Taste of the past Recipe
by Maxine Troxell
Spring is finally here, and Easter is just a couple of weeks away. Time to dig out your recipes for your Easter dinner. One of my favorite dessert items is coconut cake. My Aunt Erma used to make the most delicious cakes. She had won a lot of prize ribbons for her cakes from the Thurmont & Emmitsburg Community Show, Frederick County Fair, and other baking contests. Below is her recipe for her prize-winning coconut cake.
Coconut Layer Cake
Ingredients
3 cups sifted cake flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 teaspoons baking powder
5 egg whites
2/3 cup Crisco
1 1/3 cups milk
1 teaspoon coconut extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt, twice. Set aside.
In a small bowl, beat egg whites until foamy.
Add 6 tablespoons sugar, slowly, and beat until mixture stands in soft peaks. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream Crisco and add 1 ½ cups sugar, gradually. Cream until light and fluffy.
Add flour alternately with milk, a small amount at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add beaten egg whites and flavorings. Beat about 1 minute.
Grease and flour three 8-inch, two 9-inch, or one 13×9-inch pan. Pour in batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until cake springs back after touching.
Cool then frost with your favorite frosting and generously top with coconut.
