My boyfriend is four days older than me and I love cake so I made this an excuse to bake a 'birthday cake' each year. He hasn't figured out that this has become a tradition but I'm sure it won't be any surprise to him. The best part about having birthdays so close together is that whatever I bake becomes my birthday cake too! When a friend of mine showed me this recipe, I couldn't wait to try it! This recipe can be found in Southern Living Magazine's December 2010 issue and also Bethany's blog called The Big Red Pot. I thought the recipe was overly sweet so I adjusted the amount of sugar to my liking.
Click photo to enlarge :)
This cake turned out to be a huge hit! I was grinning from ear to ear when I brought it to his house because I typically make him pancakes, muffins and cupcakes. This is one of the biggest things I've made for him and he was not expecting it (or so I think). Fortunately my hard work was not in vein because he and his family loved it. My boyfriend's mom even invited a group of friends over to eat the cake!
Ahh, another year older. :)
CARAMEL ITALIAN CREME CAKE
from Southern Living Magazine - Dec 2010
Cake Ingredients
3 cups shaved coconut
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
5 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
Quick Caramel Frosting
1 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted (I only used 2 cups)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting (I doubled this amount and put half the amount of sugar it called for)
1/4 cup butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350°. Place shaved coconut in a single layer in a shallow pan. Place pecans in a second shallow pan. Bake coconut and pecans at the same time 5 to 7 minutes or until coconut is toasted and pecans are lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Meanwhile prepare cream cheese frosting by mixing all ingredients together until well combined and refrigerate until ready to use.
Next, beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add granulated and brown sugars, beating well. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add vanilla, beating until blended. Combine flour and baking soda; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in pecans and 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut.
Beat egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form, and fold into batter. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
Bake at 350° for 23 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely. Make sure cake layers are flat, you may have to cut off some of the tops and eat them yourself.
Prepare Quick Caramel Frosting by bringing first 3 ingredients to a rolling boil in a 3 1/2-qt. saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly (about 7 minutes). Stir in cream, and bring to a boil; remove from heat. Pour into bowl of a heavy-duty electric stand mixer. Gradually beat in powdered sugar and vanilla at medium speed, using whisk attachment; beat 8 to 12 minutes or until thickened. Immediately spread frosting between layers and on top of cake.
Spread Cream Cheese Frosting over sides of cake; press 3 cups toasted shaved coconut onto sides of cake.
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