Coconut Cake

I found this recipe off of Food Network's website. I did alter original recipe so that it would taste better. The cake was tender, somewhat on the heavy side, but still perfectly moist. I also find that toasting the sweetened coconut in the oven at 350 for a few minutes on a baking sheet enhances its flavor. The frosting is light and fluffy. It reminded me of marshmallow fluff and meringue. Serves 12-14
Ingredients:
2 Cups granulated sugar

1/2 Cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 Cup vegetable oil

5 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon coconut flavor, or if you don't want too much coconut replace with vanilla extract.

2 Cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 Cup ground pecans (you can omit this if you want. I did and it turned out just fine.)

1 Cup buttermilk, or sour milk. You can use low-fat buttermilk.

1 Cup freshly grated coconut, or unsweetened shredded coconut

For frosting:

1 Cup granulated sugar
1/3 Cup water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
2 egg whites. Save the yolks for my chocolate chip cookie recipe.
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
Toppings: 1 1/2-2 Cups of sweetened coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease and flour three 8-inch cake pans, or two 9-inch pans. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar. It will look somewhat like moist sand, so don't be alarmed if it doesn't appear normal. With the mixer running, add the oil and incorporate thoroughly.  Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each yolk. In a separate bowl, sift  the flour, salt, and baking soda together; stir in ground pecans if using.
2. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the egg mixture, ending with the flour. Beat until incorporated. Fold in the coconut. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff. Make sure your bowl is oil free. Wipe your bowl and beaters with some vinegar. Fold the egg whites into the batter. Pour batter into the prepared pans.
3. Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool for 10-12 minutes on a wire rake, then remove from pans. Let cool completely before frosting the cakes.
4.  In a sauce pan combine sugar, water, and cream of tarter. Cook till bubbly and sugar dissolves. Make sure it is a hard boil. In a bowl combine eggs and vanilla extract. Add sugar mixture very slowly to egg whites, beating constantly with an electric mixer on high for seven minutes. If you add the sugar mixture too fast, it will take longer for your frosting to form. Then frost your cake and put the coconut on the top, in the middle of the layers, and sides of the cake.

Cake recipe from Emeril Lagasse
Frosting from The Better Homes and Garden Cookbook