Coconut Peach Layer Cake Food

COCONUT CAKE WITH COCONUT BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Position oven rack in the center (or just below center) of the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F [175°C]. Grease and flour three round cake pans. Line pans with parchment paper for easy release and clean-up. NOTE: 8" or 9" cake pans will work for this cake. (They must, however, all be the same size!)
• Measure sifted cake flour, baking powder, and salt; sift together three times. Set aside.
• Combine sour cream and coconut milk in a small bowl and set aside.
• Using an electric mixer with a large mixing bowl, cream butter and 1 cup of sugar together until light and fluffy. Add coconut extract and mix to combine. Add flour mixture alternately with coconut milk and sour cream mixture, beating after each addition. Remove bowl from mixer and set aside.
• [DO NOT begin this step until you have completed the previous step.] In a medium mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add 1/2 cup sugar gradually, beating until meringue will hold soft peaks.
• [Do this step by hand. Do not use a mixer.] Carefully fold beaten egg whites into batter.
• Pour batter evenly into the three prepared cake pans. Bake layers in preheated oven: 22-25 for 9" cake pans / 25-30 minutes for 8" cake pans - or until a toothpick or skewer comes out clean. (If your oven cooks unevenly, carefully rotate pans on rack at the 15-minute mark.)
• Allow cakes to cool in their pans over wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully tap out onto wire rack to cool completely. Wrap and chill layers in refrigerator for at least an hour (or up to a week if you need to).
• Using an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high until light and fluffy. Add coconut and vanilla extracts and salt and mix to thoroughly combine.
• Slowly add powdered sugar, mixing well after each addition.
• Add coconut milk, one tablespoon at a time time, beating on medium-high until fully incorporated.
• Once the cake is completely chilled, trim the layers.
• Spread the top of the bottom layer of cake with frosting. Add the middle layer and frost top. Add the top layer.
• Apply a crumb coat to the entire cake. (A crumb coat is a thin layer of frosting that covers the top and sides of a cake.) Return the cake to the refrigerator for another 15 minutes.
• Frost the entire cake with a generous layer of frosting. Sprinkle flaked coconut over top and sides of cake before the frosting sets.

THE BEST COCONUT LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Position racks in the middle and lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; butter the parchment, dust with flour and tap out the excess. Set aside.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the buttermilk and cream of coconut in a small bowl. Beat the butter and 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla and coconut extracts. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, until combined.
• Beat the egg whites and the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl with clean beaters on medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the batter in three batches until just combined (do not overmix). Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cakes are lightly browned and the centers spring back when lightly pressed, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 20 minutes in the pans, then run a small knife around the edges of each cake and carefully invert onto the racks; remove the parchment and let cool completely.
• For the frosting: Beat the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in about half of the confectioners' sugar until combined. Add the remaining confectioners' sugar, salt and vanilla and coconut extracts and beat until combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium high and continue beating, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Place one cake layer on a cake stand or platter and top with a heaping 2/3 cup frosting. Add another cake layer, more frosting and the last cake layer. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle the coconut all over the top and sides of the cake, gently pressing to adhere.

COCONUT-PEACH LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• For cake: Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend.
• Whisk buttermilk and sour cream in small bowl.
• Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy.
• (this is important for a really light cake!) Gradually beat in sugar.
• Beat in cream of coconut, egg yolks, and vanilla.
• Beat in dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk mixture in 2 additions.
• Beat egg whites in another large bowl until stiff but not dry.
• Fold into batter.
• Divide batter between prepared pans.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
• Cool cakes in pans on rack 10 minutes.
• Turn cakes out onto rack; cool completely.
• Maintain oven temperature.
• Spread flaked coconut on large baking sheet.
• Bake until lightly toasted, stirring once, about 14 minutes.
• Cool.
• Be sure it's toasted well enough to be pretty dry!
• For filling: Stir preserves in small saucepan over medium-low heat until melted.
• Cool slightly.
• Toss peaches, sugar, and lemon juice in large bowl.
• Add preserves and toss to combine.
• For frosting: Beat first 3 ingredients in large bowl until peaks form.
• Drain peach filling of excess juices.
• Cut cakes horizontally in half.
• Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on platter.
• Top with 1/3 of peach filling.
• Spread 1 cup frosting over filling.
• Repeat layering 2 more times, then top with final cake layer, cut side down.
• Spread top and sides of cake with remaining frosting.
• Cover cake completely with toasted coconut.
• Refrigerate*at least* 30 minutes and up to 1 day.
• This is important, or your slices won't turn out right!
• Fan peach slices atop center of cake before serving.

COCONUT LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange two racks in the center of the oven. Line the bottom of three 6-by-2-inch buttered round cake pans with parchment paper. Dust the bottom and the sides of the cake pans with flour, and tap out any excess. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and set the bowl aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-low speed until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar, and keep beating until the mixture is fluffy and light in color, about 3 minutes. Gradually drizzle in egg yolks, beating on medium-low speed between each addition until the batter is no longer slick. Beat until the mixture is fluffy again, about another 3 minutes.
• Alternate adding flour mixture and sour cream to the batter, a little of each at a time, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Beat in vanilla. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes, rotating the pans in the oven, if needed, for even browning. Transfer cake pans to wire racks to cool, about 15 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, and let cool completely on racks, tops up.
• To assemble, remove parchment paper from the bottoms of cakes. Split each layer in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Set aside the prettiest dome; it will be used for the final layer. Place another domed layer, dome side down, on the serving platter. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of flaked coconut over the cake. Spread a generous 1/2 cup coconut-cream filling over coconut flakes. Repeat sprinkling and spreading process on the remaining layers until all but the reserved domed layer are used. Top cake with the reserved domed layer. Transfer cake to the refrigerator to firm for 1 hour. Remove from the refrigerator, and frost the outside of cake with seven-minute frosting. Sprinkle remaining coconut flakes all over cake while frosting is soft; do not refrigerate. Cake can be left out at room temperature for several days.