COCONUT CAKE WITH MERINGUE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-by-9-by-2-inch cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper. Butter parchment and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Place shredded coconut in bowl of a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Stir chopped coconut into flour mixture until combined; set aside.
• Beat together butter and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down side of bowl as needed. Add whole eggs, egg whites, and vanilla; beat until fluffy and combined. With mixer on low, add flour mixture, alternating with coconut milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, mixing well after each addition.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared pans; smooth with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes.
• Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 30 minutes. Invert cakes onto rack; peel off parchment paper. Reinvert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up, then wrap individually in plastic wrap. Transfer to freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cake layers to make them level. Place one layer on a cake plate; spread top with 1 1/2 cups meringue. Top with remaining layer, cut side up. Using offset spatula, spread remaining frosting over entire cake, swirling to cover in a decorative fashion. Sprinkle entire cake with coconut curls, bending and curling as desired. Cake can be kept refrigerated, covered with a cake dome, up to 3 days.