Coconut cake is the pinnacle of Southern cakes for the holidays. James Farmer, one of my favorite Southern design icons who I had the pleasure of meeting last year in Memphis, proves that a classic pairing of coconut and pineapple is refreshingly irresistible, especially compared to dense, dark and decadent chocolate desserts and pies adorning the holiday dessert table. I love a coconut garnish year-round, but especially when it mimics a wintry mix!
I chose to garnish this stunner with a footer of sugared cranberries, whose motif is carried through this Costa Nova pearl cake stand from Bella Vita.
Adapted from James Farmer’s A Time to Celebrate, available at Bella Vita
Serves 12-16
1 15-ounce can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
3 cups sugar
5 large eggs
1/2 cup 7Up
3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pineapple filling (see recipe to follow)
Cream cheese frosting (see recipe to follow)
1 6-ounce package flaked coconut
Sugared cranberries, for garnish
1. Grease three 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with waxed paper. Grease + flour the wax paper, too! Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Drain pineapple, reserving 1/2 up of juice for batter and 1 heaping cup of pineapple for the filling. Add a splash to the frosting, too, if desired.
3. Beat butter at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating well, followed by 1 egg at a time. Combine 1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice and 7Up. Alternate adding flour and juice mixtures to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla and then pour the batter into the prepared cake pans.
4. Bale 25-30 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove and allow cakes to cool on wire racks. After 10 minutes, remove cakes from pans and continue to cool. While cakes are baking + cooling, prepare pineapple filling and cream cheese frosting.
5. Spread 3/4 cup pineapple filling between cake laters, spreading any remaining filling on top of the cake or thickening the layers in between. Spread frosting over entire cake. Sprinkle with coconut. Garnish with cranberries, if desired.
Pineapple Filling
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup reserved drained crushed pineapple in juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extra
1 cup water
Stir sugar and cornstarch in a sauce pan. Add pineapple and water, cooking over low heat for about 15 minutes, or until very thick. Stir in vanilla. Allow to cool.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1-pound box powdered sugar, sifted
Splash of reserved pineapple juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Beat butter, cream cheese, and sour cream at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended. Gradually add sugar, juice, and vanilla until incorporated.
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