Miss Lisa's Coconut Cake with Coconut & Lemon Curd filling

My friend Lisa is one of the best cooks I know, mostly because she is an over-achiever and good at everything she tries. When I saw the list of things she was cooking today --

Coconut Cake with Lemon Curd Filling, Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake, Sausage and Cheese Kolache dough, Apple Pie Crusts, Cranberry/Fig Chutney, and one more pan of cornbread--as not all made it through the night..

I begged her for the Coconute Cake recipe. I know it will be delicious:

This is based on a famous cake at the Peninsula Grill in Charleston which, because you slice each of the 3 layers horizontally, has 6 layers when completed. The original only uses coconut filling, but it's also great with lemon filling or a combination of both, alternating between layers. The filling(s) needs to chill well before handling so make it (them) first.

COCONUT FILLING:
2 Tbsp corn starch
2 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract or 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
1 1/4 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup superfine sugar (Baker's sugar)
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1/4 sour cream

Stir cornstarch, 2 Tbsp water and vanilla in small bowl to dissolve corn starch. Bring cream, sugar, butter to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Add cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in coconut. Cool. Mix in sour cream, cover and refrigerate.

LEMON CURD FILLING (optional)
6 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 Tbsp lemon zest (use microplane to zest so this is very fine)

Combine yolks, sugar and lemon juice in saucepan, cook over low and stir until it thickly covers back of a spoon. Stir in butter and zest. Let cool, cover and refrigerate.


CAKE:
Preheat oven to 325, butter and flour three 9-inch cake pans. (Or grease pans, line with parchment paper, and then butter paper to make sure they come out cleanly. )

4 cups Cake Flour
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups superfine sugar (Baker's sugar)
3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
4 eggs plus 3 egg whites, room temperature
1 1/3 cups of coconut milk (or half and half, have used whole milk in a pinch)
1 vanilla bean scraped
1 tsp. coconut extract

In large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt.
In stand mixer, cream sugar and butter.
Add eggs, bit by bit, as mixer continues to run, until light and fluffy.
Add vanilla bean and coconut extract.
Add milk and dry ingredients alternately. Begin and end with dry ingredients.
Do not over mix.
Divide into three prepared pans.
Bake 28 to 35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. (Watch carefully!! Pans will probably cook at different rates. Do not over bake or it will be dry.)
Cool in pan 10-15 minutes before turning out on racks to cool completely.

COCONUT FROSTING:

2 8-ounce pkgs cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla or 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped

4 cups sweetened coconut, toasted (press on cake separately, after you frost.)

In stand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter, add powdered sugar and vanilla.

Assemble cake with filling between the layers.
(Here you have a choice to slice the cakes horizontally to make 6 layers, or just leave as 3.)
After you've layered your cake with the filling(s) of your choosing, frost completely and the press lightly toasted coconut over top and sides.

Now, make an appointment for lipo. You will need it.