Coconut Cake (America's Test Kitchen)

5 lg egg whites, at room temp
3/4 c cream of coconut*
1/4 c water
1 lg egg, at room temp
1 tsp coconut extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 c cake flour
1 c sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
12 tbsp unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened and cut into tbsp pieces
1 recipe coconut frosting (see below)
2 c sweetened coconut

1) Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly coat two 9-in round pans with pam and line the bottoms (bottom only, trace the pan and cut out the paper) with parchment paper. Whisk the egg whites, cream of coconut, water, whole egg, and extracts together in a large bowl until combined and set aside.
2) Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Beat in the butter, one piece at a time,with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, 2-5 minutes.
3) Add 1 c of the egg mixture, increase the speed to med-high, and beat until light ad fluffy, about 45 seconds. Add the remaining egg mixture in a steady stream and continue to beat until the batter is combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed (the batter will be very thick).
4) Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 30-35 minutes.
5) Let the cakes cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Run a paring knife around the edge of the cakes to loosen, then flip out onto the racks. Remove the parchment paper and let cool completely.

Coconut Frosting
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp coconut extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt
16 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
1/4 c cream of coconut
3 c powdered sugar

Stir the cream, extracts, and salt together until the salt dissolves. Beat the butter and cream of coconut in a large bowl with an electric mixer at med-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Reduce the speed to med-low slowly add the powdered sugar, and beat until smooth, 2-5 minutes. Beat in the cream mixture. Increase the speed to med-high and beat until the mixure is light and fluffy, about 4-8 minutes.

Layer and frost the cake. Toast coconut and gently press to outside of frosted cake.

*You can find Cream of Coconut by the drink mix isle (think margarita). Make sure you get CREAM of coconut (coconut milk is by the oriental food isle and it won't work).

Sumbitted by Anne-Marie: I like to put some toasted coconut between the layers when I frost the cake, but it isn't really necessary.