Queen of Coconut Cakes (2)

This is one I did before, but the recipe was in Dutch only. I've had a few requests to enter it in English too so here it is. (And readers, I'm sorry, I think you would have wanted this recipe earlier, but just pretend it's Christmas okay? Look at it from the bright side, you'll have plenty of time to tweak and practice, after all it's going to be Christmas soon!)

This is a classic, first made by Paul Prudhomme, consisting of three layers of golden cake, filled with coconut cream and covered with a luxurious cream cheese frosting…. This is the one I made, based on a recipe found in Sheila Lukins USA Cookbook:

You’ll need:

Filling:
300 ml double cream
190 gr crystallized sugar
2 tbs coconut cream (coco lopez)
1 tbs maizena
1 tbs milk
125 gr butter, room temperature
90 gr coconut flakes

Cakes:
375 gr cake flour
1 tbs baking powder
salt
375 gr crystallized sugar
4 eggs
190 gr. Butter, room temperature, in small pieces
250 ml milk
1 tbs vanilla

Frosting:
170 gr cream cheese
125 gr butter, room temperature
salt
450 gr powdered sugar
3 tbs milk
1 tbs vanilla extract

Syrup:
250 gr crystallized sugar
250 ml water
vanilla
45 gr coconut to decorate

Filling: In a heavily bottomed saucepan cook cream, sugar and coconut over medium heat until soft boiling point. In a separate bowl combine maizena and milk, stir. Add the mix to the hot coconut mixture in the pan, cook for approx. 3 more minutes to let the mixture thicken. Take care to whisk continuously. Add butter and coconut flakes, stir to combine and leave it to set in the fridge (at least 2 hrs).

Cakes: Sift flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a wire beater mix eggs and sugar for 1 minute on medium speed. Add butter, milk and vanilla in parts and mix for another 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, add the flour and continue mixing for 1 minute.

Divide the batter over three prepared cake tins (buttered and lightly floured) and bake for 20 minutes in a preheated oven (175C). Test with a.

Frosting: Cream cream cheese and butter till fluffy (mixer on medium). Add salt, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla and beat until smooth. Set aside.

Syrup: In a heavily bottomed saucepan combine water, sugar and vanilla and bring to a rolling boil, cook for three minutes, stir once in a while. Use the syrup to seal the top of your cake layers. This is far more syrup than you need so take care not to drown your cakes!

To assemble your cake: well, I think you can figure this out….
Build layers of cake with the filling in between and finish by artfully applying the cream cheese frosting in a smooth layer or spike it with the back of a metal spoon. I haven’t tried piping this frosting but I think that can be done as well.
Decorate with coconut flakes and use your imagination for other decorations, suited for the occasion!

Tweak no.1: For my Dutch readers; as I stated in the original Dutch recipe, the cream cheese frosting is a bit much for our taste, I suggest you bake this cake, use the filling and substitute the cream cheese frosting for a mascarpone/powdered sugar mix, flavoured with orange or lime. In handling not very different but I think our Dutch palate will be more pleased with it.

Tweak no. 2: Using smaller cakes I substituted the coconut-cream filling for a lime-quark based bavaroise. I liked the combination of a lighter, tangy spread with the soft, fluffy crumb of the cake.