Christmas Coconut Cake

Made this for Christmas dinner because "little girl" has decided she likes coconut. It tastes kind of like a "lighter" version of Italian Cream with no nuts. (Although I am sure it is not lighter in calories!) The cake is a dense cake and very moist.

I had two recipes saved from last years Christmas magazines for coconut berry filling cake, http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/coconut-blizzard-689123/ and another from Family Circle. I used the cake (with minor changes - like I didn't have or buy coconut extract) from Family Circle and the 7-minute icing from Family Fun. It did not get sugary by the next day as can happen, but it was kind of marshmallowy even thought I beat/cooked it longer than called for, and made kind of a messy looking cake. I only put coconut on the top because it was easiest!

Cake (as I made it):
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk
1 cup sweetened flake coconut, finely chopped

Filling and garnish:
3/4 cup rasberry preserves - I used seedless (for the kids) which turned out to be jelly, and it wasn't as pretty a color since it was "all fruit" - one recipe also suggest blackberry or strawberry
1-1/2 cups sweetened flake coconut

Frosting:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare 2 cake pans (I used 9 inch).

2. In another large bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and coconut extracts; beat until combined.

4. On low speed, beat in flour mixture and other dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with coconut milk. Beat well after each addition. Fold in chopped coconut. Divide batter equally between prepared pans.

5. Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove cake layers from pans and cool completely.

6. Frosting:

1. In the top of a double boiler, or in a heatproof medium bowl, combine the sugar, corn syrup, water, egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar and beat on high speed with a handheld electric mixer, about 1 minute.

2. Bring the water to an active simmer in the bottom of the double boiler or the saucepan, then beat the icing at medium speed until the mixture is opaque white and foamy, about 1 or 2 minutes.

3. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the icing becomes white, thick, and shiny and triples in volume, about 7 minutes. Continue beating until the icing forms firm peaks and loses a little of its shine.

4. Remove the icing from the heat, add the vanilla, and beat for 2 minutes more.

7. Trim cake layers level if crowned. Place one cake layer on a plate. Spread top with preserves. (I put a "dam" of frosting around the edge of the layer to hold in the jam so it wouldn't leak into the icing.) Add remaining cake layer. Spread top and sides of cake with frosting. Gently press shredded coconut onto sides of cake.