Jon's Law School Graduation

Jon is finally graduating from Creighton Law School! I'm so very proud of him. It's a big accomplishment and he did an awesome job. To help us celebrate his graduation, his Mom, his sister Trina and his nephew Page are coming into town to attend the ceremony. I'm sure he'll look very smart in his robes :) We are having dinner with everyone (which will be the first time our parents actually meet, a whole 2 years later). This cake is a combination of his birthday cake (30!) and his graduation cake so of course he needed a coconut cake. Last year for his birthday I made him a coconut cake from a different recipe that actually had me breaking down my own coconut, including shredding it myself and baking both coconut milk and coconut cream. It was insane...and quite messy. This recipe is actually a recipe that my Mother uses all the time and insisted I use because of course hers is better, if nothing else it is easier and less sticky. I'm not a huge fan of coconut so I actually haven't had a slice of it in years but I know that everyone raves about it. I hope that trend continues tonight.

Coconut Layer Cake (care of Cook's Illustrated)

1 Large egg plus 5 large egg whites
3/4 C Cream of Coconut
1/4 C Water
1 t vanilla extract
1 t coconut extract
2 1/4 C Cake flour, sifted
1 C Sugar
1 T baking powder
3/4 t salt
12 T (1 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces, softened, but still cool

2 cups packed (about 8 oz) sweetened shredded coconut

Buttercream
4 Large egg whites
1 C Sugar
Pinch salt
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, each stick cut into 6 pieces, softened, but still cool
1/4 C Cream of Coconut
1 t Coconut extract
1 t Vanilla extract


1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease 2 9" round cake pans.
2. Beat egg whites and whole egg in a large measuring cup with a fork to combine. Add cream of coconut, water, vanilla, and coconut extract and beat with fork until throughly combined.

3. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on lowest speed to combine, about 30 seconds. With mixer still running on lowest speed, add butter one piece at a time, then beat until mixture resembles course meal with butter bits no larger than small peas, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.

4. With mixer still running add 1 C liquid. Increase speed to medium- high and beat until light and fluffy, about 45 seconds. With mixer still running, add remaining 1 C liquid in steady stream (should take about 15 seconds) Stop mixer and scrape down sides then beat at medium high speed to combine. (Batter will be thick).

5. Divide between pans and level with offset or rubber spatula. Bake until deep golden brown, cakes pull away from sides of the pans and toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Do not turn off the oven.

To Toast the Coconut:
While cake cools, spread shredded coconut on a baking sheet; toast in oven until shreds are a mix of golden brown and white, about 15 minutes, stirring 2-3 times. Cool to room temperature.

And for the finish we use a buttercream frosting. This frosting is basically just coconut flavored butter and honestly how you could you go wrong! 

Buttercream:

1. Combine whites, sugar and salt in a bowl of stand mixer; set bowl over saucepan containing 1 1/2 inches of barely simmering water. Whisk constantly until mixture is opaque and warm to the touch and registers about 120 degrees, about 2 minutes.

2. Transfer bowl to  mixer and beat whites on high speed with whisk attachment until barely warm (80*) and whites are glossy and sticky, about 7 minutes. Reduce speed to medium high and beat in butter 1 piece at a time. Beat in cream of coconut, coconut and vanilla extracts. Scraps down sides of bowl and mix on medium high until well combined, about one minute. 

When I went to decorate the cake I cut each of the layers in half so that there were 4 layers total. I put two different pieces of parchment paper under the cake so that I could keep the cake stand clean while I was decorating the cake. When I went to put the coconut on the cake I put the stand in the middle of the sheet pan with the coconut on it so that the excess could just fall off. 

After the coconut was covering the sides I piped the scales of justice on Jon's cake since he is graduating from law school after all. I'm so very proud of everything he's done over the last 3 years! 

Congratulations Jon! It's been an eventful month...turned 30 and graduated from law school all in less than two weeks! The cake was a success. It is very delicate and doesn't over power you with coconut. Delicious!

Jon with his graduation present from Calvin. It's a bookmark that Calvin wrote Jon's name himself. Very cute!