Coconut Birthday Cake

Well, although my birthday was in November I just had to, had to share my birthday cake! It was super fluffy and luscious. This cake was inspired by a recipe I found a few weeks before and that I really wanted to make.

Coconut Birthday Cake

Ingredients

For cake

• 3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/3 cups coconut milk
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon coconut extract
• 3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut

For frosting/filling

• 10 1/2 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (= 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• pinch of salt
• about 2-3 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 2 tablespoons pineapple juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325ºF with racks in the upper middle and lower middle positions.  Butter and flour 2  9-inch round cake pans and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter and both sugars on medium-high until fluffy and smooth, about 2 minutes.  Beat in the eggs thoroughly 1 at a time.  On medium speed, beat in the coconut milk, vanilla, and coconut extract.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Then beat in the baking powder and salt.  Gradually add the flour, mixing on low until just incorporated.  Fold in the coconut with a rubber spatula, making sure to scrape up any bits of flour from the bottom of the bowl. Divide batter equally among the 2 greased and floured pans.  Make sure to smooth the tops evenly.  Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes. Insert a toothpick down the center of the cakes, if it comes out clear it's done. Let cakes cool for 10 minutes in the pans. Turn the cakes out onto wire racks to cool completely. Finally, once the cakes have cooled using a knife carefully divide each cake into two half so as to have a four layer cake. 

For the filling/frosting

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and fluffy, takes about 2 minutes.  Beat in the vanilla and salt. Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing on low until it’s all incorporated.  Beat the frosting on medium-high speed for about 1 minute until it’s fluffy and of a spreadable consistency. Lastly add the pineapple juice and continue mixing until ingredients are fluffy.

Place parchment paper on your cake plate or plastic cake round and slowly place the first layer (make sure it's one of the cakes bottom layer). Then spread some of the frosting, add another layer, then add more frosting until the last layer has been frosted. Then using an icing knife, (I used OXO Bent Icing Knife, that I got as a graduation present, and it is amazing, I love it :), spread the frosting around the cake as neatly as you can, if you have an icing bag use it to decorate around the edges of the top layer of the cake. My sister provided cake decorations and candles. :)

Bake with love :)