I really love this cake because it is soft and I’ve tried more times than I’d like to admit to bake a soft homemade white cake. I never had trouble with chocolate, but all of my white cakes were close to disasters. The combination here of the cake flour and the whipped egg whites are the secret behind a light and fluffy cake, perfect enough for a birthday celebration or Valentine’s day cake for those of you who have lovers that don’t eat chocolate. My daughter requested this cake for her birthday after eating a piece of my mom’s birthday cake that Great-Grandma had saved in the freezer for six months. Even frozen, this cake inspired and awed us. My mom wasn’t sure of the exact recipe, but we found one from Cooking Classy that was perfect.
If you’re not into coconut, that’s fine, just don’t use the coconut extract and use this recipe for a white cake. I will continue to use this recipe and adapt it for other occasions and flavors.
Cake
3 cups cake flour (It has to be cake flour)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/3 cups canned coconut milk, make sure you shake it well
2 large eggs, at room temperature, yolks and whites separated
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
Frosting
12 ounce cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp coconut extract
5 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
Preheat oven to 350º degrees. Butter 3-9 inch cake pans and place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of each pan. Butter the parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, sift the cake flour and stir in the baking power and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar and canola oil until the mixture is well combined. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing to combine between additions. Mix in the coconut extract and vanilla extract.
To the butter mixture, add 1/3 of the flour mixture and stir until it is just combined. Add 1/2 of the coconut milk and mix until combined. Scrap down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Repeat with 1/3 of the flour and 1/2 of the coconut milk. End with another 1/3 of the flour mixture. In a separate mixing bowl beat 6 egg whites and cream of tartar until whites form stiff peaks. Carefully fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter and stir gently until it has all combined. Repeat with the remaining egg whites. Pour the batter into the 3 cake pans. Bake for 19-22 minutes or until the a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool for about five minutes in the pan, then remove then run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert onto a wire rack. Let the cakes cool completely.
To make the frosting: combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium until the butter and cream cheese are smooth. Add the coconut extract and 1/3 of the powdered sugar. Mix on low until combined. Repeat with the remaining powered sugar.
To frost the cake: Even out the cake layers with a bread knife. Frost the bottom layer with 1/4 of the frosting, then the remaining two layers. Frost the sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Gently press the coconut into the sides and top of the cake. Serves 12-16.
- Cakes
- 3 cups cake flour (It just has to be cake flour)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1⅓ cups canned coconut milk, make sure you shake it well
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature, yolks and whites separated
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- Frosting
- 12 ounce cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 tsp coconut extract
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1½ cups shredded coconut
- Preheat oven to 350º degrees. Butter 3-9 inch cake pans and place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of each pan. Butter the parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, sift the cake flour and stir in the baking power and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar and canola oil until the mixture is well combined. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing to combine between additions. Mix in the coconut extract and vanilla extract.
- To the butter mixture, add ⅓ of the flour mixture and stir until it is just combined. Add ½ of the coconut milk and mix until combined. Scrap down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Repeat with ⅓ of the flour and ½ of the coconut milk. End with another ⅓ of the flour mixture. In a separate mixing bowl beat 6 egg whites and cream of tartar until whites form stiff peaks. Carefully fold ⅓ of the egg whites into the batter and stir gently until it has all combined. Repeat with the remaining egg whites. Pour the batter into the 3 cake pans. Bake for 19-22 minutes or until the a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool for about five minutes in the pan, then remove then run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert onto a wire rack. Let the cakes cool completely.
- To make the frosting: combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium until the butter and cream cheese are smooth. Add the coconut extract and ⅓ of the powdered sugar. Mix on low until combined. Repeat with the remaining powered sugar.
- To frost the cake: run a knife across the top of the cake to even out the cake layers. Frost the bottom layer with ¼ of the frosting, then the remaining two layers. Frost the sides of the cake. Gently press the coconut into the sides and top of the cake. Serves 12-16.