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1
Preheat the oven to 350F.
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2
Butter two 9-by-9-by-2-inch cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment paper.
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3
Butter parchment, and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside.
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4
Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
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5
Pulse shredded coconut in a food processor until finely chopped.
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6
Stir chopped coconut into the flour mixture until combined; set aside.
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7
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
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8
Add the whole eggs, egg whites, and vanilla; beat until fully incorporated.
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9
With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in two parts, alternating with the coconut milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined after each addition.
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10
Divide batter between prepared pans, and smooth with an offset spatula.
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11
Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, about 55 minutes.
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12
Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 30 minutes.
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13
Invert cakes onto the rack; peel off the parchment.
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14
Reinvert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up.
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15
Using a serrated knife, trim the tops of the cake layers to make level.
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16
Place one layer on a cake plate, and spread top with 1 1/2 cups Seven-Minute Frosting.
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17
Place other cake layer on top, cut side down.
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18
Using an offset spatula, spread remaining frosting over entire cake, swirling to cover in a decorative fashion.
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19
Sprinkle entire cake with Coconut Curls, bending and curling as desired.
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20
Cake can be kept in the refrigerator, covered with a cake dome, for up to 3 days.
