Κέικ Ινδοκάρυδο (Greek Coconut Cake)

Very sweet, very delicious. Serve with lemonade.

SYRUP

2 1/2 cups of water

1 1/2 cups of sugar
juice and peel of 1/2 lemon
3 whole cloves
1 stick of cinnamon

CAKE

4 eggs, separated
pinch of salt
1/3 pound of margarine (or butter), softened (2/3 cup)
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of whole milk
1 1/2 cups of self-rising flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 1/2 cups of shredded coconut

4-5 tablespoons of shredded coconut for topping

Syrup: Combine all syrup ingredients in a saucepan and boil for 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. 

Cake: Grease and flour a 15 X 10 inch (or equivalent) baking pan.Preheat oven to 340°F (170°C). Beat egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, beat together the egg yolks, margarine, and sugar until creamy. Beat in milk. Whisk together the flour and baking powder and beat into the mixture. Stir in the coconut. With a spatula, lightly fold in the egg whites. 

Bake at 340°F (170°C) for 40-45 minutes until golden and the cake starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven, cut in pieces, and while it's hot pour the cooled syrup over the cake, starting from the sides and moving towards the center. Sprinkle the top with 4-5 tablespoons of shredded coconut.

Allow 2-3 hours for the syrup to be absorbed and the cake to cool completely before serving.