Coconut Fluff Cake

By msippigrl

Decadent homemade coconut cake with the most tender crumb of any cake I've ever eaten. The recipe was an advertisement for Pillsbury’s Best Enriched Flour that was clipped from a magazine in 1947.

Ingredients

• NOTE: All ingredients must be at room temperature.
• Sift together . . .
• 2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 4 1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• Then Add . . .
• 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 1/8 cups milk
• Beat . . .
• for 2 minutes at medium speed of mixer until batter is well-blended and glossy.
• Then Add . . .
• 3/4 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup egg whites, unbeaten
• Beat . . .
• for 2 more minutes.

Preparation

Step 1

Pour into two, greased and floured, 8-inch square layer cake pans or two 9-inch round layer cake pans.

Bake in preheated moderate oven (350° F.) for 35-40 minutes.

Cool in pans on a wire rack for about 10 minutes then loosen sides with a thin knife and remove cakes to rack to cool completely before frosting.

NOTES:
My recipe modifications were:

I used 1/2 c. shortening and 1/2 stick unsalted butter.
I used 1% milk.
I used 1 whole egg and enough egg whites to measure 2/3 cup.

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Below is the 7-Minute Frosting recipe I used but I ran out before finishing the cake, so you might need to spread it thinner, or increase the ingredient amounts.

NOTE:
The cake needs to be completely cooled before it can be frosted so don't start making the frosting until it is.


7-Minute Frosting (simple syrup recipe)


1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
3 extra-large egg whites
1/3 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Preheat a small stove burner on medium-high heat. While it's preheating, add the water to a small, heavy 1-quart saucepan; add the sugar BUT do not stir it. Place on the preheated burner and cook, undisturbed, until it reaches soft-ball stage, or 238 degrees on candy thermometer. (This may take 20-25 minutes).

When the syrup is almost done, place the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a large mixing bowl and beat on high speed of hand mixer until soft peaks form. (This only took about 1 minute). Set aside until the syrup has finished cooking.

Pouring in a very thin stream, a little at a time, beat the hot syrup on high speed of mixer into the egg white mixture over a total of 3-4 minutes, beating constantly. Beat in the vanilla and continue beating on high speed until it holds together well and forms firm peaks, 5-7 more minutes.

Immediately spread frosting over cooled layers of cake. Sprinkle shredded coconut over frosting.