Baked this cooconut cake for Ma’s birthday

Today is my mother’s birthday, just a day after mine. I turned a year older on the 19^th September. Lately, I have been thinking of personally baking a cake to make her day even more special. So here I did, baked a light, fluffy, super soft coconut cake for her birthday.

The recipe is simple and comprises super soft and moist coconut cake layers, topped with an incredibly delicious coconut cream cheese frosting. It’s wrapped up with shredded coconut added to the outside of the cake which adds stunning texture to the cake. It’s simply exquisite and is sure to be one of your favorite dessert recipes.

It’s supremely moist with a soft fluffy crumb and intense coconut flavor. Here’s how I made it.

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1½ teaspoons pure almond extract
• 1 cup milk
• 4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

For the frosting

• 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
• ½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 pound confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees.  You need to grease two 9-inch round cake pans, then line them parchment paper.  Then grease them again and dust lightly with flour.

Cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Crack the eggs into a bowl.  With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing.  Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in three parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.  Mix until combined.  Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife.  Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean.  Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.

For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed.  Add the confectioner’s sugar and mix until just smooth (don’t whip).

To assemble, place one layer on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with frosting.  Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides.  To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides.  Serve at room temperature.