Ingredients
Coconut Cake
- 230g butter, room temperature
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup coconut
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 cups 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
- 4 cups 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 KitchenAid 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 over mixed.
- 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 a KitchenAid 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 curd, in a large bowl use an electric hand mixer to whisk together the egg yolks, lemon zest, juice and sugar until pale and smooth but not frothy. Add to a saucepan and cook over a low heat, for 2 minutes stirring continuously until sugar has dissolved.
- Gradually add the butter and stir constantly for 7 - 10 minutes with a spatula until the mixture 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 crud 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 a min of 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.
