Coconut Cake

We celebrated my son's FIRST birthday over the weekend! It is absolutely insane to think that I have a one year old now. Wow. But anyway, for his birthday I made a coconut cake that has now become my favorite. It's just so yummy and delicious and now I want some. If you're not a coconut fan, don't worry, you can still make this. Just leave the coconut flakes out. Easy as that. I actually did that to make some cupcakes and they turned out great!

When baking the cakes,make sure to keep an eye on them. Most of you know that all ovens bake differently and what what time works for one may end up burning in another.

Coconut Cake
Adapted from Ina Garten: Food Network

Ingredients
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
2 cups sugar
5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1-2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 (9-inch) round cake pans.

Using an electric mixer, use the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. If the mixture looks lumpy, don't worry.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding in the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Do not over mix. (Optional) Fold in the 3/4 cup of coconut with a rubber spatula.
*I personally leave the coconut out of the batter, I only use it to cover the outside of the cake.*

Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 35 to 45 minutes, until the tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Let them sit in their pan for about 20-30 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. When you're ready to pop the cakes out, take a butter knife and carefully run it along the edge, tip over so it's laying face side down on the cooling rack and lightly tap the bottoms of the pans until the cake falls out onto the rack. Cool completely before frosting

Frosting
1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
A tiny splash pure almond extract
1 pound powdered sugar

Using the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the powdered sugar slowly and mix until just smooth (don't whip!).

To assemble the cake:
Place 1 layer on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with frosting. Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides. To decorate the cake, sprinkle remaining amount (or however much your heart desires) of coconut on the top and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature.

(I doubled the batch to make a 3 layer cake and used the leftover batter to make cupcakes)