Fresh Coconut Cake

1 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs (use 3 whites for filling)
1 cup milk
3 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Add milk. Sift together dry ingredients and add along with vanilla extract. Line 3 (9-inch) cake pans, grease, and dust with self-rising flour. Divide cake batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake 20 to 30 minutes at 325 degrees F to 350 degrees F. Cool completely before icing. If desired, sprinkle 1 teaspoon coconut milk over each layer before icing.

Frosting:
1 (16 ounce) bottle light corn syrup
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 grated FRESH coconut

Bring syrup to a boil. In bowl of electric mixer, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Very slowly add boiling syrup to whites while continuing to beat. (Keep syrup at boiling point while adding.) Add vanilla extract. Ice cake and sprinkle with FRESH, grated coconut.