Coconut Cake

Martha Stewart

This delicious coconut cake recipe is courtesy of Robert Carter from the Peninsula Grill, in Charleston, South Carolina.

Ingredients

Makes two 10-inch round cakes

• Nonstick cooking spray with flour
• 1 pound unsalted butter, preferably European-style
• 3 cups sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray two 10-inch round cake pans with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5 to 6 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until creamy, occasionally scraping down sides of the bowl using a spatula.
3. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, mix together cream, vanilla, and coconut extract. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture, alternating with cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour; beat until just combined.
4. Pour batter into prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack before removing cakes from pans.