COCONUT BUTTER CAKE

For Father's day, I made a cake that contains fresh buco (coconut) juice and desiccated (dry)coconut meat on top. The icing was butter with condensed milk.

This Cake is a tribute to my heritage (Filipino) and also a nice treat for the Dads, on their special day.

The trick to making the cake is to find fresh buco or coconut juice. In the Philippines this is not a problem, us living abroad, unless there's an Asian store selling the fresh coconut, the next best thing is the coconut juice found in cans.

I was lucky enough to find fresh buco in our local Asian store. Opening the husk and getting the coconut water and flesh (hardly any in the one I bought) was challenging. But, I had my heart set on fresh buco juice, I just pounded away till I had the pesky hole in that darn coconut.

Recipe:

2 1/2 c Cake flour (sifted)
1 1/2 c coconut juice (fresh or in can)
1/2 c minced meat of coconut (optional if you are using juice in can)  
5 eggs ( separate whites and yolks)
2 tsp. BP
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3c oil
1 c white sugar

Icing:
1 bar salted butter
1 can condensed milk
1/4c coconut juice

Topping:

1 1/2c desiccated coconut


Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat egg whites, slowly drip 1/2c sugar. Beat till soft peaks form, then set aside. In a separate bowl, put shifted flour, salt, remaining sugar, BP, coconut meat (optional) mix all together. Incorporate fluids - coconut juice, egg yolks and oil. Mix all ingredients.  Pour batter into egg whites. Bake for 40 minutes or till toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool cake.

I usually, make my cakes day ahead and then freeze them. On the day of your party, take out your cake ( important to take out your cake from its baking pan before putting in the fridge) and butter for icing.

For Icing: Cut butter in small pieces, in a mixer beat butter small portions at a time, alternately pour condensed milk and coconut juice slowly. Taking time to make sure that all three ingredients are mixed thoroughly.  Then proceed to ice you cake.

For toppings: Heat oven to 400degrees. Put desiccated coconut in a pan and brown them for ten minutes. Once cooled, put browned desiccated coconut on top of cake.

The taste of this cake will surely bring you back to our beloved Island. Enjoy!