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White Coconut Cake

Tyler Florence

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence, 2008

Show: Dear Food NetworkEpisode: Thanksgiving Desserts

Rated: 3 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (60)

  • Cook Time:

    35 min

  • Level:

    Difficult

  • Yield:

    1 (4-layer) cake

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Times:

Prep
40 min
Inactive Prep
3 hr 0 min
Cook
35 min
Total:
4 hr 15 min
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Ingredients

Rum syrup:

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup light rum
  • Splash coconut extract
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 cups cake flour, plus more for pans
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
  • 2 cups baker's or superfine sugar
  • 4 whole eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • Splash coconut extract
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Coconut Buttercream, recipe follows
  • 1 cup sweetened flake coconut (long, lacy flakes)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Make the rum syrup. In a small saucepan heat the water, rum, coconut extract and sugar until the sugar dissolves completely. Simmer for 5 minutes then remove from heat.

Sift together dry ingredients: cake flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. Line and grease 2 (9-inch) cake pans with butter then dust lightly with flour.

In a bench-top mixer (with the paddle attachment), cream butter and sugar until pale in color and light and fluffy - about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula then with the mixer on low add eggs 1 at a time. Mix for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the milk, coconut and vanilla extract and mix on low until combined. Gradually add the flour mixture, scraping down the sides, if necessary. Once flour is fully incorporated stop the mixer.

Divide batter evenly amongst the 2 cake pans and bake in the center of the oven for 40 to 50 minutes until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. When done, transfer cakes to wire racks and allow to cool completely.

Remove paper lining then carefully cut each cake in half horizontally using a bread knife. Remove the domed top off 1 of the halves so you have 3 flat disks and 1 domed disk (this will be the top layer).

Assemble the cake directly on your platter by layering 1 of the disks on the plate as a base. Using a pastry brush, wet the layer evenly with the rum syrup then spread with a 1/2-inch of coconut cream. Repeat this process of wetting and spreading until you reach the 4th top layer which will be the domed disk. Place on top and lightly wet the entire cake with remaining rum mixture. Cover the rest of the cake with the frosting and sprinkle all over with coconut flakes.

Set in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.

Coconut Buttercream:

  • 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 pounds (about 8 cups) confectioners' sugar
  • 1 tablespoon coconut extract
  • 1 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • Pinch kosher salt

In a stand mixer fitted with whip attachment, whip the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar, 1 cup at a time, until fully incorporated. Add the coconut and vanilla extracts and pinch salt and blend just until incorporated. Refrigerate until needed, but no longer than 20 minutes.

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Read more Comments & Reviews (60)

Comments & Reviews

  • recipe White Coconut Cake
    Conrad Durham, NC 11-25-2009

    Flag

    Dissapointing and Horriblly Dense

    Rated: 1 stars out of 5
    Tried recipe to the letter, and bricks came out of the oven. New cake flour. Known good baking powder. Sorry I tried it. ... Entertaining but nothing close :(Read more
  • recipe White Coconut Cake
    Takesha Cordova, TN 11-25-2009

    Flag

    YEA ME!!! Coconut Cake

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    I saw Tyler making this cake on the Thanksgiving episode and thought I must make that cake! On today I did "STEP BY STEP" and... it came out just perfect! Just as it did on the show. Taste even better! Thanks Tyler for this wonderful recipe.Read more
  • recipe White Coconut Cake
    Chanel LAKEWOOD, WA 11-23-2009

    Flag

    Diane from Sheboygan...Wow!!

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    You have got to be kidding me!!? How do you rate a recipe low...when it was YOUR OWN RECIPE THAT SUCKED! Lets be... clear...it's YOUR recipe because Tylers recipe certainly didn't list a BOXED MIX!?? That's crazy. And the same goes for the one's that RATED low because of OTHER'S low ratings OR you MERGED recipes. What is wrong with you all. WOW!! At least bake as directed THEN rate from that. Then if it's bad--ok. Now, I made this yesterday so for the real cooks on here...I used jumbo eggs (more moisture), separated them, incorporated the yolks into the batter, beat the whites til fluffy and folded LAST into the batter. This is why I gave 5 stars because I knew from baking experience, this would be a 4 star cake. As most Coconut cakes can be dense for some reason. Whites adds fluff. I also pulled cakes 7 minutes early as they will continue to bake while cooling. I added 2 dashes of fresh lemon juice to 'brighten' the coconut flavor of the frosting. I love this cake. Rich yes but delicious. That's how you rate a recipe...Heeellloooo.Read more
  • recipe White Coconut Cake
    Debbie Kennewick, WA 11-23-2009

    Flag

    People Who Give One Stars

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    For those of you who think you can give out one STAR when you don't follow the recipe exactly must be whacked out on... something. Don't rate it unless you do it step by step with the ingredients listed. You know it could just be your substitutions that made it AWFUL!!!!Read more
  • recipe White Coconut Cake
    Lorraine Colo Springs, CO 11-23-2009

    Flag

    Great recipe!!!

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    I think that the person who continually gives one star to everybody's recipes is someone who doesn't know how to follow a... recipe or is out to smear these cooks!!Read more
  • recipe White Coconut Cake
    Rita Chicago, IL 11-23-2009

    Flag

    Try cupcakes

    Rated: 4 stars out of 5
    I saw the Thanksgiving show (looked great!) and read Susan's comment about it being rich. I am eager to try it out as a... cupcake recipe. That way, people get individual portions that aren't overwhelmingly large.Read more
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