Coconut Creamy Cake

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 5 eggs at room temperature
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

Icing

• 1 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups confectioners sugar

Topping

• 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans
2. In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. In a separate bowl combine flour and baking soda.
4. Alternate adding the buttermilk and flour into the sugar mixture. Stir in vanilla.
5. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into batter.
6. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a tester inserted in the cake comes out clean.
7. Remove from oven and let cakes sit in pans for 5 minutes before removing from pans and placing on a cooling rack to finish cooling.
8. For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners sugar and mix until just smooth.
9. To assemble, place 1 layer on a flat serving plate, and spread with filling. Place the second layer on top, and spread with filling. top with the third layer and frost the top and the sided.
10. To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with toasted coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature.