Another Coconut Cake!

In my quest to be a better "from scratch" baker I've been looking up new recipes to try. The only requirements I have for new recipes: short and sweet. Both literally and figuratively. White cake recipes are hard to find, easy ones anyway. They're all so complicated. I don't have time for complicated. This one was a piece of cake, pun intended! It will definitely be going into my recipe book. My coconut cake turned out better than expected. And, for the first time ever, I was happy with it when it came out of the oven.

Classic Coconut Cake w/ Vanilla Butter Cream (recipe follows)
Here's what you'll need:
(Adapted from, "Nick Malgieri, Classic White Cake")

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 large egg whites (3/4 cup)
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon coconut rum
• 2 (9-inch) diameter by 1 1/2-inch deep layer pans or 1 (13 by 9 by 2-inch) pan, buttered and floured

Directions

Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Combine egg whites, milk and vanilla extract. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to butter mixture then add half the milk mixture. Continue to alternate beginning and ending with flour mixture. Scrape bowl and beater often. Pour batter into prepared pan(s) and smooth top with a metal spatula. Bake cake(s) about 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean. Cool in pan on a rack for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and let cool completely.

Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting:

1 stick of softened butter

4 cups confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup of milk, as needed

2 cups of sweetened, flaked coconut

Cream the butter and the vanilla together until smooth and fluffy. Add the sugar one cup at a time, mix in the milk as needed to create a smooth, spreadable consistency.

Use about 1/4 of the frosting on the bottom layer of cake. Once frosted, cover it in coconut and put the top layer on. Ice the top and sides of the cake using the remaining frosting. Carefully using your hands, coat the sides with coconut, then sprinkle the remainder on the top of the cake.