About Jennifer Appel

Jennifer Appel is the co-founder of New York City’s famed Magnolia Bakery, which is often credited for starting the cupcake craze in the U.S. She went on to open Buttercup Bake Shop on the east side of Manhattan in 1999. Appel is the author of The Buttercup Bake Shop Cookbook and co-author of The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook. She lives in New York City.@buttercupbakeshop

A white coconut layer cake, with 7-minute frosting topped with shredded coconut on a green cake stand

Coconut Layer Cake

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Layers of vanilla cake take turns with oodles of coconut filling and the whole shebang is slathered with fluffy white icing. Uh, yes please!

A Lady Baltimore cake covered with billowy white frosting on cake stand

Lady Baltimore Cake

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This American classic is, in a nod to its Southern origins, hospitable as can be thanks to vanilla cake layers with a meringue frosting that conceals a creamy filling containing–surprise!–coconut, Maraschino cherry, and oatmeal cookie crumbs.