Sounds like you forgot the leavening agent - what did the recipe call for in the way of baking soda or baking powder?
Suzan J

Never had a flop with the 3 day refrigerator coconut cake.

1 Tbl. of baking powder. Also called for 4 eggs, doesn't that sound like alot? I'm no cake baker (obviously) but it sounds like too many eggs to me.

Although a TABLESPOON of baking powder sounds high to me, I have to wonder about the FRESHNESS of your baking powder. Do you realize it only has a shelf life of six months? I once had poor results while baking. I checked the can and found out it had expired 4 years before. I don't think four eggs is all that unusual for a homemade cake, but I could be wrong.

Redcurls has a point with the baking powder. If you don't bake often your BP may be no good. Four eggs also doesn't sound unusual. What is the recipe? And how did you do it?

lol, I don't know why your cake weights 50 lbs, but thanks for a chuckle tonight! Better luck next time! :)

Is this the "cake" part of the recipe?? If it is..I can see why it's was a heavy cake..It should have been very moist too..
It should have been the texture and "weight" of a carrot cake. Does that describe it?

Here is a link that might be useful: Coconut Cake

No it was the one I posted under "ann in florida's" thread about "looking for a coconut cake recipe". Here's something I thought about, long time ago I read or heard on a cooking show about not beating cake batter too long. The directions to the recipe I followed said use an electric mixer, and I had a devil of a time getting the butter to blend into the batter; so I mixed and mixed much longer than the 3min. it told me to. Would that have made a difference?

3cup all-purpose flour
1Tb.baking pwd.
1/4 tsp.salt
1 1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
3/4c.(1 1/2sticks)unsalted butter,cut into cubes and softened
1c. milk
1Tb.vanilla extract
1c. Vanilla Syrup (recipe follows)
1 recipe Coconut Crm. Filling (recipe follows)
1 recipe Crm.cheese Buttercream frosting (recipe follows)
Garnish: grated or shredded coconut

Vanilla Syrup: (makes 1 1/2cups)
1c. sugar
1c. water
1/4 tsp. van. extract

Coconut Crm.Filling:
1 1/4c. heavy cream
3/4c. sugar
2Tb. coconut cream
1Tb. cornstarch
1Tb. milk
1c. shredded coconut
1/2 (1stick)unsalted butter,softened

Crm.cheese bttrcrm.frosting:
3/4c. (6oz.)crm.cheese, softened
1/2c. (1stick)unsltd.butter,softened
1/4 tsp. salt
4c. confectioners sugar
3Tb.milk
1Tb. vanilla extract

The directions are long,so I won't type out the whole thing unless you really want me to or email me.I tried to find the recipe online so I could post a link but was unable to locate it. Here's the basics: The cake batter is put into three buttered cake pans and baked at 350 (parchment or waxed paper lined pans with flour dusted bottoms and sides. The vanilla syrup is brushed on the tops of each cake layer after baking and they are cool, letting the syrup soak in. The coconut crm.filling is spread between the cake layers. I bought canned crm.cheese frosting but afterward thought plain buttercream would taste better.

"I had a devil of a time getting the butter to blend into the batter; so I mixed and mixed much longer than the 3min. it told me to. Would that have made a difference? "

Please tell me I am reading this wrong and you did not plop the cold butter into the liquid batter.

Besides the fact that the baking powder could have been old (You did use baking POWDER and not baking SODA right?) there could be an error in the technique or finesse needed to put the ingredients together. Did you use soft butter like it said? Did you use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour? Often times milk eggs and butter are mixed together separate from the dry ingredients but in those cases the butter is melted and cooled before adding.

Can you post the directions for the recipe here? The order in which the ingredients are added is very important to the final outcome.

It is the same recipe I posted. LOL

Um the instructions certainly don't say "softened" butter..

but that is indeed what needs to have happened...I'd say...that yes..you over mixed...and that reading the recipe the texture still should have been "heavy and moist" like a good carrot cake.

And that recipe should have said melted or softened after butter, not divided..there is no where that explains why it's divided...

Is your recipe "Royal Coconut Cake" on page 52 of the May-June, 2008 issue of Tea Time magazine? That one?

Looking at the instructions for the cake terri posted, assuming they were similar, I'm surprised at the technique. The usual method is to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (this is the time to get as much air into the mix as posible), _then_ add the eggs and vanilla. If you were beating the eggs and sugar together then adding the butter (as per the instructions), I'm not surprised it was difficult and the cake was heavy.

Yes dilly dally! That's the exact one! The directions are so long, I didn't think I should type them all out.

colleenoz and terri, here's the part you're talking about: "In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer at med.speed, beat the sugar and eggs for 1 minute. Gradually add the butter, milk and van. extract and continue beating for 2 more minutes. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture, and beat for 1 minute.

Butter was suppose to be "unsalted,cut into cubes and softened"

One more comment on this cake. I was eating a piece (trying) and it suddenly dawned on me what could be the problem. Duh - the vanilla syrup that was spread on the top of the layers. It was suppose to soak in, but maybe I used too much and it REALLY soaked in. Kinda acting like glue??? That just might give it the consistency of a ten day old cake on the day-old shelf of the bakery.

Maybe your expectations were just different. "Coconut Cake" can be made in different styles, ranging from cakes similar to carrot cake to that of angel food cake.

Royal Coconut Cake my you-know-what. Enjoy.

{{!gwi}}

LOL that's funny....looks like you all tried real hard to eat it before the squirrels got it..

Looks like the squirrels really enjoyed the corn :o)

LOL
Don't you hate when a recipe is a flop?

It's happened to me too, something sounds so good, you make it and think what a waste of time and ingredients!

Duncan Hines Coconut cake mix is VERY good!