Family Chefmate: Coconut Cake With Marshmallow Coconut Frosting

Coconut cake with marshmallow frosting is a beautiful white cake that has a sticky white frosting which is coated with toasted coconut flakes. I made this cake for New Years day to match the 7 inches of white snow that Denver received over night. My kids and I went sledding in the new snow and I decided we needed a white coconut cake to match are outdoor experience. This recipe comes from Thomas Keller's new cook book called "Ad Hoc At Home". I changed the name of the cake because the frosting reminded me of marshmallow's covered with toasted coconut. I ended up replacing the coconut milk in the original recipe with none fat milk and 1 teaspoon of coconut extract. This cake makes an impressive presentation and tastes nutty from the coconut and sticky sweet from the marshmallow like frosting.

Coconut Cake With Marshmallow Coconut Frosting:

Pre-Heat Oven: 350 degrees
Serves: 12

1 cup none fat milk or 15 ounces of coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract (if you used the none fat milk)
3 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup egg whites (from 6 large eggs)
2 cups granulated sugar, divided
12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks), room temperature

2 cups dried shredded coconut, toasted
meringue/marshmallow Frosting

1. In a mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until medium soft peaks appear. Add 1 1/4 cups sugar to the egg whites and beat until medium peaks appear. Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl. Place the egg whites in another bowl so you can use this bowl for the next step.

Egg Whites And Sugar Beaten Until Medium Peaks

2. In a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together for 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and continue to beat the batter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and coconut extract, salt, baking powder into the batter and mix well. Alternate the flour and the milk into the batter and make sure you scrape down the bowl. This batter will be thick.

Cake Batter

3. By hand, fold 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the cake batter. Then add the remaining 2/3 of the egg whites into the batter. Don't over mix.

4. Divide the batter into two 9 inch greased cake pans. Bake the cakes at 350 degrees for 23-26 minutes or until your tooth pick comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool on a wire rack for at least for 10 minutes. Then invert the cakes onto a parchment lined plater and allow to finish cooling.

1st Layer Of Cooked Coconut Cake

5. Place the coconut onto a cookie sheet at bake for 6-8 minutes or until all the coconut has browned. Allow the coconut to cool.

Meringue/Marshmallow Frosting:
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. In a medium saucepan, cook 1 1/4 cups sugar and the water over medium heat until the temperature reaches 220 degrees and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 2 minutes.

2. In a mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium speed until they become foamy, then gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of sugar to the egg whites. Increase the speed to high and whip until the egg whites form soft white peaks. Slowly add the liquid sugar syrup to the egg whites, pouring it down the side of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and continue to whip the whites until stiff peaks form and the bowl is cool. Frost Cake immediately with frosting.

Pouring The Liquid Sugar Syrup Into the Egg Whites

Meringue/Marshmallow Frosting

Decorating the cake:
1. Frost the 1st layer of the cake with 1/3 of the meringue/marshmallow frosting. Sprinkle the top of the cake with 1/2 cup of coconut.
2. Frost the 2nd layer of the cake and the sides with the remaining frosting and sprinkle with remaining coconut over the top and sides of the cake. This cake is best served the day you make it.

Frosting The Coconut Cake With Meringue/Marshmallow Frosting