The “OMG How Good is This" Coconut-Cream Cake Recipe

CAKE
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 ¾ cups sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups heavy cream or whipping cream

COCONUT-CREAM FROSTING
1 ½ cups cold heavy cream or whipping cream
3 tbl. confectioners’ sugar
About 3 cups coconut, either freshly grated or sweetened shredded coconut

To Make the Cake, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch cake pans, line the bottoms with waxed paper or kitchen parchment, and then dust with flour. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir with a fork to mix well. In a small bowl, combine the eggs and vanilla, and beat well with a fork until frothy.

In a large bowl, beat the cream with a mixer at high speed until it thickens and swells to form stiff peaks, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg-vanilla mixture and beat at medium speed until just blended. Add the flour mixture and use a spatula or a large spoon to fold it in gently, just until the flour disappears.

Quickly Transfer the Batter to the prepared pans, and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until the layers are golden, spring back when touched lightly in the center, and begin to pull away from the sides of the pans. Cool I the pans on wire racks or folded kitchen towels for 10 minutes. Then turn out the cakes onto wire racks and cool completely, top side up.

To Make The Frosting, in a large bowl, beat the cream with a mixer at high speed until it swells into thick clouds and holds a soft peak when you lift up the beater. Sprinkle on the confectioners’ sugar and continue beating, scraping the bowl often, until the cream is thick and very firm, but still velvety smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Ice the cakes at once, or cover the bowl and chill it until it’s time to complete the cake.

To Complete the Cake, place one layer top side down on a cake stand or serving plate, and put the cake stand on a cookie sheet or tray to catch any coconut that doesn’t stick to the cake. Cover the cake layer generously with about one third of the cream. Sprinkle about one third of the grated coconut over it, and place the second layer on top. Ice the sides, then the top of the cake. Press the remaining coconut gently onto the whipped cream. Refrigerate until shortly before serving time.