Coconut Cake

Ingredients:

Ingredients For the Coconut Filling:
 
1. 12 ounces frozen coconut, thawed
2. 2 cups sugar
3. 8 ounces sour cream
Ingredients For the Yellow Cake Layers:
4. 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
5. 3 teaspoons baking powder
6. 1/4 teaspoon salt
7. 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
8. 1 1/4 cups sugar
9. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10. 3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
11. 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
Ingredients For the Seven Minute Frosting:
12. 1/3 cup water
13. 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
14. 3 large egg whites
15. 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
16. Pinch of salt
17. 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
18. Sweetened coconut flakes for garnish

Directions:

Directions For the Coconut Filling:
1. Stir together coconut, sugar, and sour cream until blended. Chill. This can be done a day in advance.
For the yellow cake layers:
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Note: You can also line the bottom of the pans with parchment for easier release.
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
4. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy using an electric mixer on high speed.
5. Add vanilla and beat to combine. Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Add flour mixture in three additions, alternatively with milk in two additions, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not over mix.
7. Divide batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Cool cakes in the pans for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and cool completely on a wire rack.
Directions For the Seven Minute Frosting:
9. Note: Wait to make this after the cake has chilled for three days (see assembly instructions).
10. Bring about an inch of water to a simmer in a saucepan.
11. In a heat-proof bowl (metal or glass), add the water, sugar, egg whites, cream of tarter and salt. Whisk to combine. Set bowl over the simmering water and mix with a handheld electric mixer on low speed. A whisk attachment works well however you can use regular beaters. Increase the speed to high and beat mixture until it holds stiff peaks, about 5 to 7 minutes.
12. Remove the bowl from over the pan and set on kitchen towel. Continue to beat until mixture is cool, glossy, and billowy, about 2 minutes more. Beat in vanilla. Use immediately or refrigerate in a sealed container.
For cake assembly:
13. Cut the cake layers in half horizontally to make 4 layers.
14. Place one cake layer on a cake plate. Top with 1/3 of the filling. Repeat layers ending with the top layer of the cake (top and sides of cake are frosted later).
15. Wrap or seal cake and refrigerate for three days.
16. Frost top and sides of cake with seven minute frosting. Garnish with sweetened coconut flakes.
17. Store cake in the refrigerator.
18. Makes 12 servings
19. Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
20. *Total time does not include time to refrigerate cake for 3 days. 

Source:  cakeduchess.com