Coconut Cake with Coconut Filling and Marshmallow Meringue Icing

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The ultimate triple threat, this towering confection is three layers of coconut cake filled with a sweet and chewy coconut filling, smothered with marshmallow meringue icing, and topped with shredded coconut.

MAKES three 9-inch layers; serves 10 to 20

INGREDIENTS

4 cups (460g/16oz) cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1½ cups/3 sticks (340g/12oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2¼ cups (450g/16oz) granulated sugar

1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1½ teaspoons grated lemon zest

3 eggs

3 egg yolks

1½ cups (357g/12oz) full-fat coconut milk

2½ cups (250g/8.8oz) sweetened shredded coconut

Coconut Filling

Marshmallow Meringue Icing

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans. Line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a stand mixer with the paddle, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl and the paddle.
  4. With the mixer on medium speed, beat in the vanilla and lemon zest until combined. Beat in the whole eggs and yolks, one at a time, mixing after each addition until fully incorporated. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the coconut milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
  5. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl and beat for 30 seconds, until you no longer see streaks of flour.
  6. Remove the bowl from the mixer. With a rubber spatula, fold in 1¼ cups (125g/4.4oz) of the coconut just until incorporated.
  7. Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
  8. Let the cakes cool in the pans for at least 30 minutes. Transfer the cakes to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  9. To assemble and decorate the cake, place the first cake layer top side up on a cake turner. Use an icing wand to evenly spread 1 cup coconut filling over the layer. Add the second cake layer top side down and spread 1 cup coconut filling over it. Place the third layer over the filling top side up. With an icing wand, spread the meringue over the top and sides, making sure to use all the icing for a really lavish cake. To get the meringue to look fluffy, touch the end of the icing wand to the icing and pull away quickly to create peaks. Garnish with the reserved 1¼ cup (125g/4.4oz) shredded coconut.