My mom made an angel food cake, and I hated to just toss the egg yolks so naturally I decided to make lemon curd ;). And then I decided to make a coconut cake and some coconut cream cheese frosting to go with the curd…obviously. Haha! This is my new favorite doctored up cake mix recipe (for classic white just omit the coconut extract and coconut). It’s super easy and turns out perfect every time. I had a recipe I loved, but since they started making cake mixes smaller I’ve found that it’s just not reliable anymore and the last couple times I made it the cake actually fell and was kind of dense. So I went on the hunt for a better recipe and found this one. Perfect! I added some coconut extract and shredded coconut, which paired perfectly with my lemon curd. And the coconut cream cheese frosting was icing on the cake…literally =). Give it a try. I think you’ll love it! Enjoy!
Coconut Lemon Cake
for the cake:
1 (15.25 oz) white cake mix
1 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sour cream
4 egg whites
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1-1/2 tsp coconut extract
1 cup shredded coconut
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 9×13 pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray.
2. In bowl of stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine all ingredients and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.
3. Pour into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
4. Remove from oven. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
*from The First Year Blog
for the frosting:
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
8 oz cream cheese
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp coconut extract
1-2 tbsp heavy cream
3/4 cup toasted shredded coconut
1. In bowl of stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add cream cheese and beat until combined.
2. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add extract and 1 tbsp heavy cream. Beat until light and fluffy, about a minute. Add remaining cream if frosting is too thick.
for the lemon filling:
1 cup lemon curd (store bought or homemade – I used THIS RECIPE)
to assemble:
1. Once the cake is completely cool, take a large serrated knife and split cake into two even layers.
2. Place one layer on serving dish. Spread lemon curd evenly over cake. Top with remaining cake layer.
3. Spread frosting over top (and sides of cake, if desired). Garnish with toasted coconut. Chill before serving. Store in the fridge.
