Coconut Cake

Notes

• Carton egg whites work fine for this cake.
• Produces rather thin layers, so avoid the temptation to make only two. A three-layer cake with this recipe will look about as tall as a two-layer cake once frosted.

Yield

• 3x 9” round cake layers, about 0.75” in height.
• 2x 8” round cake layers, about 0.75” in height: half-batch, 24 minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups (285g) cake flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 2/3 cups (330g) granulated sugar
• 5 large (165 g) egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, at room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp coconut extract
• 1 cup (240ml) unsweetened canned coconut milk, at room temperature
• 1 cup (80g) sweetened shredded coconut

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F (177 °C). Grease three 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper.
2. Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
3. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the egg whites until combined, then add the sour cream, vanilla extract, and coconut extract. Beat until combined. Mixture will look curdled as a result of the varying textures and solid butter combining. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed.
4. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and coconut milk. Beat on low speed until combined, then add the shredded coconut. Whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no butter lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
5. Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Weigh them to ensure accuracy, if desired. Bake for 21–23 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.

Source

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/coconut-cake/