Coconut Layer Cake

From the book The Basic Gourmet Entertains by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart

Introduction

This cake will make your mother proud! Your guests will be delighted, and you will be quietly beaming at the thought that you actually produced this beautiful, wonderfully delicious three-layer cake. It can be prepared in stages. This kind of do-ahead preparation makes for really stress-free entertaining.

Ingredients

Sponge Cake

Filling

Frosting

Garnish (optional)

Steps

1. To make cake, preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9-inch round cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. Cut a circle of waxed paper or parchment paper to fit inside bottom of pan. Butter pan using the softened butter, then line bottom with the paper. Combine melted butter and vanilla in a 1-cup glass measure; set aside. Resift flour with 2 tablespoons sugar into a small bowl; set aside.
2. Place eggs and salt in a large metal or heatproof mixing bowl. Stir to mix. Choose a saucepan or sauté pan that can accommodate mixing bowl with eggs, while holding bowl above bottom 3 inches of pan. Fill pan with water to a depth of 2 inches and bring just to a simmer over medium heat. Add ½ cup sugar to eggs and mix to combine. Set mixing bowl in pan of simmering water; beat and warm egg mixture, using an electric handheld mixer or a whisk, until it is about 3 times the original volume, about 10 minutes. If bowl gets too hot to hold, set on a counter, continue to beat mixture, then return to pan after a minute or so. When mixture is creamy light yellow, and thick enough to write your name, remove bowl from pan, set on counter, and continue beating until cool, about 3 minutes longer.
3. Sprinkle half of reserved flour mixture over eggs. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold flour into eggs. Rewarm reserved butter mixture if it has solidified, fold into eggs, then fold in remaining flour. Gently pour batter into prepared pan, and bake until sides of cake begin to pull away from pan, about 25 minutes. Cake should rise almost to top of pan and be lightly browned. It should spring back when lightly touched. Set cake on wire rack and let cool completely in pan. Invert cake onto a flat plate or piece of aluminum foil. Tap bottom of pan to unmold cake. Remove waxed or parchment paper, turn cake over so it is right side up, then cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days, ahead of frosting.
4. To make filling, combine orange juice, rum, and sugar in a 1-cup glass measure. Stir to dissolve sugar and set aside. Measure apricot jam and set aside.
5. To make frosting, using an electric mixer or a whisk, whip cream with sugar until it holds soft peaks. Gently fold in 2½ cups coconut. Set aside.
6. To assemble cake, have ready a long serrated knife and a cake plate. Cut a vertical notch, about ¼ inch deep, in side of cake. This will be your guide for accurately reassembling cake layers. Cut cake horizontally into 3 layers. Don’t worry if layers are not perfect–the coconut whipped cream will hide mistakes. Use 4 wide strips of waxed paper or plastic wrap to cover edges of cake plate to protect plate during assembly.
7. Remove top layer from cake and place cut side up on plate. Using a pastry brush, brush one-third of rum mixture over cake. Spread half of jam over this moistened layer, then spread a very generous 1 cup coconut whipped cream frosting over jam. Place second cake layer on top, lining up the notches. Brush with one-third of rum mixture, and spread with remaining jam and another generous 1 cup of frosting. Place third layer on top, lining up notches. Brush with remaining rum mixture and spread frosting evenly and smoothly over top and sides of cake. Garnish sides and outer edge of top with ½ cup coconut. Slide paper or plastic from plate and clean rim of plate.
8. Refrigerate cake, loosely wrapped, until ready to serve.
9. To make optional garnish, use a vegetable peeler or citrus zester to remove zest from orange without cutting into white pith underneath. Try to peel long, wide strips. Use a sharp knife to cut strips into fine matchstick 1½ to 2 inches long. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Stir to dissolve sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add orange zest and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let zest cool in syrup. When cool, lift zest from syrup, pat dry with paper towels, and arrange attractively around rim of cake. (Zest can be refrigerated in syrup, in a covered jar, for several months. To use, remove from syrup and pat dry on a paper towel.)

Notes

• This cake can also be made with unsweetened coconut chips found in natural-food stores. We like the results and enjoy the texture and flavor.
• Here are some strategies for making this cake ahead: Make sponge cake only, freeze for up to 1 month, then thaw overnight in refrigerator, and you are ready to finish the cake. Make sponge cake, refrigerate 2 to 3 days, then layer and frost cake. Make whole cake 2 to 3 days ahead, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• A handheld mixer is the optimal tool for making this cake. If you must use a whisk, we suggest a balloon whisk, but you won’t be happy with us unless you plan this to be your substitute for working out at the gym! Ten minutes of whisking eggs, then additional time for whipping cream, demand some motorized assistance.
• Parchment paper can in found in well-stocked supermarkets, or in kitchenware shops. It is handy to have on hand for baking.

This content is from the book The Basic Gourmet Entertains by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart.