Grandmother Rhodes' Coconut Cake

 Grandmother Rhodes’ Coconut Cake

3 cups plain cake flour

3 1/2 teaspoons Calumet baking powder (double acting)

3/4 tsp. salt

SIFT ABOVE TOGETHER

PUT INTO LARGE BOWL:

1/2 cup Crisco

1 1/2 cup sugar

5 egg yolks, unbeaten

2 tsp. vanilla

RESERVE: 1 1/4 cup sweet milk

Grease three 9 in. cake pans.  Beat on high speed one minute, scraping bowl while beating.  Stop mixer, scrape beaters.  Add sifted flour alternately with milk. Meanwhile, beating on medium speed (add milk in three parts) beat 2 1/2 minutes.  Pour into prepared pans. Bake at 350˚ for 30 minutes.

FILLING:

5 egg whites, room temperature

1 box powdered sugar

1 TBSP. vanilla

2 large coconuts, grated

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 pint whipping cream or 16 oz. cool whip

Beat egg whites until VERY STIFF. Add powdered sugar & vanilla; beat until creamy. Fold in whipped cream.  Add grated coconut.  Frost between layers, top, & sides. May seem to be too much, but continue. (LORRAINE’S SUPPOSITION- pour coconut milk over completed cake slowly.)  Keep covered & refrigerated.