Coconut Cake

Serves: ?

Ingredients:

• 1.5 c. sugar
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 c. shortening
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2.25 c. flour
• 1 c. milk
• 1 whole egg
• 1 tsp. coconut flavoring
• Icing:
  • 4/3 c. sugar
  • 1/4 c. water
  • 1 tsp. corn syrup
  • 2 egg whites, beat until stiff
  • pinch of salt
• fresh shredded coconut

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Mix flour, sugar, shortening, until crumbly. Add other ingredients.
3. Line two 9-inch round pans with parchment, and fill with cake batter. Bake at 350F for 35 minutes.
4. Make icing: mix sugar and water, and heat until sugar dissolves and syrup boils. Boil, stirring continuously, until syrup starts to thicken ("makes a string"), approx. 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Add corn syrup and salt. Beat egg whites until stiff. Slowly add syrup to egg whites, mixing at high speed.
5. Spread icing on first cake. Place second cake on top of first, and finish icing. Finish with fresh shredded coconut, on top and pressed into sides.

Notes:

• Mom was legendary for this cake.
• I've started adding an extra separated egg (yolk to the cake, whites to be whipped for icing). Mostly wanted to bulk up the icing, but the extra yolk has resulted in moister (if slightly yellower) cake.
• I've been trying to figure out the exact temperature for the syrup. In May, 2018, I cooked it to 240F. In Oct, 2019, I only got to 232F: icing looked a little thin but still usable, deteriorated within a day (but still tasted good enough).

Keywords: American, Dessert, Cake.