My merry white Christmas cake

MY MERRY WHITE CHRISTMAS CAKE

This “I’m dreaming of a white christmas” cake is very moist and the coconut juice and pandan extract add exciting tropical flavors.

Cake:

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

3 large eggs, separated

1 3/4 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup coconut juice/water (liquid from a can of young coconut meat plus enough water to equal 1 cup)

1 teaspoon pandan extract

green food color

Frosting:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Garnish: sweetened shredded coconut and maraschino red cherries (if desired)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two greased 8 or 9-inch round pans with wax paper and grease the wax paper; set aside. Sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Mix in pandan extract with coconut juice/water and tint with green food color; set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggwhites using high speed of electric mixer until bubbles are fine. Gradually add 2 tablespoons sugar (from 1 1/2 cups sugar measured) and continue beating until stiff but not dry. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream softened butter with the remaining sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggyolks and continue creaming until smooth. Alternately add flour mixture with green-colored coconut juice/water to the creamed mixture. Fold beaten eggwhites into the batter. Divide batter into prepared pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center of cake comes out clean. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Carefully peel off waxed papers.

For frosting, in a large mixing bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream and confectioners sugar until thick and fluffy.

To assemble, place one layer of cake on a serving plate. Spread with about 1 cup whipped cream; top with canned young coconut meat slices. Top with the other cake layer. Frost top and sides with the remaining whipped cream. Pipe large rosettes of whipped cream along top border using open star cake decorating tip. Garnish with shredded coconut and maraschino cherries (if desired). Refrigerate until serving time.