Packed with coconut and pecans and covered in cream cheese frosting, this cake is a specialty of Georgia home cook Cile Ellis. It first appeared in our November 2013 issue with Wendell Brock's story Southern Belle.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans
- 2 cups flour, plus more for pans
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1⁄2 cup vegetable shortening
- 2 cups sugar
- 5 eggs, separated
- 1 1⁄4 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
For the Frosting
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
- 3 1⁄2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1⁄4 cup roughly chopped pecans, toasted
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Instructions
Step 1
Make the cake: Heat oven to 350°. Butter and flour three 8" cake pans; set aside. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Whisk buttermilk and vanilla in another bowl. Cream butter, shortening, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, alternately add dry ingredients in 3 batches and wet ingredients in 2 batches. Increase speed to high, and beat until batter is smooth, 5–10 seconds. Whip egg whites in a bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites, coconut, and pecans into batter. Divide batter between prepared pans and smooth top with a rubber spatula; drop pans lightly on a counter to expel large air bubbles. Bake cakes until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean, 20–22 minutes. Let cakes cool for 20 minutes in pans; invert onto wire racks and let cool completely.
Step 2
Make the frosting: Using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.
Step 3
To assemble, place one cake layer on a cake stand and spread with 1⁄3 cup frosting; top with another layer and spread with 1⁄3 cup frosting. Top with remaining layer. Cover top and sides with remaining frosting and sprinkle top with pecans; chill cake 1 hour until frosting is firm.
- Make the cake: Heat oven to 350°. Butter and flour three 8" cake pans; set aside. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Whisk buttermilk and vanilla in another bowl. Cream butter, shortening, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, alternately add dry ingredients in 3 batches and wet ingredients in 2 batches. Increase speed to high, and beat until batter is smooth, 5–10 seconds. Whip egg whites in a bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites, coconut, and pecans into batter. Divide batter between prepared pans and smooth top with a rubber spatula; drop pans lightly on a counter to expel large air bubbles. Bake cakes until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean, 20–22 minutes. Let cakes cool for 20 minutes in pans; invert onto wire racks and let cool completely.
- Make the frosting: Using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth.
- To assemble, place one cake layer on a cake stand and spread with 1⁄3 cup frosting; top with another layer and spread with 1⁄3 cup frosting. Top with remaining layer. Cover top and sides with remaining frosting and sprinkle top with pecans; chill cake 1 hour until frosting is firm.
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