For The Filling, Prepare The Fresh Coconut For Grating (See “Baking With Fresh Coconut”), Or Open The Bagged Coconut, And Measure Out 3 Cups.
Set Aside.
Grate The Zest From The Oranges And Set Aside.
Cut The Oranges In Half And Juice Them To Yield 1 Cup.
Place ¾ Cup Of The Orange Juice In A Medium-Size Saucepan With 1 Tablespoon Of The Reserved Orange Zest, 3 Cups Coconut, The Sugar, And Salt.
Bring The Mixture To A Boil Over Medium-High Heat, Stirring To Dissolve The Sugar.
Reduce The Heat To Medium-Low And Let Simmer Until Reduced By A Third, About 45 Minutes.
Turn Into A Bowl, And Chill In The Refrigerator For At Least 3 Hours.
If You Use A Fresh Coconut, Add Up To ½ Cup Of The Coconut Milk To The Orange Juice Mixture.
It Will Be A Little More Liquid Than Without The Coconut Milk, But The Flavor Is Wonderful.
For The Cake, Place The Remaining ¼ Cup Orange Juice In A Small Bowl With The Chopped Raisins.
Set The Raisins Aside To Soften Them.
Place A Rack In The Center Of The Oven, And Preheat The Oven To 350°F.
Butter And Flour Three 9″ Round Cake Pans, And Shake Out The Excess Flour.
Set The Pans Aside.
Place The Butter And Sugar In A Large Mixing Bowl, And Blend With An Electric Mixer On Medium Speed Until Light And Creamy, 2 To 3 Minutes.
Add The 4 Egg Yolks, One At A Time, Beating Just Until Combined.
Place The Flour, Baking Powder, And Salt In A Large Mixing Bowl, And Stir To Combine.
Add This And The Milk Alternately To The Butter And Sugar Mixture, Beginning And Ending With The Flour Mixture, And Mixing Until Just Combined And Smooth, 1 Minute.
Set Aside.
Place 2 Egg Whites (2 Egg Whites Are Saved For The Frosting) Into A Large Mixing Bowl, And Beat With Clean Beaters On High Speed Until Stiff Peaks Form, About 4 Minutes.
Fold The Whites Into The Batter Until Just Combined.
Divide The Batter Into Thirds.
Pour One-Third Of The Batter Into A Medium-Size Bowl, And Fold In The Cinnamon, Allspice, Soaked Raisins, Pecans, And ½ Teaspoon Of The Reserved Orange Zest.
Turn This Into One Of The Prepared Pans And Smooth The Top.
Divide The Remaining Batter Between The 2 Remaining Pans And Smooth The Tops.
Place The Pans In The Oven.
Bake The Cake Until The White Layers Are Golden Brown And Spring Back When Lightly Pressed In The Center, 16 To 19 Minutes, And The Spice Layer Also Springs Back When Pressed, 19 To 22 Minutes.
Remove The Pans From The Oven To A Wire Rack To Cool For 10 Minutes.
Run A Knife Around The Edges Of The Pans, Give The Pans A Gentle Shake, Then Invert The Cakes Once And Then Again Onto The Rack To Cool Completely, 30 Minutes.
Prepare The Seven-Minute Frosting.
To Assemble The Cake, Remove The Filling From The Refrigerator.
Measure Out ½ Cup Of Filling And Reserve For The Top Layer.
Place 1 White Layer On A Cake Plate Or Platter.
Poke Holes In The Top Of The Cake, And Spoon Half Of The Filling Over The Top, Almost To The Edges.
Place The Spice Layer On Top, Poke Holes In The Cake, Then Spoon The Remaining Half Of The Filling Over The Top.
Place The Second White Layer On Top, Poke Holes In The Cake, And Spoon Over The Reserved ½ Cup Of Filling.
Generously Pile The Frosting Over The Top Of The Cake And Filling.
Frost The Sides Of The Cake, If Desired.
Slice And Serve.
