Less than a week away! For most Canadians it a time to enjoy with family and loved ones :) with festive treats!  I’m in charge of desserts for my family gathering and I’ m feeling a bit wild…maybe go outside the box and try some new recipes!  I love pretty much everything coconut and found this coconut cake online from Cooking Light – reviews say it’s labor intensive and it needs more of a coconut flavour but I thought it might be worth a try.  I will add few tweaks for my own personal touch – you will see them when (*) is used

Fresh Coconut Cake from Cooking Light

Ingredients

Cake:

• Cooking spray (*Coconut oil)
• 1 tablespoon cake flour (*Rice and garbanzo flour)
• 12 ounces sifted cake flour (about 3 cups) (*Rice and garbanzo flour)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (*aluminum free)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (*sea salt but cut measurement in half)
• 1 3/4 cups sugar, divided  (*Cane sugar)
• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup warm coconut water (from 1 small brown coconut)  (*coconut milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 6 large egg whites

Frosting:

• 4 large egg whites 
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar (*cane sugar)
• 1 1/4 cups sugar  (*cane sugar)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups shaved fresh coconut, toasted

Preparation

1. To prepare the cake, preheat oven to 350°.
2. Lightly coat 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray; line bottom of pans with wax paper. Lightly coat wax paper with cooking spray; dust pans with 1 tablespoon flour.
3. Combine 12 ounces (about 3 cups) flour, baking powder, and salt; stir with a whisk. Place 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed for 2 1/2 minutes or until well blended. Add flour mixture and coconut water alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla. In a separate bowl, beat 6 egg whites on high speed until foamy using clean, dry beaters. Add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat). Carefully fold egg whites into batter; pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 18 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on wire racks; remove from pans. Discard wax paper. Cool completely on wire racks.
4. To prepare frosting, combine 4 egg whites, cream of tartar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Combine remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until candy thermometer registers 250°. With mixer on low speed, pour hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over egg whites. Gradually increase speed to high; beat 8 minutes or until thick and cool. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
5. Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate, and spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with another cake layer. Repeat procedure with 1 cup frosting and remaining cake layer, ending with cake layer on top. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Gently press shaved coconut onto top and sides of cake. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator.