
• In heavy 2-quart saucepan, mix 1 1/2 cups sugar and the water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is clear. Cook, without stirring, to 240°F on candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat egg whites with electric mixer on low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and 1/8 teaspoon salt; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high; pour hot syrup into egg white mixture. Add marshmallows, a few pieces at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and frosting is thick enough to spread.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave 2 tablespoons sugar and the coconut milk on High 1 minute; stir until sugar dissolves. Brush half of the coconut milk mixture over 1 cake layer to within 1/2 inch of edge. Frost with 1 cup of the frosting; sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the coconut. Top with second cake layer; brush with remaining coconut milk mixture. Frost with 1 cup frosting; sprinkle with 1/2 cup coconut. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting on top and side of cake; sprinkle with remaining coconut.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the eggs, egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter until butter melts. Combine flour and baking powder; add to egg mixture alternately with milk mixture. Beat until well mixed. Add vanilla. Fold in nuts if desired. , Pour into 3 greased 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15-18 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. , For frosting, in a saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil; cook over medium-high heat until a thermometer reads 244° (firm-ball stage). , Meanwhile, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a bowl on high speed until foamy. Slowly pour the hot sugar syrup over the egg whites while beating continuously. Continue beating on high until stiff glossy peaks form, about 7 minutes. Add vanilla; beat until frosting cools slightly and reaches desired consistency., Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 3/4 cup frosting. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup coconut. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of cakes with remaining frosting; sprinkle with remaining coconut.

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and another in the top third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch cake pans, then line each with a parchment paper round. Butter the paper and dust the pans with flour; knock out the excess.
• Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt to blend. In a small bowl, stir together the milk, coconut milk, and coconut cream until smooth. Add the flour mixture in 3 increments, alternating with the milk mixture in 2 increments, starting and ending with the flour mixture. After each addition, mix at low speed just to combine the ingredients. Stir in the vanilla.
• Place an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and another in the top third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch cake pans, then line each with a parchment paper round. Butter the paper and dust the pans with flour; knock out the excess.
• To make the whipped cream filling:
• Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream on high speed until soft peaks form. Beat in the coconut cream and the fresh coconut, if using.
• To make the frosting:
• Whisk the egg whites, sugar, water, cream of tartar, and salt in a large stainless-steel bowl until thoroughly combined. Place the bowl over a saucepan filled with 2 inches of barely simmering water. Using a hand beater or handheld electric mixer, continue beating the egg white mixture for 4 minutes. Add the mini marshmallows in 2 increments while continuing to beat. Wait until the first batch of marshmallows has melted before adding the second. Continue beating for 2 to 3 minutes more, until stiff peaks form. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and continue beating until the frosting is thick enough to spread.
• To assemble the cake:
• Stack one cake layer on a serving plate and spread the top with half of the whipped cream filling. Repeat with a second layer. Stack the final cake layer on top of the first two and cover the cake's top and sides with the frosting. Sprinkle the coconut on the top and sides of the cake.
• Cover the cake loosely with plastic wrap and store for 1 day at room temperature or up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.
• Tip:
• It's challenging to press coconut into the sides of the cake. When pressing the coconut in, the icing invariably sticks to my fingers and mars the frosting's finish. I've discovered that throwing small handfuls of coconut toward the side of the cake makes it adhere quite well-a messy but effective technique for creating a gorgeous-looking cake.
• Tip:
• For those who want to follow Aunt Molly's original recipe, here are her directions for extracting coconut meat and liquid from a fresh coconut: "First buy a fresh coconut. To select the best one, shake it to listen for a lot of milk inside. Prepare the coconut by first making a hole or two in one end with a hammer and ice pick. Stand the coconut up over a small bowl or glass measuring cup to catch the milk as it drains out. Next, crack the hard outer shell with a hammer, then pry off the pieces. The inner white coconut meat can then be grated [with a handheld microplane grater]. Refrigerate both the milk and grated coconut until ready to use."