Msl Teatime Coconut Layer Cake

A community recipe by kathryn.delaney

Not tested or verified by Nigella.com

Introduction

It's a Martha Stewart Living recipe, from the January 2006 Issue, and there are three parts, the cake, the frosting, and the syrup you brush over the cake layers. It's a show-stopper (but it took about 3-4 hours, start to finish)! I'll try to condense from the original:

Ingredients

Serves: 10-12

For the Coconut Layer Cake

cooking spray
3½ cups cake flour
2¼ cups sugar
¾ teaspoon baking soda
salt
¾ cup vegetable oil
11 large eggs (separated)
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup coconut cream (I used coconut milk and a dash of coconut extract)

For the Coconut Meringue Butter Cream

10 egg whites
2¼ cups sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
4 cups unsalted butter (room temperature)
½ cup coconut cream (or coconut milk and a dash of coconut extract)
½ teaspoon coconut extract
1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened, or flaked coconut)

Method

Msl Teatime Coconut Layer Cake is a community recipe submitted by kathryn.delaney and has not been tested by Nigella.com so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe.

MAKE CAKES:

Preheat oven to 325 F Coat three 9x2 inch round cake pans with spray, line bottoms with parchment and spray again. Flour and tap out excess.

Put egg WHITES & pinch of salt into electric mixer bowl with whisk attachment, whip on medium until frothy, raise speed to medium high and beat until soft peaks, then slowly add 1/2 cup sugar and whisk until stiff peaks form. Remove to another bowl.

In (unwashed if you like) mixer bowl, mix flour, 1 3/4 cups sugar, baking soda, and 1/2 tsp of salt with paddle attachment.

In a third bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup water, veg oil, egg YOLKS, and vanilla. Add yolk mix to flour mix. mix on medium high until smooth, 2 minutes. Fold a third of the whites into the flour mix with spatula, then another third and the final third.

Divide among the three pans and bake until golden brown and a finger press springs back, about 30-40 minutes. When done, let cakes sit in pans for 5 minutes, then invert onto wire racks to cool completely, removing parchment.

MAKE SYRUP:

Bring 1 cup water, 3/4 cup sugar, pinch of salt, cream of coconut/coconut milk& extract to a boil in small saucepan, stirring occasionally while it boils for one minute, remove from heat.

ASSEMBLE CAKE:

Trim cakes to level, put dot of frosting on plate, then 1st layer, brush top generously with syrup, add 1 cup frosting & 1/3 cup coconut, and repeat with next two layers. Frost a skim coat around the entire cake, then take a large basket weave tip and pipe vertical waves up the sides all the way around.

Top the top with more coconut.

Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to two days.

Coconut Meringue Buttercream:

Whisk egg whites, sugar, salt in heatproof bowl over a small pan of simmering water, not touching the bowl, until sugar dissolves and mixture reaches 160 F, about 3 minutes (I use a candy thermometer).

Put mixture in electric mixer bowl with whisk attachment and beat on medium-high until bowl is cool to touch and mixture is as well. Reduce to medium speed and add butter, beat until pale and fluffy, mix in coconut milk and extract, store up to three days, if making ahead, beat again before using.