Rich’s Bakeshop Coconut Cake and Yellow Cake
Yellow Cake
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons powdered milk
1/2 cup water (for dissolving milk powder)
In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, combine the vegetable shortening, vanilla and salt and cream together until incorporated. Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar until it forms a very thick consistency. Dissolve the powdered milk in the water and gradually add, just 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time, until the icing is a nice, spreadable consistency.
16 servings (three thin 9-inch layers or two thicker 9-inch layers)
Rich’s always did a three-layer cake, with two layers of coconut filling, but some home cooks don’t have three pans of the same size, so two would work just fine.
Shortening and flour for pans
2 1/4 cups cake flour (if you can’t find cake flour, use White Lily brand
all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon powdered milk
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup liquid milk (2 percent or whole)
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cake pans by lightly greasing with
shortening, then dusting with flour.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside. In a
small bowl or measuring cup, stir the powdered milk into the water and mix
until dissolved. Combine the liquid milk with the powdered milk/water
mixture and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the shortening and the
sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each
addition. Add about half the flour mixture, beating until just
incorporated, and then half the milk mixture, again beating until just
incorporated. Repeat this step, adding the remaining flour with the
remaining liquid, and beat until just smooth (about 1 minute). Be sure to
scrape down the sides of the bowls once or twice during the mixing.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake in preheated oven for
about 20-30 minutes.
The cooking time will vary depending on how many cake pans you use and how full they are. The cake is done when it springs back when lightly pressed
near the center with your finger.
Allow the cake to cool for a few minutes in the pan, and then turn out onto
cooling racks to cool completely.
Rich’s Bakeshop Coconut Cake
Servings 16
2 pounds frozen unsweetened shredded coconut 2 tablespoons water 2
tablespoons granulated sugar 2 or 3 layers Rich’s Bakeshop Yellow Cake (see
recipe) 1 batch Rich’s Bakeshop Icing (see recipe)
In a large bowl, thaw the frozen coconut. Set aside. Take 1 1/2 cups of the
coconut and place in a smaller bowl. Combine the water and sugar and pour
over this smaller bowl of coconut. This should be very moist but not soupy.
Place one layer of the yellow cake on a cake plate and spread with icing.
Spoon the moistened coconut over that. Place the next layer on top and
spread with icing, spooning the moistened coconut over it. Continue this
process until all your layers are filled; however, don’t put the moist
filling on the very top of the last layer, as it will be iced.
Next, cover the entire cake with the icing. Make sure to use a thick
coating of icing on the cake to eliminate any of the cake showing through.
Take handfuls of the dry, thawed coconut and press the flakes into the
buttercream. You may want to put a tray underneath to catch any coconut that falls as you do this. Continue pressing dry, flaky coconut all over the
cake until it is completely covered.
Chill for about one hour to set (it helps the coconut to stay) and then
serve.