Put the Lime in the Coconut...Cake!

My dad hosted Easter dinner this year and, as usual, asked me to make dessert. I wanted to come up with something new. My mother in law sent me a great set of tropical extracts for my birthday which included coconut extract. Steve and I brainstormed different pairings with coconut and came up with this recipe, adapted from a couple Cook's Illustrated recipes:

Lime in the Coconut Cake

Lime Curd Filling

1 c          fresh lime juice

1 tsp      unflavored gelatin

1 ½ c      (10 ½ oz) sugar

¹/₈ tsp     salt

6 lg         egg yolks

4 lg         eggs

8 T          (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes and frozen

2 drops   blue gel food color (if desired)

Cake

¾ c          cream of coconut

5 lg         egg whites, room temperature

¼ c          water

1 lg         egg, room temperature

1 tsp       coconut extract

1 tsp       vanilla

2 ¼ c      (9 oz) cake flour

1 c          (7 oz) granulated sugar

1 T          baking powder

¾ tsp      salt

12 T        (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces and softened

Buttercream

2 T          heavy cream

1 t           coconut extract

1 t           vanilla extract

Pinch      salt

16 T        (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into chunks and softened

¼ c          cream of coconut

3 c          (12 oz) confectioners’ sugar

2 c          (8 oz) sweetened shredded coconut

1.   Make the Lime Curd: Measure 1 tablespoon of the lime juice into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top.  Cook the remaining lime juice, sugar, and salt together in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot (do not boil), about 1 minute.

2.   In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and eggs together until combined, then slowly whisk in the hot lemon mixture to temper.  Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened and a spatula scraped along the bottom of the pan leaves a trail (about 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer), 4 to 6 minutes.

3.   Off the heat, stir in the gelatin mixture until dissolved.  Stir in the frozen butter until melted and incorporated.  Stir in gel food color until desired lime color is achieved.  Strain the curd into a medium bowl and press plastic wrap directly on the surface.  Refrigerate the curd until it is firm and spreadable, about 4 hours.

4.   Make the Cake:  Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees.  Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans, then line the bottom with parchment rounds.  Whisk the cream of coconut, egg whites, water, egg, and extracts together in a medium bowl

5.   In a large bowl, whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt together.  Using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat the butter into the flour mixture, one piece at a time, about 30 seconds.  Continue to beat the mixture until it resembles moist crumbs, 1 to 3 minutes.

6.   Beat in all but ½ cup of the cream of coconut mixture, then increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the batter until smooth, light, and fluffy, 1 to 3 minutes.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly beat in the remaining cream of coconut mixture until the batter is combined, about 30 seconds.

7.   Scrape the batter into the prepared pans, smooth the tops, and gently tap the pans on the counter to settle the batter.  Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking.  Do not turn off the oven.

8.   Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Run a small knife around the edge of the cakes, then flip them out onto a wire rack.  Peel off the parchment paper, flip the cakes right side up, and let cool completely before filling and frosting, about 2 hours.

9.   While cakes are cooling, spread shredded coconut on rimmed baking sheet; toast in the oven until shreds are a mix of golden brown and white, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times. Cool to room temperature.

10. Assemble:  Line the edges of a cake platter with strips of parchment paper to keep the platter clean.  Level and slice each cake into two even layers using a long, serrated knife or a wire cake cutter.  Place the bottom layer carefully on the platter.  Spread 1 cup of the lime filling over the top, leaving a ½-inch border at the edge.  Repeat with two more cake layers and the remaining two cups of filling.  Place the final layer on top and press lightly to adhere.  Smooth out any filling that has leaked out of the sides.  Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate while making the buttercream.

11. For the Buttercream:  In a small bowl, stir the cream, extracts, and salt together.  In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream of coconut together with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds.  Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar, then continue to beat until smooth, 2 to 5 minutes.  Beat in the cream mixture.  Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, 4 to 8 minutes.  Ice the cake, then sprinkle the top of the cake with the toasted coconut. Then press teh coconut into the sides, letting the excess fall back onto the platter. Clean up the coconut and then pull the parchment out before serving.