Paula Deen's Coconut Cake

One 18 1/4-ounce package yellow pudding cake mix
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
12 ounces shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350*

Make cake by following directions on the package but substitute milk for the water. Divide and bake in three 9-inch round cake pans for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Then remove from pans.

Stir together sour cream, sugar and coconut. Spread between slightly warm layers, piercing each layer as you stack them. Store cake in container in refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. This allows cake to soak up moisture from the coconut.

On the third day, prepare icing for cake.

ICING

2 unbeaten egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons light corn syrup or 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 cup cold water
dash of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla (I use clear vanilla to keep the icing white)
Additional coconut to top icing (about 1/2 cup )

Place all ingredients except vanilla and additional coconut in top of a double boiler, but do not place over heat. Beat for one minute with an electric hand mixer.

Place over boiling water and cook, beating constantly, until frosting forms stiff peaks (about 7 minutes). Remove from boiling water.

Add vanilla and beat until it reaches spreading consistency (about 2 minutes).

Frost sides and then top of cake. Sprinkle with additional coconut.

Cover and store cake at room temperature.