Torta De Coco (Coconut Cake) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sherry wine (a drinkable not too dry sherry(NOT cooking sherry)
8 ounces raisins
2 cups sugar
3 cups water
2 cinnamon sticks
7 ounces shredded unsweetened coconut (dessicated is fine)
1 poundcake (the recipe I use provides a 10-inch cake)
10 eggs, separated
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
butter, for the pan

Preparation

Soak the raisins in the sherry.
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a saucepan, combine the sugar, the water and the cinnamon sticks and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it forms a thick syrup.
Add the coconut, stir well, and cook another three minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and allow to cool; when cooled, remove and discard cinnamon sticks.
Grate the poundcake into a large bowl.
Beat the egg yolks and add them to the pound cake along with the coconut mixture, the raisins and sherry and the ground cinnamon.
Butter a ten inch springform pan.
Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.
Fold them, using a rubber spatula, into the cake mixture, blending well but gently.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for an hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool on a rack before opening the springform pan.
Note: Even the best springform pans leak sometimes, so wrap the bottom with some foil and place a cookie sheet on the oven shelf beneath the shelf on which you bake the cake.