Coconut Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening or 1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8 inch round cake pans.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a
large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat shortening and sugar until
light and fluffy, about five minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well
after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low, add flour
mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour
mixture. Beat just until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as
needed with a rubber spatula. Spoon the batter into prepared pans. Bake
about 30 minutes, or

until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool
in pans on wire racks. With a small knife, loosen the layers from the sides
of the pans, invert onto wire racks and cool completely.

Coconut Frosting

2 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. light corn syrup
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 7 oz. pkg. flaked coconut

In the top of a double boiler, or in a medium stainless steel bowl set over
a three to four qt. saucepan over one inch of simmering water, do the
following. With hand held mixer at high speed, beat the egg whites, sugar,
water, lemon juice, corn syrup and cream of tartar until soft peaks form and
temperature reaches 160 degrees on a candy thermometer, about seven minutes.
Remove the double boiler top or bowl from saucepan. Beat the mixture for
five to 10 minutes longer until stiff peaks form. Then, from one seven ounce
package flaked sweetened coconut, take one cup and combine with one cup of
the frosting. Spread on top of each cake layer. Top with remaining cake
layer and frost sides as well. Sprinkle top and sides with the remaining
coconut.



Variation:

Take another cup of flaked coconut (you'll need an extra package of coconut
to do this) and spread evenly on a baking sheet and toast in a 350 degree
oven for several minutes or until lightly golden. Sprinkle the toasted
coconut over the top of the cake.> Thank you for great recipes thus far!


--
Rec.food.recipes is moderated by Patricia Hill at .
Only recipes and recipe requests are accepted for posting.
Please allow several days for your submission to appear.
Archives: http://www.cdkitchen.com/rfr/ http://recipes.alastra.com/