Mrs Cobb's Coconut Cake

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 5 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 (15 ounce) can apricots
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter or 6 tablespoons margarine, room temperature
• 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• milk, as needed
• coconut (optional)

Recipe

• 1 cake: preheat oven to 350°.
• 2 using an electric mixer, cream the sugar and shortening until light and fluffy.
• 3 sift or mix the flour, baking powder and salt.
• 4 while beating, add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk.
• 5 then beat for 2- 2 1/2 minutes at medium speed.
• 6 add the egg whites and almond extract.
• 7 beat another 1 1/2 minutes.
• 8 add the coconut and stir well.
• 9 put into 2 greased and floured 9" cake pans.
• 10 bake about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• 11 cool 10 minutes before removing layers from pans.
• 12 spread apricot filling on completely cooled bottom layer.
• 13 place second layer over filling.
• 14 cover top and sides of both layers with frosting.
• 15 filling: drain apricots, reserving 2 tbsp of juice.
• 16 remove any pit fragments or pieces of stems from the apricots.
• 17 puree in blender until smooth.
• 18 place in saucepan.
• 19 add reserved juice to cornstarch and mix well.
• 20 stir into apricots.
• 21 add the sugar.
• 22 cook stirring over medium heat until thickened.
• 23 frosting: cream the butter or margarine and cream cheese together.
• 24 add powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
• 25 if frosting is too stiff to spread, add milk a half teaspoon at a time.
• 26 after cake is frosted, lightly press more coconut onto the top and sides, if desired.