Easy Cherry Coconut Cake With Divinity Icing Food

SOUTHERN COCONUT LAYER CAKE WITH DIVINITY ICING

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans; set aside. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt onto a sheet of wax paper; set aside. With an electric mixer at medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar until very light and smooth. Add all of the egg whites and the vanilla and almond extracts; beat until well combined and smooth. Add ½ cup of the milk and mix well. Lower the speed to slow and add the sifted ingredients; mix just until blended, no longer. Fold in the remaining ½ cup milk. Divide the batter between the prepared pans; smooth the top. Bake until the cake layers are golden brown, the edges shrink slightly away from the sides of the pans, and a toothpick inserted in the centers emerges clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool the cake layers in their pans on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Run the tip of a knife around the sides of the cakes to loosen them; invert the cakes, turn right side up and cool to room temperature. For the divinity icing: Combine the sugar, corn syrup and cold water in a small, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Boil, uncovered, until the syrup reaches a temperature of 240 degrees F, usually 3 or 4 minutes. (This is the soft-ball stage. If you don't own a candy thermometer, drop a small spoonful of the hot syrup into a cup of ice water; the mixture will form a soft mass when pressed between your fingers.) While the syrup is cooking, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until foamy. When the syrup reaches the soft-ball stage, slowly pour it into the beaten whites in a very slow, thin stream, beating all the time. (Try to pour the syrup into the center of the egg whites, so it doesn't spatter all over the sides of the bowl.) When all of the syrup has been added, add the vanilla and continue to beat until the mixture is fluffy and shiny and cools to room temperature, usually 7 to 8 minutes. Beat in the lemon juice and hot water. With a long serrated knife, split each cooled cake layer horizontally into 2 layers. Sprinkle the cut side of each layer with 1 tablespoon of the coconut milk or thinned coconut cream. Choose a layer with a flat surface and set it aside for the top. Place 1 of the layers, cut side up, on a serving plate. Spread it with a generous layer of icing; sprinkle on some coconut. Repeat with the remaining layers, spreading each with icing and coconut. Gently press the reserved layer, browned side up, on top. Spread the top and sides of the cake with the remaining icing. Sprinkle the top of the cake with coconut, and gently press more coconut into the icing on the sides.

EASY CHERRY COCONUT CAKE WITH DIVINITY ICING

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9" round cake pans with cooking spray with flour. Drain cherries, reserving 1/4 cup of juice. Set aside 1-3 cherries for decoration. Chop remaining cherries; set aside.
• 2. In large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, sour cream, oil, cherry juice and almond extract. With mixer on low speed, beat 30 seconds. Scrape sides of bowl & continue to beat with mixer on high speed for. 1/2 minutes. Stir in chopped cherries. Pour batter into prepared pans. Place in oven and bake 25-30 minutes or until done. Insert toothpick in center of layers to test for doneness. If it comes out clean, remove from oven. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out on cooling racks. Frost when cool.
• 3. Icing: In small heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup and water; stir until blended. Cook without stirring over medium heat. Bring to a boil. With spoon, held above saucepan, drizzle small amount of syrup mixture. When a long thread separates from the stream of syrup; remove from heat. While beating with mixer, slowly pour hot syrup mixture into stiffly beaten egg whites. Continue beating until mixture is fluffy and spreadable. Add vanilla. Frost bottom cake layer and sprinkle with coconut. Repeat with top layer. Sprinkle remaining coconut on sides. Top with cherries. Cool cake before refrigerating.
• 4. Note: I used a large jar of maraschino cherries because I like a lot of cherries. I beat the egg whites for the icing as soon as I start cooking the syrup mixture.

CHERRY ANGEL FOOD CAKE WITH DIVINITY ICING

Steps:

• 1. Place oven rack in lowest position. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Reserve 2 tablespoons of cherry juice and halve 6 cherries for icing; refrigerate. Add enough water to remaining cherry juice to make 1 1/4 cups. Chop the remaining cherries and drain; set aside.
• 2. In large metal or glass bowl, combine cake mix, liquid and almond extract. With electric mixer on low speed, beat 30 seconds; increase speed to medium and continue beating 1 minute. Fold in cherries. Pour batter into a 10" Angel Food Cake Pan. Bake for 47 minutes or until top is golden brown and cracks in cake are not sticky but very dry. Top should spring back when lightly touched. Immediately, turn pan upside down onto glass bottle or heatproof funnel. Let hang 1 hour or until cake is completely cool. Use a long metal spatula or knife to loosen sides of cake; remove from pan.
• 3. In large glass bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Place sugar, corn syrup, cherry juice and water in small sauce pan. Do not mix or stir. Cook on medium high heat. Bring to a boil and boil 2 minutes or until sugar syrup registers 240 degrees on candy thermometer. With mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites while slowly adding the syrup in a thin stream. Beat until mixture is thick and glossy. Add almond and vanilla extracts; just beat until blended. Immediately spread icing on cake before it sets up. Decorate with cherry halves.
• 4. Notes: Do not grease cake pan. The icing will be a light pink, add a few drops of red food coloring if you prefer a darker pink. Set out the egg whites about 30 minutes or an hour before using. Do not leave them out for an extended period of time.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH DIVINITY ICING

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup water, 1/2 cup of the sugar, the chocolate and the vanilla. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until melted. Set aside to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Prepare three 9-inch round cake pans: spray the bottom and sides of each pan with cooking spray; line the pans with parchment paper; then spray again with cooking spray.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a stand mixer, cream the butter and the remaining 1 3/4 cups sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and beat until smooth. Add the sifted flour mixture alternately with the milk, starting with a third of the flour, then adding half the milk, and ending with the flour. Stir only enough after each addition to blend the ingredients. Pour the batter evenly into the cake pans and bake for 35 minutes, or until done. Judge doneness by appearancelayers will begin to pull away from the sidesor by inserting a toothpick into the center of a layer. The toothpick should come out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto racks. Remove the paper and allow to cool completely before frosting. Spread the Divinity Icing between the layers and all over the top and sides of the cake.
• Pour the egg whites and salt into a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment. Beat the egg whites until smooth but not stiff; they should not form stiff peaks.
• In a large saucepan, mix the sugar, 3/4 cup water, corn syrup and vinegar. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then heat the mixture until it reaches the hard ball stage (265 degrees F on a candy thermometer), about 12 minutes. When done, the syrup will spin a long thread when poured off the edge of a spoon. Remove the syrup from the heat and stir in the mini marshmallows. The mixture will be foamy. With the mixer running at high speed, stream the syrup into the egg whites. Beat well, and then beat in the vanilla.

COCONUT CAKE WITH 7-MINUTE FROSTING

Steps:

• For the cake:
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil 2 (9-inch) cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper. Oil the parchment paper and then flour the pan. Set aside.
• Place the flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
• Combine the coconut milk and coconut cream in small bowl and set aside.
• Place the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer and using the paddle attachment, cream on medium speed until fluffy, approximately 1 minute. Decrease the speed to low and gradually add the sugar slowly over 1 to 2 minutes. Once all of the sugar has been added, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Turn the mixer back on to medium speed and continue creaming until the mixture noticeably lightens in texture and increases slightly in volume, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the coconut extract.
• With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture alternately with the milk mixture to the butter and sugar in 3 batches, ending with the milk mixture. Do not over mix.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the batter, just until combined. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bang the pans on the counter top several times to remove any air and to distribute the batter evenly in the pan. Place in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 40 minutes or until the cake is light golden in color and reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees F.
• Cool the cake in the pans for 10 minutes then remove and transfer to a cooling rack. Once the cakes have cooled completely cut across the equator of each to form 4 layers. Place the 1/3 cup coconut water into a small spritz bottle and spray evenly onto the cut side of the 4 layers. If you do not have a spritz bottle you may brush the coconut water on with a silicone pastry brush. Allow to sit while preparing the frosting.
• For the frosting:
• Bring 1 quart of water to a boil in a 4-quart saucepan over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium to maintain a steady simmer. In the meantime, place the egg whites, sugar, coconut water, cream of tartar and salt into a medium size-mixing bowl. Place the bowl over the simmering water and immediately begin beating with an electric hand mixer set to low speed. Beat for 1 minute and then increase the speed to high and continue to beat for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and beat in the coconut and vanilla extracts for 1 minute. Allow the frosting to sit for 5 minutes before using.
• Place approximately 3/4 cup of the frosting on the first layer of cake, sprinkle with 1/2 cup coconut and top with the next layer. Repeat until you reach the top layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake and sprinkle with the remaining coconut. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

CHERRY COCONUT CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8" or two 9" round cake pans. Drain cherries and add enough milk to the juice to make 1 cup. Chop the cherries. Combine cake flour and baking powder; set aside.
• 2. In large bowl with electric mixer, beat shortening with sugar and almond extract until well combined. Add the egg and beat well. On low speed, alternately add milk mixture and flour mixture beating just until combined. Stir in cherries.
• 3. Spread batter into prepared pans. For 9" pans, bake 20-25 minutes. For 8" pans, bake 30-35 minutes. Layers are done when a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool layers in pans for 10 minutes. Invert and remove cake layers from pans. Cool thoroughly before icing.
• 4. Divinity Icing: In the top of a double boiler, combine sugar, corn syrup, water and egg whites. With an electric mixer on low speed, beat the combined ingredients for 30 seconds.
• 5. Over boiling water with electric mixer on high speed, beat mixture constantly (about 12-14 minutes) until peaks begin to form. Add the vanilla; beat until stiff peaks form.
• 6. Frost the bottom layer and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of coconut. Add the remaining layer. Frost top and sides; then sprinkle with coconut. Place reserved cherry in center of cake.

EASY CHERRY COCONUT CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 9 x 13" cake pan. Drain cherries and reserve juice. Chop cherries and set aside. To juice, add enough milk to make 1 1/4 cup liquid. Beat on low speed, cake mix, oil, liquid, and extracts for 1 minute. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Add cherries and fold in egg whites. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until done. Note: Cake can be baked in two layers. Follow directions on the cake mix. Divinity Icing: Combine sugar, syrup, and water in small saucepan. Boil until mixture spins a thread ((test with small amount on spoon in a drizzling manner over pan). While beating with an electric mixer, slowly pour hot syrup over beaten egg whites. Add vanilla. Ice cake and sprinkle with coconut. Note: Do not try to make this icing on a damp or rainy day.

CHERRY AND COCONUT CAKE

Steps:

• Cream the butter or margarine with the sugar
• beat in the eggs and milk with a whisk (electric or hand)
• stir in the coconut and cherries
• fold in the self raising flour until mixture is a nice consistancy (not too runny not too stiff)
• line a loaf tin with greaseproof parchment paper and fill with mixture - sprinkle some more coconut on the top of the mixture
• place in preheated oven of 180 degrees C and cook for about 30 mins....after 30mins place some whole cherries onto the top of the cake and cook for another 10-15 mins...or until once cocktail stick comes out clean