Emeril’s Coconut Cake with 7-minute Frosting

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 2 or 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper and grease. Lightly flour pans; set aside.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each before adding the next one.

Sift flour one more time, adding baking powder. Add it in thirds to the batter, alternating with coconut milk and beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts.

Divide batter evenly between cake pans, and gently tap the bottoms against the countertop to get rid of any air bubbles. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes (start testing at 21 minutes for 3 pans). Remove from oven and let cakes cool in pans at least 10 minutes, then invert pans onto greased wire racks. Remove and discard parchment paper, then turn cakes over and let cool completely before frosting.

Set one layer on a cake plate and cover evenly with a thin layer of the simple syrup, followed by 3⁄4 to 1 cup of the frosting. Set the other layer on top and cover with the rest of the simple syrup and coconut shreds (from the syrup), then use remaining frosting to ice the top and side of the cake. Cover the top and side of cake evenly with coconut flakes. This cake does not require refrigeration.

For the coconut simple syrup:
Combine water, sugar, and coconut in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar and bring to a boil, then turn heat off. Let cool completely before using, may be stored in an airtight container for several days. If you don’t like the texture of shredded coconut, you can strain the syrup before using, but we like the coconut flakes between the layers of the cake.

For the icing:
Whisk sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar, salt, and water together in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat (do not stir it) and cook, undisturbed, until it reaches 240°F on a candy thermometer, about 2 minutes (stirring can cause the sugar to crystallize).

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl using an electric mixer on high speed, beat egg whites until foamy.

Once sugar syrup reaches 240°F, immediately and carefully pour it into egg whites, with mixer running on high speed, away from beaters to prevent splattering and possible burns. Continue to beat until frosting is glossy and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Use immediately.

Recipe adapted from Emeril.