Coconut Cake

Name: Coconut Cake
Yield: makes one 9-inch square layer cake
Ingredients: 3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans; 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans; 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 cup packed sweetened, shredded coconut; 2 2/3 cups sugar; 4 large whole eggs, plus 4 large egg whites; 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract; 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk; Seven-Minute Frosting (page 387); Coconut Curls, for garnish (page 395)

January 24, 2012

Martha loves the combination of fluffy white frosting and fresh coconut curls that adorn this cake. You can also top the cake with more sweetened or unsweetened coconut, toasted or not. If you don’t have square cake pans, use 9-inch round ones; the baking time will be the same.

Recipe notes

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