Layered Coconut-Lemon Cake

Ever since I started on my once-a-week sugar quest in February, dessert recipes have become pretty sparse here on the Recipe Shoebox.   This is a cake my teenage daughter created for us one Sunday, which just so happens to be my sugar day.  The way it all came together with the lemon filling, coconut, and fluffy frosting made it completely unforgettable in taste and presentation! 

 Click here for printable recipe.

LEMON FILLING: 

Juice and grated rind of 2 lemons
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tbs. butter, melted

Put all the ingredients in a double boiler ( a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water).  Stir over simmering water until thickened, about 15-20 minutes.  Chill.

CAKE:
6 Tbs. butter, room temperature
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs, separated
2-1/4 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg yolks and beat until thick and lemon colored. With a fork, mix together dry ingredients and add them to the egg mixture alternately with the milk; stir in vanilla.  Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.  Divde batter between 3 well-greased 8-inch cake pans and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool completely and remove from pans.  Before fosting cut off rough edges of cake with sharp scissors. 

FROSTING: 
1/3 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
pinch of salt
2 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
sweetened coconut

Stir the water, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt together in a small heavy-bottomed pan.  Hook a candy thermometer to the edge of the pan and boil without stirring until mixture reaches 240 degrees F. Meanwhile, beat egg whites until stiff.  Pour the 240 degree syrup over the whites in a thin stream, beating constantly until thick and glossy.  Stir in vanilla.  Frost the cake and sprinkle coconut onto sides and over the top.

TO ASSEMBLE: 
Put the chilled lemon filling between the cooled cake layers--trying not to let too much of it get on the sides of the cake.

Frost the cake

then sprinkle on coconut thickly, gently pressing it into the sides.

During this process the cake may slip and slide a little, but just slide it back straight.  Garnish with raspberries, lemon slices, and/or mint leaves.

Enjoy!