First Lady Laura Bush's Favorite Coconut Cake

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9" cake pan then place a parchment paper circle on the bottom.

Step 2

Cream butter and sugar in electric mixer. Add eggs, add flour, and buttermilk alternately, scraping bowl often.

Step 3

Pour into prepared cake pan. When filling, do not fill more than halfway - the batter rises a lot.

Step 4

Bake for 55-65 minutes or until cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.

Step 5

Sift together sugar and cornstarch. Whisk until blended with egg yolks.

Step 6

Boil milk and slowly pour over egg-sugar-cornstarch mixture while mixing rapidly.

Step 7

Return mixture to medium heat and whisk while heating, until mixture thickens and bubbles form.

Step 8

Add vanilla. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Place over ice and stir occasionally.

Step 9

Boil ingredients then cool.

Step 10

Whisk over double boiler until 130°. Then place immediately in electric mixer on medium speed and whip into a meringue frosting. (Frosting should be cool!)

Step 11

Cut cake into two layers.

Step 12

A spoonful at a time, use a pastry brush to spread syrup over each cake layer.

Step 13

Fill layers with coconut cream then cover cake 7 minute frosting. (It is very sticky, so you must spread it right away and don’t let it sit. Allow the meringue in the mixer to continue spinning so it does not dry up.) Use the spatula to cover the cake quickly and pull it away in a snapping motion to make the points.