Gianormous Coconut Cake

(my colleagues were faster than I could grab a pic!)

Ellyn's birthday is tomorrow - and she mentioned that she likes coconut and would love a coconut cake. I was, of course, happy to oblige. I made a fantastically gigantic coconut cake with a coconut puddling filling and a very light frosting. It looks fantastic and the tester tastes that I have had lead me to believe that this will be a very successful cake.

Coconut Cake
3 1/2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (Plugra!)
5 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 can cream of coconut (Coco Lopez or Coco Goya)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour three 9-inch round cake pans (I used a 9" spring form pan and one 9" round).

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt to blend. Using a mixer, beat sugar, cream of coconut and butter, add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in cream and vanilla. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture. Divide batter equally among pans. Bake until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool completely.

Filling ( i really think that this filling is one of the TASTIEST things I have made!)
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1/4 cup greek yogurt

Stir cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water, and vanilla in small bowl to dissolve cornstarch. Bring cream, sugar, and butter to boil in heavy medium saucepan.

Add cornstarch mixture and bring to boil. Remove from heat and stir in coconut. Cool completely. Mix in sour cream. Cover and refrigerate overnight.


Frosting
1 cup powdered sugar
3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

In large metal bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup water, sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt. Beat at low speed. Gradually increase speed to high, beating until mixture holds stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Store in fridge.

Assembly I filled the space between the cakes with the filling (and cut the big cake in half to make 3 layers), then coated the cake with the frosting and sprinkled some coconut on top. Looks FAB.