Elvis Had A Rather Unusual Preference When Eating His Beloved Coconut Cake

Few had an appetite like The King. Indeed, Elvis Presley was known as both a hit singer and a major foodie. Being from Tupelo, Mississippi, Presley loved Southern food and had many favorite dishes that would become nearly as famous as him. Of course, the most talked about were fried peanut butter, bacon, and banana sandwiches (which were made using an entire bread loaf). While Elvis' diet was often full of all the comforting, Southern-style ingredients, one of his lesser known, yet most beloved, dishes was coconut cake — particularly, the kind that his mother, Gladys, would make for him. Interestingly enough, despite his voracious love for food, Elvis preferred his cake sans icing or frosting (and yes, despite being used interchangeably colloquially, there is a difference between them).

Certainly, whenever The King of Rock and Roll had his favorite coconut cake, he took it plain. The reasons aren't exactly clear since there isn't a direct source from either Presley, himself, his friends, or entourage members (and who would drill Elvis about his culinary preferences, anyway?); likely, it's due to allowing the coconut cake's naturally moist, fluffy yet flaky texture and sweet, nutty flavors to speak for itself. What should be noted about Gladys' recipe calls for no frosting and just a layer of coconut between the stacked cake layers. This makes it entirely possible that Elvis may have preferred no frosting or icing simply because that's how his mother made it for him. 

While frosting a cake may be popular, many prefer it without the sweet topping, and Elvis may have been the same way. According to Reddit and Quora, users may feel that the icing makes the cake too sweet and rich, often overpowering the cake. Others cite that it gets in the way of the cake's natural flavoring and textures. Some even claim that, depending on the frosting, there's even an unsavory, slimy, oily residue left behind from those made with shortening. As strange as it sounds, cake wasn't always enjoyed with icing and frosting historically. In fact, frosting was typically reserved for higher societies and marchpanes — which are essentially Medieval marzipan cakes. Furthermore, many early forms of cake were made with nuts and fruit, which provided plenty of unique textures and flavors to enjoy with little more than a mild icing for a topping. 

Elvis may not be alone in his cake preference, but that doesn't mean there isn't a place for toppings in coconut cake recipes. Buttercream frosting is a great complement as it introduces some sweet, buttery, rich complexity to the recipe and helps adhere the coconut flake topping to the cake. For a similar, yet less intense alternative, cream cheese frosting grants a similar sweet, rich flavor and creamy, dense coating just at a lesser intensity. Of course, a simple glaze could provide a light, non-intrusive yet decadent flavor that teams perfectly with the coconut cake's natural profile — just don't forget those flakes.