Lemon Coconut Cake
This fabulous Lemon Coconut Cake quickly became a favorite in The Friday Baking Project tasting group. As a variation on the classic coconut cake, tangy lemon curd between the coconut cake layers adds a bright, flavorful contrast to the sweet Seven-Minute Coconut Frosting. Lightly toasted coconut on the outside adds a pleasant textural contrast.
The cake recipe, like the frosting, comes from Emeril Lagasse and follows the basic creaming method. It originally called for two 9-inch cake pans, but I opted for two 8-inch pans to create more height and allow each layer to be sliced in half for a total of four layers. The Seven-Minute Coconut Frosting can be a bit tricky due to the precise timing required between the sugar syrup and the egg whites, so it’s essential to have all ingredients and equipment prepped and ready before beginning.
I adore homemade Lemon Curd, but Lemon Coconut Cake will still be wonderful with a good store-bought brand.
All the coconut cake lovers in the group (myself included) felt a little guilty enjoying this new version so much—but we all agreed there’s plenty of room in our hearts for more than one coconut cake love.
Lemon Coconut Cake
| Yield: One 8″ cake | # of Servings: 12-14 | Method: Creaming | Difficulty: Moderate |
Ingredients:
Coconut cake:
3 cups (13.2 oz / 367 g) cake flour, sifted
1 tbl (.55 oz / 15 g) baking powder
⅓ tsp salt
1 cup (8 oz / 227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ¾ cup (12 ¼ oz / 347 g) sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 tsp coconut extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk1
Lemon filling:
1 recipe Lemon Curd, or store-bought lemon curd
Finishing:
1 recipe Seven-Minute Coconut Frosting
2 cups (4.8 oz / 136 g) shredded or flaked unsweetened coconut, lightly toasted.
1 lemon slice
Tools and equipment needed:
- Two 8″ by 2″ cake pans
- Two 8″ parchment circles
Pre-recipe preparations:
- Lightly toast the coconut by placing on a silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet in a 325°F for approximately seven minutes, or just until a light golden brown. Be careful coconut can burn very quickly.
- Butter bottom of cake pans, place parchment circles on bottom and butter the entire pan.
- Preheat oven to 350°F
Directions:
Make the filling:
- Prepare the lemon curd at least one day in advance, but it can be made up to five days ahead and stored in a well-sealed container in the refrigerator
Cake baking: Preheat oven to 350°F
- Thoroughly whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
- In countertop mixer with paddle, or handheld mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Whisk the eggs in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. Add extracts. Slowly add to the butter mixture, scraping the sides of the bowl in between additions.
- Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternately with the coconut milk in two parts, beginning and ending with the dry. Use a plastic spatula to scrape up from the bottom to ensure a well-blended batter.
- Evenly separate the batter into the two pans.
- Bake just until the tops are firm to the touch, and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, between 25 and 30 minutes. Do not overbake.
- Remove from oven and place pans on cooling rack for 7 minutes.
- Place an 8″ cardboard circle, cake plate, or another cooling rack on top of each and invert. Peel parchment circle off and invert again onto another cardboard circle, cake plate, or cooling rack. Cakes should be right side up. Allow to cool thoroughly.
Filling the cake:
- Level the cakes by slicing the rounded tops off. (Good for snacking) Slice each cake it two.
- Save the two bottom layers for the top and the bottom. Place one bottom on an 8†cardboard cake circle of a cake plate. Spread ½ cup of lemon curd over the layer.
- Place 2nd cake layer on, and repeat with lemon curd, 3rd cake layer, and lemon curd. Place the last cake layer, smooth bottom side up and press down slightly. Wrap the cake well with plastic and refrigerate for one hour.
- Leftover lemon curd may be kept in the refrigerator for up to one week, or frozen for one month.
Finishing:
- Make the Seven-Minute Coconut Frosting and immediately use it to generously cover the sides and top of the cake.
- Press the toasted coconut onto the sides, and let a good amount fall from your hand onto the top of the cake.
- Slice one half of the lemon slice, twist it, and place on the top of the cake.
- Serve thin slices at room temperature. Store the cake in the refrigerator for up to four days. Leftovers may be frozen.
Notes:1 There are differences among brands of coconut milk—some labeled as such are actually made with coconut extract and water. I’ve had good results using Nature’s Promise Organic Coconut Milk from Stop & Shop and Trader Joe’s Coconut Milk.