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*How To Prepare Fresh Coconut

There are 3 eyes in a coconut, 2 hard and 1 soft. Punch the soft eye with an ice pick and work it around to enlarge the hole. Place over measuring cup and drain out the milk. Break open shell and remove the meat from shell. Peel off the brown peeling and then grate the white meat.

CAKE

1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups sifted cake flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
½ cup milk
½ cup coconut milk
1 cup freshly grated coconut
6 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Grease and flour bottoms of two 9-inch layer cake pans with removable bottoms. Cream shortening and sugar together in large mixer bowl, then add vanilla extract. Combine flour, baking powder and salt and sift. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk and coconut milk, beating well after each addition. Stir in 1 cup coconut, then fold in the egg whites carefully but thoroughly. Turn into the prepared pans. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 30 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out on wire racks to cool completely.


ICING

Sugar
¼ cup coconut milk
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp cream of tartar
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups freshly grated coconut

Stir in 1 teaspoon sugar into the coconut milk, then spoon over the cake layers. Combine 1 cup sugar, salt, cream of tartar, egg whites, 3 tablespoons water and the vanilla extract in top of double boiler and stir until blended. Place over boiling water and cook for 7 minutes, beating constantly at high speed with an electric hand mixer. Stir in 1 cup coconut. Frost between layers and over top and side of cake. Sprinkle half the remaining coconut over top of cake, then press remaining coconut lightly around side of cake. Garnish with chocolate curls