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Coconut Cake

Decadent Layer Cake
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Oven Time: 35 minutes
Resting and Assembly Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 1 9-inch Layer Cake

INGREDIENTS

For the Cake

  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup butter - softened to room temp
  • ½ cup canola oil
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs - room temp
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  • 1¼ cups coconut milk

For the Filling

  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 4 tbsp coconut milk
  • ½ cup sweetened coconut flakes

For the Swiss Meringue Icing

  • 2 large egg whites
  • 3 oz sugar - can be toasted
  • 1 pinch salt - kosher or sea salt
  • ¼ tsp cream of tartar
  • ½ tsp vanilla - optional

To Guild the Lily

  • 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes - toasted

METHOD

For the Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350°F
  • Grease two deep 9-inch round cake pans and line with parchment
  • Cream together the butter, canola oil, and sugar until well-combined 
  • Add eggs one at a time. Beat well after each addition
  • Stir in the vanilla
  • In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt
  • Alternately add the flour mixture and coconut milk to the wet ingredients. Stir gently by hand after each addition, starting and ending with flour.
  • Evenly divide batter into cake pans.
  • Bake 30-35 minutes
  • Cool in pan 10-15 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack until completely cool.

To Guild the Lily

  • Heat oven to 200°F
  • Spread sweetened coconut flakes onto baking sheet in one even layer
  • Place in oven and stir every 10-15 minutes until golden brown

For the Filling

  • Mix together the sugar, sour cream, milk, and sweetened coconut flakes until well-combined

For the Swiss Meringue Icing

  • Whisk the egg whites, sugar, salt, cream of tartar over a double-boiler. Once the mixture looks homogenous (or reaches 175°F) move off heat.
  • Whisk on high until glossy (about 5 minutes)

Assembly

  • Once the cake layers have cooled, poke holes into the layers - spacing about 2 inches apart
  • Place the bottom cake layer onto a cake stand and place parchment between the cake edge and cake stand.
  • Pour half the sour cream filling over the bottom cake layer
  • Place the second cake layer on top and spread the remaining filling over the top layer
  • Refrigerate the cake for at least one hour. This will allow the cake to firm and be more sturdy for the icing process.
  • Using a bench scraper or offset spatula ice cake with swiss meringue
  • Gently press coconut flakes around the circumference of the cake
  • Sprinkle remaining coconut flakes around the top edge of the cake