Happy Day Cake

Submitted By: Jewell Shouse

Ingredients

• 2½ cups self-rising flour, sifted
• 1½ cups sugar
• ½ cup shortening
• 1 cup milk, divided
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

In a small bowl, stir flour and sugar together and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream shortening with an electric mixer. Gradually add cup milk and the flour mixture. Beat two to four minutes. Add remaining cup milk, eggs, and vanilla. Beat two more minutes.
Pour into two well-greased 9-inch pans. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Frosting:
1 fresh coconut (or substitute frozen shredded coconut and packaged coconut milk)

2 unbeaten egg whites
1½ cups sugar
Dash of salt
1/3 cup water
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla
If using fresh coconut, drain the milk and reserve. Crack the shell with hammer, remove coconut meat, and peel away dark coating. Grate the coconut and set aside.
Prick holes in top of each layer of cake with a fork. Pour coconut milk over each layer.
In top of a double boiler, combine all other ingredients except vanilla. Beat with a mixer while water is boiling in bottom pan. Beat for seven minutes or until peaks form. Remove from boiling water. Add vanilla and beat until well mixed.

Frost top of bottom layer and cover with generous amounts of coconut. Put other layer on top. Frost sides and top of cake. Completely cover with rest of coconut.
The cook says: The favorite recipe of my dad, Hubert Baker, who died in 1990, was the made-from-scratch fresh coconut cake of my mother, Maggie Sue Baker. Fresh coconuts were in stores in time to make this cake for Daddy’s birthday, Nov. 4.At 93, Mother no longer makes cakes but still bakes a wide variety of pies for relatives and neighbors.