Coconut Cake

Coconut Cake   Ingredients: 3 sticks of unsalted butter – room temp. 2 cups Sugar 5 extra large eggs (room temp) 1 ½ tsp Vanilla extract 1 ½ tsp Almond extract 3 cups Flour 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt (kosher) 1 cup milk 4 ounces coconut (shredded)   Frosting: 1 lb cream cheese (room temp) 2 sticks unsalted butter (room Temp) ¾ tsp vanilla extract ¼ tsp Almond extract 4 cups powdered sugar 6 ounces shredded coconut   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 9 inch round cake pans. In a bowl (mixer using paddle attachment) cream the butter and the sugar on high for 3-5 minutes until light yellow and fluffy. Add the eggs (one at a time) and then add the vanilla and almond extracts. Mix well. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Alternately add dry and wet ingredients (milk) until JUST combined. Fold in the coconut. Pour batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 45-55 minutes. Cool on baking rack for 30 mnutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling. For the Frosting: Combine all but powdered sugar and then when combined add the sugar – mix until smooth. (don't whip!!) To assemble frost first layer then top with 2nd cake. Frost that layer. Sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sids. Serve at Room Temperature.