Coconut Strawberry Cake

Ingredients

2 cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, separated
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

For the icing:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 large egg whites
1 teaspoon coconut extract

For the cake assembly:
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
1/2 cup strawberry preserves
4 cups (about 1 1/4 pounds) fresh whole stemmed Naturipe® Farms strawberries, washed and stemmed

Directions

To make cake:
Place oven rack in bottom third of oven; heat oven to 350°F. Spray two 8-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottom of each pan with a circle of parchment paper, spray the paper and dust inside of each pan with all-purpose flour, tapping out excess. Sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In bowl of electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter at medium speed until soft and light. Add sugar and continue to mix about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating after each addition until completely mixed. On low speed, alternately add flour mixture in 3 additions and coconut milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Add extract and beat at low speed until completely mixed. In clean bowl with whisk attachment, beat egg whites at high speed to soft peaks. Gently fold one third of the egg whites into the batter; fold in remaining egg whites gently but thoroughly. Divide batter between prepared cake pans and bake about 35 minutes or until cake springs back when touched and toothpick inserted into center comes out
clean.

Cool on rack 5 minutes; run a small knife around edge of each
pan and carefully invert cake onto rack.
Remove pan and cool cake comletely; remove paper before
assembling cake.