Coconut Might Look Like Snow, But it's SO Much Better

Monday is upon us again, and it's been a cold day in the Northeast. *Dramatic sigh.* Bill de Blasio dropped the groundhog earlier this month; there's speculation he's to blame and I'm starting to think it's true. At any rate, since it's going to snow this week and my mom's birthday is also coming up, I thought I'd dedicate this post to her favorite cake, which also happens to look like snow (without being cold, slushy, and gloomy): COCONUT! Here are a few delicious recipes to get you looking forward to spring.

From one of the greats...
Thomas Keller's Coconut Cake
Thomas Keller

Ingredients
For the cake

• Unsalted butter, for greasing
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1½ cups sugar
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1¼ cup mayonnaise
• ¾ cup coconut milk
• ½ cup, plus 1 tbsp. buttermilk
• 2 tsp. coconut extract
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the meringue

• 6 egg whites
• 1⅔ cups sugar
• 3 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

1. Make the cake: Heat oven to 325°. Grease three 9" cake pans with butter and line with parchment paper; set aside. Whisk flour, desiccated coconut, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Place sugar and egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment; mix until fluffy. Add mayonnaise, coconut milk, buttermilk, coconut and vanilla extracts; mix until combined. With the motor running, slowly add dry ingredients until batter forms; transfer batter to a bowl and set aside. Clean stand mixer bowl and add egg whites; replace paddle with whisk attachment. Whip whites until soft peaks form; fold into cake batter. Divide batter between prepared pans, smoothing tops with a rubber spatula; drop pans lightly on a counter to expel large air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cakes cool for 20 minutes in pans; invert onto wire racks and let cool.
2. Make the meringue: Using an electric hand mixer, beat egg whites in a bowl until medium-stiff peaks form, 5–7 minutes; set aside. Bring sugar and ¼ cup water to a boil in a 2-qt. sauce pan fitted with a candy thermometer; cook, without stirring, until temperature reaches 250°, 4–5 minutes. With the mixer on low, slowly drizzle hot syrup into egg whites until combined. Increase speed to high; beat until meringue forms stiff peaks, about 3 minutes more.
3. Assemble the cake: Place one cake layer on a cake stand and spread 3 cups meringue over cake; sprinkle with ¼ cup coconut. Repeat with second layer. Place remaining layer on top; cover top and sides with remaining meringue and cover outside of cake with remaining coconut, pressing lightly to adhere. Chill cake 30 minutes to firm meringue; serve chilled or at room temperature.

Using the real McCoy...

Coconut Cake

Jane Newson

Ingredients

For the cake

• 16 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans
• 2½ cups cake flour, plus more for pans, sifted
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 eggs

For the frosting

• 4 egg whites
• ½ tsp. cream of tartar
• 2¼ cups sugar
• ¼ cup light corn syrup
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• ¾ cup fresh coconut water
• 3 cups freshly grated coconut

Directions

1. Make the cake: Heat oven to 350°. Butter and flour two 9″ cake pans, and set aside. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Whisk together buttermilk and vanilla in a bowl; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, alternately add dry ingredients in 3 batches and wet ingredients in 2 batches. Increase speed to high, and beat until batter is smooth, about 5 seconds. Divide batter between prepared pans, and smooth top with a rubber spatula; drop pans lightly on a counter to expel large air bubbles. Bake cakes until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cakes cool for 20 minutes in pans; invert onto wire racks, and let cool. Using a serrated knife, halve each cake horizontally, producing four layers; set aside.
2. Make the frosting: Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, and beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form; turn mixer off. Bring sugar, syrup, salt, and ½ cup tap water to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar; attach a candy thermometer to side of pan, and cook, without stirring, until thermometer reads 250°, 4–5 minutes. Turn mixer to medium speed, and very slowly drizzle hot syrup into beating egg whites. Add vanilla, and increase speed to high; beat until meringue forms stiff peaks and is slightly warm to the touch, about 3 minutes.
3. To assemble, place one layer on a cake stand, drizzle with 3 tbsp. coconut water, spread with 1½ cups frosting, and sprinkle with ½ cup grated coconut; top with another cake, drizzle with 3 tbsp. coconut water, spread with 1½ cups frosting, and sprinkle with ½ cup coconut. Place another cake over frosting, drizzle with 3 tbsp. coconut water, spread with 1½ cups frosting, and sprinkle with 12 cup coconut; top with remaining cake and drizzle with remaining coconut water. Cover top and sides with remaining frosting, and cover outside of cake with remaining coconut, pressing it lightly to adhere; chill cake to firm frosting. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Southern-style...

Classic Coconut Cake

Hominy Grill

Cake

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups (loosely packed) sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 5 large egg yolks
• 4 large egg whites, room temperature

Frosting

• 3 1/3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 8-ounce package philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup (about) sweetened flaked coconut

Directions

For cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray; line bottom of pans with parchment paper rounds.
2. Mix flour and coconut in medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk and baking soda in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks and beat to blend. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 2 additions, beating just to blend after each addition. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon salt in another large bowl until peaks form. Add 1/3 of egg white mixture to batter; fold into batter just to blend. Fold in remaining egg white mixture in 2 additions. Divide batter between pans.
3. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Run small sharp knife around sides of cake pans. Invert cakes onto racks. Carefully peel off parchment. Cool cakes completely.

For frosting

1. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in large bowl until blended. Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on plate. Spread with 1 cup frosting. Place second layer, flat side up, atop frosting. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle some of coconut over top of cake; pat more coconut on sides of cake. 

DO AHEAD: can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

Happy baking!