Fresh Coconut Cake (two 9-inch round layers) 1 coconut 3/4 cup vegetable shortening 1 1/2 cups sugar 3 eggs, separated 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract 2 1/4 cups cake flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup milk Preheat the oven to 350�F Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Remove the meat from the coconut, peel off brown skin, and grate on the medium side of a hand grater or with the shredding disk of the food processor. You should have about 3 cups. Put the shortening in a large mixing bowl and beat well. Slowly add the sugar and beat until well blended. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition, then stir in the coconut extract. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, and sift them together onto a piece of waxed paper. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the shortening-sugar mixture in three stages alternately with the milk, beating until well blended. Stir in 1 cup of the coconut. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until they are stiff but moist and stand in peaks that droop just slightly when the beater is lifted. Stir one third of the beaten whites into the coconut batter, then fold in the remaining whites just until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. Fill and frost with a boiled icing or "7 minute frosting". Cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining freshly grated coconut. Variation: Substitute 3 cups packaged shredded coconut for the fresh coconut. To remove the "packaged" taste and excess sweetness, rinse it in a strainer under running water. Before using, either pat it dry or spread it on a cookie sheet and dry briefly in a warm oven. Seven-Minute Frosting (about 4 cups) 3/4 cups sugar 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar Pinch of salt 2 egg whites 1/4 cup cold water 2 tsp. vanilla extract Combine the sugar, cream of tartar, salt, egg whites, and water in a large mixing bowl or double boiler of at least a 2-quart capacity. Set over simmering, not boiling, water over moderate heat. Beat with a hand electric mixer at high speed for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the frosting stands in definite peaks when the beater is lifted. Remove from the water and continue beating for several minutes, until the frosting has cooled and no longer feels hot to your finger, and stands in soft, smooth, billowy peaks. Beat in the vanilla. You will have enough to generously fill and frost an 8 or 9 inch two-layer cake or a 9 or 10 inch tube cake. Cayman Designs http://www.caymandesigns.com Jewelry, backgrounds, recipes and a lot more. -- ~~Rec.food.recipes is moderated; only recipes and recipe requests are accepted for posting. Please read the FAQ posted each week. Please send recipes, requests, questions or comments to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please allow several days for your submission to appear.
