Hello Springtime! Why Don't You Make Yourself at Home

Is spring almost here? Sure looks like Mother Nature is trying to encourage spring to show up.

Love it! Come on, Spring. Make yourself at home and stay awhile.

With spring in the air, spring time cakes come to mind. Strawberry shortcake, carrot cake, and coconut cake. Yum! Tried a new recipe this weekend for coconut cake. This recipe is very similar to a coconut sheet cake my mother used to make. She would poke holes in a baked yellow cake, pour a sweet coconut milk filling over the top and then cover it with white icing and coconut. This new recipe is similar except it is a layer cake with no frosting between the layers. Just layers soaked in a sweet coconut milk filling.

I was not sure how a cake without frosting between the layers would be, but it actually was quite tasty.

Coconut Cake

Cake:

2 sticks butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

3 cups sifted self-rising flour

1 cup coconut milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup sour cream

4 tablespoons milk

1/2 cup flaked, sweetened coconut

1.Cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes.

2.Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

3.Add flour and coconut milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed.

4.Divide batter equally among 3 9” greased and floured pans.

5.Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until done at 350⁰. Cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto cooling racks. Cool completely.

6.While cake cools, stir together sugar, sour cream, milk, and coconut in a bowl until well blended.

7.Remove first layer and invert onto cake plate. Using the wrong end of a wooden spoon, poke holes approximately 1-inch apart until entire cake has been poked. Spread 1/3 of filling mixture on cake layer. Sprinkle extra coconut on top. Place remaining layers on top of first layer and repeat process after each layer. 

8.Cover the top and sides with 7-Minute Frosting. Sprinkle top and sides with coconut.

7-Minute Frosting:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup water

2 egg whites

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla 

1.Place sugar, cream of tartar, salt, water, and egg whites in the top of a double boiler. Beat with a hand held electric mixer for 1 minute.

2.Place pan over boiling water, being sure that boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan. Frosting will  become grainy if pan gets too hot. Beat constantly on high speed with electric mixer for 7 minutes. Beat in vanilla.

Enjoy...