Coconut Cake with Lychee-Lime curd

My friend Tou likes to host Asian dinner nights.  He invites a couple of our Asian friends over as well as Chris and Devin, who served their missions in Asian countries.  Each guest is responsible for making an authentic Asian dish and we always have tons and tons of leftovers.  I am neither Asian nor have I ever so much as visited an Asian country, so you make wonder how I manage to score an invite.  I get invited to provide dessert.  I'm down with that.


After Tou mentioned that he doesn't actually care for peanut butter/chocolate desserts (which is kind of what I like to do most) I decided to broaden my horizons and find something a little more Asian to bring.  
I didn't want to make an authentic Asian dessert since I wouldn't know what it was supposed to turn out like and thus wouldn't know if I had done a good job or not.  Devin also told me that in Korea they'll often very common to have oranges for dessert.  While that idea did appeal to the lazy side of me, I decided to make a Coconut Cake instead.  Just remember I said "more Asian" not "Asian".  


I turned to my trusty Cooks Illustrated and found a coconut cake with coconut swiss meringue buttercream.  It called for the buttercream to be used in-between the layers as well, but I wanted something to contrast the sweetness of the cake and thought some sort of curd would do the trick.  After a little research and a lot of finger-crossing, I concocted a lychee-lime curd.  It was most definitely a success.  The lime (as I anticipated) outshone the lychee, (and after trying a few lychee plain, I was ok with that) but you could still detect the floral notes of the lychee.  


Coconut Cake with Lychee-Lime Curd
Makes one 9 inch 4 layer cake


First make your lychee-lime curd.  

• 1/3cup lime juice
• 1    can lychee
• 4large eggs
• 2egg yolks
• 1cup sugar 
• 4tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
• 2tablespoon heavy cream
• pinch salt

1. 1. Drain syrup from lychees and puree in a blender.  Pass the mixture through a strainer to collect the juice.  Discard pulp.
   
   
   2. Combine lychee and lime juices in small nonreactive saucepan and heat over medium heat until hot but not boiling. Whisk eggs and yolk in medium nonreactive bowl; gradually whisk in sugar. Whisking constantly, slowly pour hot juice mixture into eggs, then return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until mixture registers 170 degrees on instant-read thermometer and is thick enough to cling to spoon, about 3 minutes.
2. 2. Immediately remove pan from heat and stir in cold butter until incorporated; stir in cream and salt, then pour curd through fine-mesh strainer into small nonreactive bowl. Cover surface of curd directly with plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours.   I let it chill while I made and cooled the cake and made the frosting, but it still wasn't completely set when it was time to assemble the cake.  It still tasted just fine, but it was just a bit runny, which is why I'd recommend about 3-4 hours.  When I needed raspberry and lemon curd for my next cake, I made them the day before so I wouldn't have worry about it.

Next you can start on the cake and toasted coconut:

• 1large egg
• 5large egg whites
• 3/4cup cream of coconut
• 1/4cup water
• 1teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1teaspoon coconut extract
• 2 1/4cups cake flour (9 ounces), sifted
• 1cup granulated sugar
• 1tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4teaspoon salt
• 12tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 12 pieces, softened, but still cool
• 2   cups sweetened shredded coconut (approx. 8 oz)

1. 1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with shortening and dust with flour.
2. 2. Beat egg whites and whole egg in large measuring cup with fork to combine. Add cream of coconut, water, vanilla, and coconut extract and beat with fork until thoroughly combined.
3. 3. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on lowest speed to combine, about 30 seconds. With mixer still running on lowest speed, add butter 1 piece at a time, then beat until mixture resembles coarse meal, with butter bits no larger than small peas, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.
4. 4. With mixer still running, add 1 cup liquid. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 45 seconds. With mixer still running, add remaining 1 cup liquid in steady stream (this should take about 15 seconds). Stop mixer and scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then beat at medium-high speed to combine, about 15 seconds. (Batter will be thick.)
5. 5. Divide batter between cake pans and level with offset or rubber spatula. Bake until deep golden brown, cakes pull away from sides of pans, and toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes (rotate cakes after about 20 minutes). Do not turn off oven.
6. 6. Cool in pans on wire racks about 10 minutes, then loosen cakes from sides of pans with paring knife, invert cakes onto racks and then re-invert; cool to room temperature.
7. 7. While cakes are cooling, spread shredded coconut on rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until shreds are a mix of golden brown and white, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times. Cool to room temperature.

For the frosting:

• 4large egg whites
• 1cup granulated sugar
• pinch salt
• 1pound unsalted butter (4 sticks), each stick cut into 6 pieces, softened, but still cool
• 1/4cup cream of coconut
• 1teaspoon coconut extract
• 1teaspoon vanilla extract

1. 1. Combine whites, sugar, and salt in bowl of standing mixer; set bowl over saucepan containing 1 1/2-inches of barely simmering water. Whisk constantly until mixture is opaque and warm to the touch and registers about 120 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes.
2. 2. Transfer bowl to mixer and beat whites on high speed with whisk attachment until barely warm (about 80 degrees) and whites are glossy and sticky, about 7 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-high and beat in butter 1 piece at a time. Beat in cream of coconut and coconut and vanilla extracts. Stop mixer and scrape bottom and sides of bowl. Continue to beat at medium-high speed until well-combined, about 1 minute.

Assembly:
1. Cut each cake in half horizontally so each forms two layers.  You can use a serrated knife or a cake leveler, but I greatly prefer using a long piece of floss--it's quick and easy and I find makes for more even layers.


2. Put your frosting in a pastry bag fitted with either a large star or round tip and pipe a ring around the top of one of your layers--this creates a barrier for the curd and will prevent it from leaking out. Then fill in the circle with half of the lychee lime curd.


3. Add your second layer on top and frost with the coconut frosting.


4. Add your third layer, pipe around the top edge with frosting, and fill with your remaining curd.


5. Add your fourth layer and frost the sides and top of your cake.  


6. Sprinkle the top of the cake with toasted coconut and press the rest along the sides. 


Cake and frosting: Cooks Illustrated