Three Coconut Cake

Adapted from a Bonnie Gordon recipe in the Toronto Taste 2005 cookbook.

CAKE:
1-1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
2-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 egg white
1-1/4 cups coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

BUTTERCREAM:
3 egg whites
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
1-1/4 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tbsp coconut rum
1 tsp vanilla extract

For cake, butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans.

Place coconut on baking sheet. Toast in preheated 400F oven until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.

In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In bowl of electric stand mixer, beat butter and sugar at medium speed 5 minutes, until light and creamy. Add eggs and egg white, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in third of flour mixture. Blend in half of coconut milk. Blend in half of flour mixture. Blend in remaining coconut milk. Blend in remaining flour mixture. Scrape pan. Add vanilla and half the coconut. Beat just until blended.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in preheated 350F oven 30 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Cool on rack 15 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely on rack.

For buttercream, fill medium pan with couple of inches of water and bring to boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Put eggs whites and sugar in heatproof bowl of electric stand mixer. Set bowl over simmering water, making sure bowl doesn't touch water. Whisk constantly 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves, whites are hot and mixture looks satiny.

Transfer bowl to electric stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat 10 minutes, first on low speed, then gradually increasing to high speed, or until stiff, glossy peaks form and mixture has cooled.

In medium bowl, whisk butter until fluffy. With mixer at low speed, gradually beat in butter until smooth. Blend in rum and vanilla. Blend in half the remaining coconut.

Place 1 cake layer on plate, rounded side down. Spread with buttercream. Place second cake layer on top. Spread remaining buttercream over top and sides of both layers. (You may have some left over.) Sprinkle remaining coconut over top.

Makes 12 servings.