Shredded coconut is often pressed into the surface of a smooth coat of whipped frosting. In Italy, a favorite practice is to pipe the frosting in rosettes then brown it quickly in the oven.
Coat the sides and top of the cake generously with icing.
With a metal spatula, swirl the icing so that it forms soft peaks.
Continue swirling the icing with the spatula to form an attractive even decoration of soft peaks across the top of the cake and then repeat around the sides until the desired effect is achieved.