Coconut-Lime Cake!!!

I went recently for my first time to Whole Foods and while there I ordered their Lime Coconut Cupcake. The idea sounded wonderful, but unfortunately it left me with something to be desired. First the icing while it looked beautiful and tasted good was just way too much and too sweet. The second problem was that half of the inside of my cupcake was replaced with a lime curd that mostly tasted of sugar with a hint of lime.So not trying to be mean it was good, but not great and thus I had a new challenge. This recipe is the answer to that challenge. This was a pure experiment and a mixture of recipes from various places. The lime curd is Ina Garten's, the cake is from Cook's Illustrated, and the icing I with a few changes) is from my new favorite cookbook Clinton St. Baking Company. The cake resulted in a four layer cake filled with lime curd, with a cream cheese icing, and a sprinkling of sweetened coconut on top. I was afraid that the coconut flavor would not be as much as I wanted but it really was just the right amount.

Lime Curd:
4 large limes, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
4 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1/8 teaspoons salt


1.Remove the zest of 4 limes with a vegetable peeler or microplane, being careful to avoid the white pith. Squeeze the limes to make 1/2 cup of juice and set the juice aside. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the sugar and process for 2 to 3 minutes (if used a vegetable peeler less time if you used a microplane), until the zest is very finely minced.
2.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar and lime zest. Add-- the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lime juice and salt. Mix until combined.
3.Pour the mixture into a 2-quart saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 10 minutes. (Mine took almost 30 minutes to cook I was playing on the really safe side, because if it gets too hot then the curd will curdle and I did not want that.)The lime curd will thicken at about 170-75 degrees F, or just below a simmer. (If it gets too hot your egg will cook not what you want. So if you have a candy thermometer I would use it.) Remove from the heat and let cool then refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the cake.

Fluffy Yellow Layer Cake: 
2 1/2cups cake flour , plus extra for dusting pans 
1 1/4teaspoons baking powder
1/4teaspoon baking soda  
3/4teaspoon table salt
1 3/4cups sugar (12 1/4 ounces) 
10tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly 
1cup buttermilk , room temperature 
3tablespoons vegetable oil  
2teaspoons vanilla extract  
6 large egg yolks , room temperature 
3 large egg whites , room temperature
 
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch-wide by 2-inch-high round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper. Grease paper rounds, dust pans with flour, and knock out excess. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1 1/2 cups sugar together in large bowl. In 4-cup liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and yolks.
2. In clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites at medium-high speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. With machine running, gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar; continue to beat until stiff peaks just form, 30 to 60 seconds (whites should hold peak but mixture should appear moist). Transfer to bowl and set aside.
3. Add flour mixture to now-empty mixing bowl fitted with whisk attachment. With mixer running at low speed, gradually pour in butter mixture and mix until almost incorporated (a few streaks of dry flour will remain), about 15 seconds. Stop mixer and scrape whisk and sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium-low speed and beat until smooth and fully incorporated, 10 to 15 seconds.
4. Using rubber spatula, stir 1/3 of whites into batter to lighten, then add remaining whites and gently fold into batter until no white streaks remain. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans. Lightly tap pans against counter 2 or 3 times to dislodge any large air bubbles.
5. Bake until cake layers begin to pull away from sides of pans and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen cakes from sides of pans with small knife, then invert onto greased wire rack and peel off parchment. Invert cakes again and cool completely on rack, about 1 1/2 hours.


Cream Cheese Icing: (this makes just enough to ice the outside of the cake)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1-3 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
10 ounces sweetened coconut flakes

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter, and cream cheese till soft. Add the confectioners' sugar, blending in 1 cup at a time. Add 1 tablespoon milk and vanilla, and mix until the icing is smooth and creamy. If it is too thick add milk a little at a time until the icing is spreadable.

Assemble the Cake:
1.Slice each layer in half with a long serrated knife. (I am the worst at cutting things in a straight line so what I do is I poke four toothpicks into the sides of my cake, each half way up, so as I cut around I have a guide to go by.)
2.Place one layer on a serving plate, put three strips of parchment or wax paper around the bottom of the cake to keep the plate clean. Spread 1/3 of the lemon curd on the first layer. Place another layer on top of the first and repeat with half of the lime curd left, and then repeat this process one more time. Then top with final layer. ( I didn't end up using all the lime curd because we saved it just to dip fruit in, but you want 3/4 to 1 cup of curd on each layer.)
3.Refrigerate the cake for 10 minutes to help it set.
4.Remove the cake from the fridge ice with cream cheese icing. Gently apply coconut to the top and sides of the cake. If your cake starts to slide because of the curd no worries just use your hand or flat spatula to push it back up. Refrigerate for at least one hour or up to one day.