Ingredients
Coconut Cake
- 230g butter, room temperature
- 265g caster sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup coconut
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
- 286g plain all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup full cream milk
Butter Cream Icing
- 250g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 675g icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Lemon Curd
- 6 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 120g unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
Decorate
- ½ cup toasted coconut
- Candied lemon slices
Method
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 180C. Line the base and sides of two 20cm cake tins.
- Attach the beater attachment to your stand mixer, beat the butter, caster sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
- Add one egg at a time while beating in between until well combined. Add coconut and lemon zest.
- Gradually add in the plain flour, baking powder and baking soda while the stand mixer is on a low speed.
- Mix until it has just come together so it's not overmixed.
- Pour the milk in gradually while the stand mixer is on a low speed, mix until just combined.
- Divide the batter between the 2 cake tins and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when tested.
- Place the cakes on a cooling rack. After 20 minutes gently turn the cakes out to completely cool on the rack.
Butter cream
- To prepare the butter cream, place the butter into the bowl of your stand mixer with the flat beater and mix on speed 6 until light.
- Turn the mixer to speed 2 and add the icing sugar.
- When all icing sugar is combined, turn to speed 6 and mix for a further 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Reduce the speed and add milk and vanilla paste.
Lemon Curd
- To prepare the lemon cure, in a large bowl use an electric hand mixer to whisk together the egg yolks, lemon zest and sugar until pale and smooth but not frothy.
- In a saucepan on a low heat, melt your butter then combine with the lemon juice. Stir through with a spatula.
- Add the egg yolk and sugar mixture to the pan and stir constantly for 7-10 minutes with a spatula until it thickens and turns a deep yellow colour.
- Set to the side to cool, then refrigerate for 1 hour until cold.
- To assemble the cake, carefully cut each cake into 2 so you have 4 thin cakes.
Icing the cake
- Place the first cake layer onto a serving plate or cake turntable evenly.
- Apply a layer of lemon curd to the cake and repeat with the remaining layers.
- Place the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up the lemon curd.
- Bring the cake out of the fridge and evenly spread a thin layer of butter cream over the top and sides of the cake ( this is a crumb layer).
- Place in the fridge to set for 30 minutes or longer on a hot day.
- When butter cream is completely set, add the remaining buttercream to the cake using a flat spatula to get a nice flat even surface.
- Decorate with candied lemon slices and toasted coconut.
