Toasted Coconut Cherry Cake

Recipe adapted from Epicurious (Epicurious.com)

Ingredients

Cake:

• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ¾ cups sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup canned sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco López)*
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup dark sweet cherries, quartered
• Pinch of salt
• Cream cheese frosting (recipe below)
• 4 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• ½ cup canned sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco López)*
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides or 2 5”x10” loaf pans (shown).
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl to blend.
4. Using an electric mixer, beat sugar, butter and sweetened cream of coconut in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla extract.
5. On low speed, beat in dry ingredients and then buttermilk, each just until blended.
6. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt in another large bowl until stiff but not dry.
7. Fold beaten egg whites into batter.
8. Gently fold in cherries.
9. Divide cake batter between prepared pans.
10. Bake cakes until tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
11. Cool cakes in pans on rack 10 minutes.
12. Run a small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely.
13. Place 1 cake layer on the cake plate. Spread 1 cup Cream Cheese Frosting over cake layer. Sprinkle 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut over.
14. Top with the second cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of the cake.
15. Sprinkle remaining coconut over the cake, gently pressing into sides to adhere.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. Beat cream cheese in a medium bowl until fluffy.
2. Add butter and beat to blend.
3. Add sugar, sweetened cream of coconut and vanilla extract and beat until well-blended.

*Canned sweetened cream of coconut is available in the liquor section of most supermarkets nationwide.

Note: Coconut Layer Cake can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours before serving.