Famous Coconut Cake (Hannah Swensen)

1 1/2 cups softened butter

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream (you can subsitute plain yougurt for a lighter cake)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon coconut extract (if you can't find it, you can use vanilla)

1 3/4 cups flour (not sifted)

2 cups flaked or shredded coconut (pack it down when you measure it-more it better in this case)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

Generously grease (or spray with non-stick cooking spray) a Bundt pan. Dust is liberally with flour and knock off the excess.

Cream softened butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. (You can mix this cake by hand, but it takes some muscle.) Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until they're nice and fluffy. Then add the sour cream, baking powder and coconut extract.

Put the flour and the coconut in a food processor. Process with the steel blade until the mixture looks like fine cornmeal (You don't have to do this if you don't have a food processor, but most folks like it better.)

Add half of the flour/coconut mixture to the bowl. Mix thoroughly. Add the rest of the flour/coconut combination and mix until the batter is smooth.

Let the batter rest for 5 minutes or so. Then pour it into the Bundt pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake at 325 degrees F. for 60 to 70 minutes. The cake should be golden brown on top and a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake ring should come out clean.

Cool in the pan on a rack for 25 minutes. Run a knife around the inside edges of the cake to losen it and don't forget to loosen it around the funnel in the middle of the pan. Turn the cake out on the rack and let it cool completely.

When the cake is completely cool, glaze it with Coconut Glaze.

Coconut Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon coconut extract (or 1/2 teaspoon coconut, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla)

1/4 cup coconut flakes

If the powdered sugar has big lumps, sift it. Otherwise, use it as it is. Put the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add teh heavy cream and the coconut extract. Stir until smooth. (If you can't get it smooth, you may need to heat if for thirty seconds or so in the microwave on HIGH, and then sitr again.)

If the glaze is too thick to pour over the cake, thin it with a little more cream. If the glazeis too thin, thicken it with it with a bit more powdered sugar.

Drizzle the glaze over the crest of the cake and let it drip down the sides. Sprinkle the cake with the coconut before he glaze dries.