Coconut Layer Cake

Name: Coconut Layer Cake
Yield: makes one 9-inch (23-cm) cake; 10 to 12 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups (310 ml) plus 1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk; 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar; 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise; 2 tablespoons (8 g) cornstarch; 5 large egg yolks; 1 cup (70 g) dried unsweetened shredded coconut (see Tip); 2/3 cup (160 ml) water; 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) dark rum; Sponge cake, 9-inch (23-cm) round (page 233); 1 1/4 cups (310 ml) heavy cream; 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar; 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 1/4 cups (90 g) dried unsweetened or sweetened shredded or large-flake coconut, toasted

December 9, 2011

I hate to admit this, but when I was a kid, my all-time favorite snack was those coconut-coated cake-and-cream filled marshmallow snowballs packaged in sticky pairs. Their neon-pink color was so fluorescent and I ate so many that I’m sure my insides are still glowing. Now I’m all grown up and presumably know better, but from time-to-time I still like a coconut-and-cake fix. This recipe is the remedy. The cake should be assembled at least a few hours before you plan to serve it so the flavors have time to meld. I guarantee that the most memorable thing about this cream-filled coconut cake concoction will be how great it tasted, not its shocking color.

Recipe notes

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