Dreamy Coconut Cake Has Heavenly Frosting

Dear SOS: I understand that you enjoy coconut cake with fluffy White Mountain Frosting. That’s my favorite, too. Can I have the recipe, as I would love to bake the cake for my daughter’s birthday?

--LOVIA

Dear Lovia: My dream coconut cake used to be served at our school cafeteria where it was sold as a sheet cake cut into squares. The White Mountain Frosting was sky high and curled over into soft peaks, as I hope this recipe will do, too. The cake portion of the recipe is from the Brown Derby.

DREAMY COCONUT CAKE

1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup oil

3 eggs, separated

3 tablespoons grapefruit juice

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

White Mountain Frosting

Shredded coconut

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into bowl. Make well in center and add water, oil, egg yolks, grapefruit juice and lemon peel. Beat until very smooth.

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff but not dry. Gradually add egg whites to batter and fold in gently until just blended. Do not stir.

Turn batter into ungreased 9-inch springform pan and bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes or until top of cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pan on rack. Loosen edges of cake carefully and remove from pan. With serrated knife, cut cake crosswise to make 2 layers. Fill with part of White Mountain Frosting. Frost top and sides with remaining frosting. Sprinkle generously with coconut. Makes 8 to 12 servings.

White Mountain Frosting

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup water

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Dash salt

2 egg whites

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Combine sugar, water, corn syrup and salt in saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Cover saucepan 2 to 3 minutes to dissolve sugar crystals on sides of pan. Uncover and continue cooling to soft ball stage (236 degrees on candy thermometer). Remove from heat.

Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Add hot syrup in slow stream, beating constantly. Blend in vanilla and continue beating until frosting holds deep swirls.

Dear SOS: I’d like to have a recipe for an old-fashioned Salmon Loaf. Can you do?

--JOANNE

Dear Joanne: Certainly can. Here’s a typical version with an accompanying cream sauce.

SALMON LOAF

1 (15 1/2-ounce) can salmon, drained and flaked

2 cups soft bread crumbs

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Cream Sauce

Combine salmon, bread crumbs, onion, parsley, eggs, Worcestershire, lemon juice, salt and butter in large bowl. Stir until well mixed. Spoon into greased loaf pan and spread smooth. Bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before unmolding on platter. Serve hot or cold with Cream Sauce. Makes 6 servings.

Cream Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup milk

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine mayonnaise, milk, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire and salt. Heat gently in medium saucepan just until sauce is hot, but not boiling. Serve hot over loaf. To serve cold, combine mayonnaise, milk, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire and salt. Do not cook. Makes 3/4 cup sauce.