Let us begin with the recipe itself a splendid blueprint for a cake that whispers of tropical breezes and sunlit gatherings. Follow it precisely, and youll be rewarded with a masterpiece worthy of any picnic blanket or dining table.

PICNIC COCONUT CAKE
This makes a very large9 x 12 x 2-inchcake. If a smaller one is preferred, cut the recipe in half and bake in an 8 x 8 x 2-inch pan. First, grease the bottom of the pan, line it with waxed paper; then grease the paper; set aside.
Preheat oven (set at 350) while you mix the cake, as follows:

1 cup butter-and-shortening, mixed

2 cups sugar

4 eggs, unbeaten

3 cups sifted flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

teaspoon vanilla

3/4 teaspoon lemon extract

Few drops almond extract

1 cup milk

1 cup shredded coconut

Cream the butter; gradually add the sugar, creaming until fluffy. Add 1 egg at a time, beating hard after each addition. Sift flour (either all-purpose or cake flour may be used), measure, then sift again with baking powder and salt. Add flavorings to milk. To the creamed mixture add flour and milk alternately, a little at a time, beating smooth after each addition. Stir in coconut. Pour into prepared cake pan, spreading batter slightly higher around the edges than in the center. Bake at moderate heat (350) about an hour until done. Loosen edges, turn out on rack, pull off paper, let cool, then frost as you wish, or serve plain.

A Slice of History 🕰️
The coconut cake, darling of Southern American baking, has roots tangled in
the palmy trade routes of the 19th century. Shredded coconut became a pantry staple thanks to advancements in drying and packaging, and by the early 1900s, it found its way into cakes, cookies, and even savory dishes. This particular recipe Picnic Coconut Cake evokes mid-century Americana, when home bakers embraced convenience without sacrificing flair. Its size suggests it was meant for communal joy: church suppers, family reunions, or sprawling picnics where
a slice could be handed down a checkered blanket with a wink and a smile.

Cultural Significance 🌴
Coconut cake is a symbol of hospitality, particularly in the American South, where its often crowned with seven-minute frosting or a glossy buttercream for weddings and holidays. But this picnic version is a rebel unfrosted, sturdy, and unpretentious. It speaks to practicality and pleasure, a cake that could withstand a jostle in a wicker basket yet still taste of paradise. The
coconut, once an exotic luxury, here becomes an everyday delight, bridging the gap between the mundane and the magical.

The Ingredients: A Love Letter 🧈🥥
Let us dissect this symphony of flavors, shall we?

Butter-and-Shortening Mix: Ah, the great debate! Butter lends richness, while shortening ensures tenderness and height. Together, they create a crumb thats both fluffy and moista marriage of science and indulgence.

Sugar: Not merely sweetener, but a textural alchemist. When creamed with fat, it traps air, giving the cake its lift. Granulated and patient, its the backbone of structure.

Eggs, Unbeaten: Adding them whole, one by one, allows each to emulsify into
the batter, binding fats and liquids into a velvety emulsion. Think of it as a rhythmic dancebeat, incorporate, repeat.

Flour: Sifted twice, no less! This aerates the flour, ensuring a light
texture. Cake flour would be dreamily tender, while all-purpose offers a sturdier crumbperfect for slicing en plein air.

Baking Powder & Salt: The yin and yang of rising and balancing. Too much
of one, and the cake collapses; too little of the other, and its bland. A delicate equilibrium!

Vanilla, Lemon & Almond Extracts: A trifecta of flavor! Vanilla warmth,
citrus brightness, and almonds nutty mystery elevate the coconut from mere garnish to star of the show.

Milk: The hydrator, but also the vehicle for our extracts. Whole milk, ideallyits fat content coddles the gluten, keeping the cake tender.

Shredded Coconut: Heres where the magic happens! Toasted or untoasted, it adds chew and a whisper of the tropics. In the 1950s, canned coconut was a revelation; today, we might toast ours for depth but the recipe, ever democratic, leaves it to you.

The Method: A Ballet of Technique �

Creaming: Do not rush this step. Creaming butter and sugar is the foundation. Imagine youre whipping cloudspale, fluffy, and voluminous.

Eggs, One by One: Patience, mes amis! Add each egg fully before the next. The batter may curdleif it does, add a spoonful of flour to bring it back to silkiness.

Sifting & Alternating: Sifting flour with leaveners prevents tunnels in
the crumb. Alternating with milk ensures the batter doesnt breaka gentle, rhythmic pour, like waves lapping the shore.

Batter Geometry: Higher edges, lower center? Genius! As the cake rises, itll level itself, avoiding a domed top.

The Bake: A moderate 350F coaxes the cake to rise evenly without drying. Test with a skewer moist crumbs, not wet batter. Let it cool completely before frosting, or serve it naked with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Final Thoughts 🎉
This cake is a time capsule, a testament to an era when baking was both an art and a science. It invites improvisation swap extracts, add lime zest, or frost with a rum glaze. But in its purest form, its a humble triumph: moist, fragrant, and unapologetically nostalgic.

So tie on your apron, preheat that oven, and channel your inner 1950s hostess. Whether served at a picnic or a Parisian caf (why not?), this coconut cake is
a bite of joy. Bon apptit! 🍴✨


View the attachments for this post at: http://www.jlaforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=684250033#684250033

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)