Coconut Cream Cake

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 5 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 lb confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons low-fat milk (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350º. grease and flour three 8" round cake pans. set aside.
• 2 in a large bowl, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
• 3 sift flour and baking soda into mixture and mix well. add vanilla, buttermilk, and oil; mix until smooth.
• 4 separate eggs, placing whites in another bowl. mix yolks into cake batter one at a time until batter is smooth.
• 5 whisk egg whites into stiff (but not dry) peaks: gently fold into batter until fully incorporated.
• 6 fold in 1 1/2 cups of coconut.
• 7 divide batter among 3 cake pans. place on middle rack and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown; a toothpick inserted in center should come out dry. remove pans from oven and let cakes cool.
• 8 lcing: in a large bowl, beat sugar and butter. add cream cheese and mix unti1 smooth and fluffy. if icing is too thick, add a littie milk until consistency is spreadable.
• 9 when cakes have cooled, remove from pans and place one layer on cake plate. spread 1/3 of icing on the layer. place another layer on top. spread another 1/3 of icing on second layer and top with last layer.
• 10 spread remaining icing on the top and sides of cake.
• 11 sprinkle on pecans and remaining cup of coconut.