This coconut cake pulls out all the stops. It is the best dessert for any special occasion. If I learned anything from my days as a pastry chef, it is that in baking, you can often play around with timing and make most recipes work on your schedule. This is because pastry making is all about components. At the restaurant, we made many of our building blocks throughout the week: puff pastry, pastry cream, pie dough, even buttercream, could all be made ahead at separate times and then combined in different ways depending on the particular dessert we needed to make. The same holds for this cake. It’s a big bite to take all in one day, unless you have an entire morning for the job. Instead, spread out the tasks over a few days.
How To Divide the Work of Making a Cake into Several Days
Here’s what I do: Make the cake, and while it is baking, make the lemon curd (which is pretty quick and easy). Wrap the cake in foil and pack the curd into a storage container, and refrigerate both. Now you have done the lion’s share of work! On the following day, make the buttercream, and then fill, ice and decorate the cake. Or refrigerate the buttercream for another day (or up to three days); let it come to room temperature before decorating the cake. Once decorated, cover the cake with a cake dome or an inverted mixing bowl, and it can sit on the counter for several hours until serving. You can also refrigerate the covered cake for a few days before serving (up to 3 days). Before you know it, your pièce de résistance is ready for its grand entrance at the dinner party, without too much fluster! Cream of coconut is different than coconut milk or coconut cream, so read labels carefully when shopping. My favorite brand is Coco Lopez. If you don’t see it in your supermarket, look for it at the liquor store since it is also a component for pina coladas. You won’t need the full can of cream of coconut. The leftover is great drizzled over morning oatmeal or made into a cocktail.
Butter (for the cake pans) Flour (for the cake pans) 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 4 large eggs 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1/2 cup coconut oil (solidified, not liquidy) 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup canned cream of coconut, such as Coco Lopez 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup buttermilk Pinch salt
For the lemon curd filling:
1 tablespoon lemon zest 1/2 cup lemon juice (from 3 to 4 lemons) 3/4 cup sugar 2 large eggs 2 egg yolks Pinch salt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in small cubes
For the buttercream:
3/4 pound (3 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces 4 egg whites 1 cup sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
To finish the cake:
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted 1 cup lemon curd 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
Switch to low speed, and beat in the eggs yolks, one at a time, mixing only until incorporated. Blend in the cream of coconut and vanilla. With the mixer on its lowest speed, add a third of the dry ingredients (from step 2) followed by half of the buttermilk. Mix just until blended and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add another third of the dry ingredients, followed by the remaining buttermilk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the remaining third of the dry ingredients. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and scrape it into a large bowl. In the clean bowl with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and salt on medium high speed until stiff but not dry. They should look creamy and hold their peaks; if they start to look crumbly, stop immediately and continue with the recipe. Make-ahead: The cakes can be made a day or two ahead of assembly. Cool completely, wrap in aluminum foil, and refrigerate until needed. Make-ahead: Once prepared, the lemon curd can be kept refrigerated for several days. (This recipe makes slightly more than you’ll need; use any leftover on toast or sandwich between cookies. To do this, remove the butter from the refrigerator, cut it into pieces and let stand for 10 minutes, or until slightly softened but still cool to the touch. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat until creamy and smooth. Scrape into a separate bowl. The butter should stay cool and smooth until needed. It should be fine at room temperature, but if your kitchen is very warm, refrigerate briefly while doing the next step and remove before the butter becomes too hard. Combine the egg whites and sugar in the mixer bowl. Set the bowl over the simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture is very warm to the touch and the sugar is dissolved (110°F). Dip your finger into the mixture and rub it against your thumb. It should feel completely smooth, not gritty. If the mixture looks slightly grainy or curdled, it may be that the butter is too cool. Simply set the bowl of buttercream over simmering water for a few seconds to warm it. If the buttercream becomes soupy, it is probably too warm. Chill for 20 minutes or so, and try mixing again. Make-ahead: You can refrigerate this buttercream for up to 3 days. Allow it to come to room temperature and beat with a paddle attachment to bring it to spreading consistency. If necessary, warm it carefully over simmering water.
Assemble the cake
On a flat surface or a flat cake stand, place the bottom layer, trimmed side down. Slip the parchment strips partially under the cake. Brush off any excess crumbs.
