One of my nearest and dearest friends Megan had a birthday this past weekend. I had to bake her a delicious cake for us to celebrate her special day. This year I chose to make her a coconut milk cake with a tangy cream cheese frosting. The cake was moist, subtly sweet from the coconut milk and a joy to consume. I chose to make a light pink frosting (her favorite color) and garnish with unsweetened coconut flakes.
Ingredients;
1 tablespoon cake flour
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cups sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting;
4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut shreds
Preheat oven to 350°.
Coat 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour.
Combine 2 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (for about 5 minutes). Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition until combined. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in vanilla.
Pour the batter into prepared pans. Sharply tap the pans once on countertop to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes Pour or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on wire racks, and remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.
Combine all frosting ingredients except for the coconut shreds in a bowl. Beat ingredients together until well combined, about 1 minute.
Place 1 cake layer on a plate and spread with frosting until coated. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup coconut. Top with remaining cake layer; spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle 1/3 cup coconut over top of cake, concentrating on the center then sprinkle around. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator.
