COCONUT
LAYER CAKE
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
FOR THE CAKE:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened,
plus more for pans
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more
for pans
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, separated, plus 3 whites
1 ½ cups cream of coconut
1 ¼ cups unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons coconut or dark rum
7 tablespoons freshly squeezed
orange juice
3 cups unsweetened
shredded coconut
MAKE THE CAKE:
1. Grease 3 8-inch cake pans and dust with flour. Heat
oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl
and reserve. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of a
standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment and beat
until fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add 3 egg yolks, 1 at
a time, beating after each addition and scraping down
sides of bowl with spatula. Lower speed and gradually
add flour mixture. Batter will be thick and pasty.
3. Whisk together cream of coconut, coconut milk, rum
and orange juice. Alternately add shredded coconut
and the orange juice mixture to the batter.
4. In the clean bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the
whisk attachment, whip 6 egg whites until soft peaks
form. Gently fold into batter.
5. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake for 45
to 60 minutes. Cool in pans on wire rack. Unmold cakes
once cool.
FOR THE FROSTING:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups cream cheese, at room
temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
7 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
MAKE THE FROSTING:
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle
attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese. Add
vanilla extract. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar,
scraping down sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Mix until combined and fluffy.
2. Spread 1/4-inch-thick layer of frosting on top of the first
layer of cake. Sprinkle with toasted coconut. Place next
cake layer on top and repeat with frosting and coconut.
Repeat with the third layer, spreading frosting on top
and around sides of cake. Hold cake steadily in one
hand and use other hand to pat remaining coconut onto
edges of cake.
2 ¾cups/340 grams unsweetened
shredded or flaked coconut,
toasted
50
Chef Larissa Raphael