Lemon Coconut Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, separated
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon Filling (see below)
Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
Lemon filling
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Toasted Coconut
shredded or flaked coconut
Lemon filling
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Toasted Coconut
INSTRUCTIONS :
For the cake :
1. In the beggining, beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy and then add sugar gradually, beating well. Next, you can add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
2. Combine together flour and baking powder and add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. And please beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
Make sure to beat egg whites at high speed with electric mixer until stiff peaks form and please fold one-third of egg whites into batter. Afterwards, fold in remaining beaten egg whites gently, just until blended. Finally, spoon batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
4. Okay now, bake at 350° until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 18 to 20 minutes. Be sure to cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes then remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
5. Once done, spread Lemon Filling between layers and spread Cream Cheese Frosting on top and sides of cake. At this point, sprinkle with toasted coconut and spread Lemon on top. You can also garnish if you like.
Lemon filling :
6. You may want to remove the zest of 3 lemons and please avoid the white pith.
7. In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, put the zest and add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.
8. Afterwards, cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture then add the eggs, 1 at a time. Immediately add the lemon juice, salt and cornstarch, mixing all until combined.
9. When finished, you can pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. That’s right, you’ll notice that the lemon curd is thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer. Immediately remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.
Cream Cheese Frosting :
9. Now, beat butter and cream cheese together at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
10. Next, add powdered sugar gradually, beating at low speed until blended then please stir in vanilla.
Toasted Coconut :
10. Set the teperature of your oven to 350°F.
11. Then please spread coconut in a single layer on a baking sheet, covering with parchment paper.
12. Once done, place coconut in oven and check after about 2 minutes. Always remember to check constantly, every minute, until the coconut is the desired color. I prefer mine toasted on the edges, but still white in the middle.
13. At the end, you should remove from oven and let cool.