Easter Coconut Lemon Cake
Easter is about a month away, so why not start planning your Easter dessert with a show stopping three layer coconut lemon cake like this one!
I am guest blogging for Cost Plus World Market with a couple Easter themed recipes and this decadent coconut lemon cake is the first recipe. I love this flavor combo in desserts. Light and not too sweet coconut cakes layered with tart lemon curd filling and a creamy buttery coconut frosting that is sprinkled with chocolate to look like a speckled Easter egg!
I think this cake would look great on any Easter dessert display this year. Or any year for that matter. Or any dessert display. It doesn't have to be just for a holiday. Any day of the week works.
I make a lot of layer cakes, and while they look intimidating to make, they are really quite easy. I don't normally take step-by-step photos for my blog but since this is an Easter recipe for Cost Plus World Market I decided to show you the steps I take to make a stunning layer cake.
1. Step one - set out all my ingredients and use SUPER CUTE mixing bowls, measuring cups etc from World Market. I believe using cute items helps for baking an extra yummy cake.
2. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl
3. Crack egg whites an another
4. Cream together butter and sugar
5. Combine the wet ingredients in bowl with egg whites
6. Add in eggs
7. Add in coconut milk/egg white mixture
8. Flour mixture
9. Prepare cake pans
10. Batter is ready for the pans
11. Batter evenly distributed between cake pans
12. Beautifully and evenly baked cakes.
13. Leveling the tops of the cakes with my monster cake knife
14. Piping frosting around the edges. This helps keep the lemon curd from oozing out the sides
15. Thin layer of buttercream so all the curd doesn't soak into the cake layers
16. Spooning on the lemon curd
17. One completed layer
18. Two completed layers
19. Starting with the crumb coat
20. Completed crumb coat
Oh I just realized my order of the top photos are swapped. Oops!
21. Final layer of buttercream finished and smoothed
22. Spraying the cake ( and most of my kitchen) with chocolate speckles
23. Speckled cake
24. AND the finished cake!
That wasn't too bad was it? ha ha. As easy as 1, 2, 24!!!
And now for a few more photos of this fun coconut lemon cake before the recipe
Easter Coconut Lemon Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 ¾ cups cake flour
- 1 cup finely shredded coconut
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup butter, 2 sticks
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 5 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 15 ounce can coconut milk
- 2 ounces melted and cooled Lindt white chocolate with coconut
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
For the Frosting and Filling:
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 lb of butter, cool room temperature, cut into tablespoons sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- ½ teaspoon natural yellow food dye
- 1 jar prepared lemon curd or 1 cup of homemade
Garnish:
- 2 teaspoon cocoa powder, not hot chocolate mix
- 2 teaspoon water
- Speckled malted chocolate eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 Deg. F. Prepare three 8x2 or 8x3 round cake pans with butter, parchment paper circles, butter the parchment and then sprinkle with flour, tapping out excess. (8x3 is preferred)
- In a large bowl combine the flour, coconut, baking powder and salt. Set aside
- In a bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl with a hand mixer cream the butter and sugar together. Add in the whole eggs one at a time, mixing well in-between each addition. In a separate bowl combine the egg whites, the coconut milk, the melted and cooled chocolate and the extracts.
- Add the egg white mixture to the butter mixture and mix well. Then add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Divide the batter evenly amongst the prepared cake pans and bake for 25-30 min or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes then carefully invert onto a cooling rack, using a knife around the edges to loosen before inverting, and cool completely before frosting. Once cool use a large serrated knife to level the tops of the cakes.
Make the Frosting
- Set a pan with 1” of water over medium heat and bring to a low simmer. In a bowl of a stand mixer combine the egg whites, sugar and salt. Whisking until combined. Set the mixing bowl over the pan of simmering water making sure the bottom isn’t touching and whisk continuously for 5 minutes. Remove the bowl and set in the stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment whisk the mixture on high until it thickens and turns white and shiny, like meringue, and holds stiff peaks. Add in the butter one tablespoon at a time while the mixer is on medium. Once all the butter is in add in the coconut extract and then raise the speed to high. Whip for another 2 minutes until the frosting is well mixed.
To assemble the cake:
- Place one round on a cake stand or cake circle on a cake plate. Pipe a circle of buttercream around the cake edge and spread a thin amount in the middle with a spatula. Spread on about ⅔ c prepared lemon curd. Repeat with next layer and top with third layer. Spread a thin layer of buttcream all over the cake to seal in crumbs. Chill for 30 min. Spread all but ⅔ c remaining frosting over the cake and smooth with an offset cake spatula.
- To get the speckled egg effect, Mix 2 teaspoon cocoa powder with 2 teaspoon water and mix until smooth. Dip the tip of a pastry brush in water and then in the cocoa powder mixture and flick the ends of the brush to spray the cake with chocolate speckles. Repeat on all sides. Using a pastry bag and a piping tip pipe a border around the bottom edge of the cake and place a chocolate malt speckled egg about every inch or so.
- Serve cake at room temperature.
Kimberly says
Looks delicious. This is a silly question — When preparing the cake pans, do I butter the parchment paper on one side only? I’m confused how I tap out flour with the paper not falling out.
Shanna says
I butter the pan, place the parchment, butter the parchment then flour.
Debi says
Why do I not see lemon curd listed in the ingredients?
Shanna says
It should be there. I will add it back in. Just one jar of prepared lemon curd or a cup of homemade. I have been having issues with my recipe card, switching from one program to another and parts of recipes are getting lost when they are getting reformatted. Thanks for catching that.
Holly says
This looks amazing! Do the egg whites need whipping before mixing them with the coconut milk and white chocolate? Thanks x
Shanna says
No you whisk them with the coconut milk and white chocolate then add it in. No need to whip to stiff peaks or anything like that.
Amy says
Can you freeze this cake once it’s frosted?
Shanna says
Yes