Coconut Cake

Photo: Flickr user

Ingredients

4 egg whites

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shortening

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

cups buttermilk

1/4 cup flaked coconut

Preparation

Allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease and lightly flour two round cake pans of one 13 x 9 rectangular cake pans and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until well combined. Add egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to shortening mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Stir in coconut. Spread batter into the prepared pans.

Bake in for 20-25 minutes for 9 inch pans, 25-30 minutes for 8-inch pans or 30-35 minutes for the 13x9 inch pan, or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool cake layers in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cake layers from pans and cook thoroughly on racks.