Coconut Butter Cake

Coconut Butter Cake
MAKES 12 SERVINGS

Coconut and bourbon mark the flavors of this classic Southern cake.

1 cup butter
11/2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
21/2 cups all-purpose flour
21/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flaked or shredded coconut
9 tablespoons bourbon
2 cups heavy cream
*/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
l/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 9-inch-round layer
cake pans.
Cream the butter and granulated sugar together until light. Beat
in the eggs until fluffy. Sift the flour with the baking powder. Add the
flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Add
the vanilla. Fold in the coconut. Divide the batter among the prepared
pans. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until the cakes test done in the center.
Cool on racks. Remove from pans and split each layer horizontally.
To assemble the cake, place a split layer onto a cake plate. Spoon
about 11/2 tablespoons bourbon onto each layer. In large bowl of
electric mixer, combine the cream, cocoa, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
Beat until mixture holds stiff peaks. Top each layer with about
1A cup of the chocolate-cream mixture. Sprinkle each layer with
toasted pecans, and stack the layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake
with the remaining frosting. Chill until ready to serve. Serve cut into
thin wedges.