Southern Coconut Layer Cake

February 8 is our 2nd Annual Volunteer Appreciation Tea at the library. 15 of our staff have signed up to make sweets and I've decided to make two cakes this year.

I've owned Cakewalk: Loving Spoonfuls from a Southern Kitchen* by Robin Gourley for years now (probably since it was published in 1994) and I've never made a recipe yet although I've loved thumbing through the book.  The book is irresistibly lovely with illustrations instead of photographs. It also has great nostalgia about Robin's own family growing up in the south and loving dessert. Robin writes that the cake was one of her father's favorites and if he 'had too much fried chicken to accommodate that second slice comfortably, he'd loosen his belt a notch or two.'
*cookbook available through Minuteman Library Network, as all of our recipes must come from one that you can check out!

Cake
3 large eggs, separated into whites and yolks
10 T. unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 c. coconut milk
2 cups sifted, self-rising cake flour*

(*If you can't find self-rising cake flour, add 1 T. baking powder and 1 tsp. salt to 2 cups cake flour and sift together.) 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-in cake pans. (I used three 8" cake pans lined with parchment sprayed with PAM baking spray.)

In a bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry.

In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. (The butter needs to be pretty warm - 70 degree room temperature.)  Add egg yolks and beat well.

Combine the coconut milk and vanilla and add to the creamed butter/sugar/egg mixture alternately with the flour until the milk and flour are fully combined. Fold in a third of the eggs whites and then the remaining whites.

Divide the batter and bake for 20-25 min. or until a cake pick comes out clean.
(Bake completely but do not overbake.)

Glaze
1/2 c. coconut milk
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine in a saucepan and stir constantly over med. high heat until the sugar is melted. Add vanilla.
(*I'm not sure I melted the sugar.  Online instructions really call for melting sugar into caramel - 320 degrees.  I stirred the milk and sugar until it just reached a boil.)

Starting with the layers top-side-down on the racks, pierce the layers all over with a toothpick. Brush bottoms and sides with glaze. Repeat after a few minutes.

Turn one layer onto the serving place and invert the second layer onto the first one's rack. Pierce tops with toothpick. Brush glaze over the tops and sides. Repeat after a few minutes until all the glaze has been used. Let sit 30 min.

Frosting
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. water
1 T light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
2 large egg whites
pinch of cream of tartar
2 cups grated unsweetened coconut

Combine all ingredients except coconut in the top of a double boiler; beat with mixer to combine. Place frosting over rapidly boiling water and beat on high speed until soft peaks form (3-5 min.) Pour frosting into a large bowl and beat until stiff enough to spread on the cake. Generously frost the bottom layer and sprinkle with 1/2 c. of the coconut. Place the top layer on the bottom layer and frost the top and sides. Sprinkle on the rest of the coconut.

Applesauce Cake with Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting

Something Warm from the Oven by Eileen Goudge (2005)

has lots of yummy, classic recipes. I chose the Applesauce Cake with Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting because she promised that the cake gets better with time and I needed to bake early this week. for our 2nd Annual Volunteer Appreciation Tea on Friday, February 8 (which was postponed due to the blizzard.  The new date is Valentine's Day, February 14.)

Cake2-1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans
1 c. chopped dates or raisins
One 1-lb jar unsweetened applesauce
1 large egg, at room temp. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x12 baking pan (I used a Bundt pan.)

In a large bowl, sift the flour and other dry ingredients. Stir in sugar. Add softened butter, 1/2 c. water and beat together.  Add nuts and dates. (This will be easier if your butter is at room temperature 70 degrees.)  Beat with an electric mixer for 2 min. at medium speed. Add applesauce and egg and beat for two min. more. Pour batter into pan. Bake until a pick comes out clean, about 40-50 min.

Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting3/4 c. pure maple syrup
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. confectioner's sugar, sifted
Bring the syrup to a boil over med. high heat. Turn the heat to low and simmer, tilting pan occasionally until the syrup is reduced to 1/2 cup about ten min. In a bowl, cream the softened butter and cream cheese together with confectioner's sugar. Pour the reduced syrup into a cup nested in a mixing bowl partially filled with ice water. Stir until lukewarm 3-4 min. It will thicken and lose its gloss, turning a creamy caramel color. Quickly scrape the syrup into the butter-cream cheese and beat until the frosting is spreading consistency. Pour over Bundt cake letting it spill over the sides.