Vanilla Coconut Layer Cake
(Derby Day Cake)
Makes 1 9" layer cake, enough to serve 8 to 12
This cake seems particularly Southern in nature to me, and it has become our favorite dessert to serve at our annual Kentucky Derby Day party. It is homey and rather plain and delicious.
The cake:
1 vanilla bean
1 cup skim milk, room temperature
2 cups (8 ozs.) plus 2 Tablespoons cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 ozs.) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (7 ozs.) sugar
3 Tablespoons pure vanilla extract
4 large egg whites, room temperature
The icing:
1 1/2 cups (4 ozs.) flaked, sweetened coconut
1 cup heavy cream, well-chilled
2 Tablespoons sugar
-- Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds out into the milk. Reserve the bean for another use.
-- In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer briefly and immediately take it off the heat. Allow to cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
-- Set an oven rack at the upper middle level and preheat the oven to 350° and lightly grease and flour two 9" springform or round cake pans.
-- Sift together the cake flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
-- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir the vanilla extract into the milk.
-- On medium speed, beat the milk and the flour mixture into the butter mixture like this: milk, flour, milk, and flour. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl and beat again briefly.
-- In a narrow mixing bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until they form soft peaks, about 1 minute. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter until no streaks remain. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake on the upper middle oven rack at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cakes are golden and spring back when lightly pressed in the center.
-- Allow cakes to cool in pans for about 5 minutes (they may pull away from pan sides), then remove to wire racks to cool completely before icing.
-- Spread the coconut out evenly in a jelly roll pan and put the pan under the broiler. After 1 minute, start watching the coconut so that it doesn't burn. Remove the jelly roll pan every now and then to shake around the coconut and brown the parts that need it. Remove from heat entirely once it's reached a brownness you like (this shouldn't take more than 3 minutes, tops). Transfer coconut to a different heatproof container to stop the cooking and allow to cool completely, about 10 minutes. Do not proceed with the rest of the recipe until 10 or 15 minutes before you want to serve the cake.
-- In a narrow metal bowl, beat the cream on high speed until roughly doubled in volume, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat on high speed until all the sugar is incorporated and the cream holds firm peaks. -- Fold the coconut into the whipped cream and spread half the cream on top of one of the cake layers. Top with the other cake layer and spread remaining whipped cream over top of the cake. Cut into slices and serve.
Storage
Because of the whipped cream icing, this does not keep and is best eaten within a couple of hours of being made.
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