For cake:
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups self-rising flour
1 cup coconut milk
6 egg whites
For icing:
3 egg whites, unbeaten
2/3 cup cold water
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut (we like Bob’s Red Mill)
Prepare cake:
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease 3 (9-inch) round cake pans then line them with parchment paper. Grease them again and dust lightly with flour.
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, and beat until incorporated.
Add the flour, in three parts alternating with the coconut milk, always beginning and ending with the flour.
In a bowl, beat the egg whites at low speed until frothy. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form.
Fold one-quarter of the beaten whites into the batter with a large rubber spatula.
Fold in the remaining whites until no white streaks remain. Gently divide and pour batter into the three prepared pans.
Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 23 to 25 minutes. Let the cakes rest in pans for a few minutes, invert onto racks and let cool until room temperature.
Prepare frosting:
Place all ingredients except for the vanilla in the top of a double boiler or in a mixing bowl set over a pot of boiling water. Beat the mixture constantly until frosting stands in peaks, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and set pan or bowl over cold water until the frosting has cooled. Beat in the vanilla.
Assemble cake:
Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Tuck parchment or wax paper strips under the edge of the cake to cover the serving plate. Cover the top of one cake layer with frosting; then dust with coconut flakes.
Add the second cake layer, then cover with frosting and dust with coconut flakes.
Add the third layer. Use the remaining frosting to cover the entire cake, then dust top and sides with coconut.
