Coconut Cream Cake

Contrary to popular belief, the lemon bar is NOT my favorite thing to bake.  Although it is the most popular item served at Chic Sweets Fine Desserts and I do enjoy baking the sweet tarts; my favorite thing to bake is the coconut cream cake.

Pillowy, soft clouds of cake enveloped in tangy cream cheese frosting, float on your palette when you bite into this slice of heaven.  My secret ingredient is the spiced rum added to the Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut.  I soak each layer of warm cake with this mixture.

If you're a coconut fan, you'll love this recipe!

COCONUT CREAM CAKE RECIPE

WET INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter softened

1 3/4 cup white sugar

1 cup cream of coconut Coco Lopez

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1 teaspoon coconut extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons rum

DRY INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cup cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

COCONUT CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

8 ounces block cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon coconut extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups powdered sugar

Toasted Coconut

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Separate eggs. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and set aside. Beat sugar and butter together for 5 minutes and then add egg yolks until fluffy. Add extracts and finally 1 cup of cream of cocoa.

2. Sift dry ingredients together and stir well. Add dry ingredients to wet using mixer on low speed alternating with buttermilk. Fold egg whites into batter.

3. Bake at 350-degrees in three 9-inch pans sprayed with baking spray for about 30 minutes. After cakes are out of the oven, transfer them to a cooling rack.

4. Allow the cake to cool for 20 minute and remove each layer. Add 2 tablespoons of rum to the remaining cream of coconut (about 1/2 cup) and drizzle over the warm cakes.

5. For the Frosting: Beat butter, cream cheese, and coconut and vanilla extract together. Add powdered sugar, one half cup at a time.

6. Add a layer of frosting between the three cakes and then continue to frost the remainder of the cake. Sprinkle with lightly toasted, shredded coconut.

7. Toasted Coconut: Place 1 cup of sweetened, shredded coconut on a cookie sheet. Spread it out so it makes just a single layer. Bake for 3-5 minutes minutes in a 350-degree oven. Toss the shredded coconut and continue baking for 1 minute at a time until the desired color is reached.

8. Enjoy the cake immediately or freeze for up to 3 months.