Coconut-Rum Cake with Lemon Curd and White Chocolate Ganache

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Description

A subtle lemon-coconut-rum cake with fantastic fillings and topped with a white chocolate ganache. Perfect for a special occasion. I received this recipe from a retired baker. All the measurements were in “baker’s speak”. Here is my version for the home cook.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 5 large eggs, at room temperature
  • ⅔ cup full-fat coconut milk
  • ⅔ cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups white sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ¾ cup white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • ½ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 4 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon coconut-flavored rum (such as Malibu®)
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • ¼ cup water
  • ½ fluid ounce coconut-flavored rum (such as Malibu®)
  • ⅓ cup heavy cream
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 1 fluid ounce coconut-flavored rum (such as Malibu®)
  • 9 ounces white chocolate melting wafers (such as Ghirardelli®)
  • 1 cup toasted sweetened flaked coconut

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and lightly flour three 9-inch metal cake pans.
  2. Sift cake flour
  3. baking powder
  4. and salt for cake into a bowl and set aside. Whisk eggs
  5. coconut milk
  6. heavy cream
  7. and vanilla extract together in a small bowl until well combined.
  8. Cream sugar and butter together in a large bowl until light and fluffy
  9. scraping down as needed. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until incorporated. Add 1/2 of the milk mixture and mix on low until evenly incorporated. Repeat
  10. ending with remaining flour mixture
  11. scraping down the bowl after each addition and mixing at medium speed until well incorporated
  12. about 1 minute. Evenly split batter among the prepared cake pans.
  13. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and cakes are starting to pull away from the sides of the pans
  14. 30 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool in the pans for 5 to 10 minutes; invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely
  15. about 30 minutes.
  16. While cakes cool
  17. make lemon curd. Mix sugar and cornstarch well in a small bowl and set aside. Whisk whole eggs and egg yolks together in a small bowl and set aside.
  18. Heat lemon juice and zest in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until hot. Add sugar and cornstarch mixture all at once. Bring back to a simmer
  19. stirring constantly. Whisk some of the hot lemon mixture into the eggs to temper them. Pour back into the saucepan. Cook
  20. stirring constantly
  21. until thick
  22. 5 to 10 minutes.
  23. Remove curd from heat and add butter. Mix until smooth. Strain curd if necessary and place in a small bowl. Press plastic wrap against the surface and chill
  24. at least 20 minutes.
  25. Meanwhile
  26. make pastry cream. Mix sugar and cornstarch together in a small bowl. Whisk egg and egg yolk together in a small bowl until well mixed.
  27. Heat coconut milk in a small saucepan until simmering. Add sugar-cornstarch mixture and whisk until smooth and sugar is melted. Whisk some of the hot milk into the eggs to temper them. Pour back into the saucepan and cook
  28. stirring constantly
  29. until thickened
  30. 3 to 5 minutes.
  31. Remove pastry cream from heat and stir in butter and coconut rum; mix until smooth. Strain if necessary
  32. cover with plastic wrap
  33. and refrigerate until cold
  34. about 20 minutes.
  35. For the simple syrup
  36. bring sugar
  37. water
  38. and rum to a boil in a medium saucepan. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool
  39. 15 to 20 minutes.
  40. For the ganache
  41. combine heavy cream
  42. butter
  43. corn syrup
  44. and rum in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Pour hot cream mixture over chocolate and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Mix until smooth. Allow to cool to lukewarm
  45. 5 to 10 minutes.
  46. Trim tops of cake layers to be flat
  47. if needed. Place 1 cooled cake layer onto a serving plate. Brush with 1/2 of the simple syrup. Cover with 1/2 of the pastry cream. Drop spoonfuls of lemon curd on top and smooth out carefully. Repeat with a second layer and remaining syrup
  48. pastry cream
  49. and curd. Carefully place the third cake layer on top. Frost the entire cake with ganache and sprinkle toasted coconut over the sides and top.

Prep Time: 1 hr

Cook Time: 1 hr

Total Time: 3 hrs

Servings: 14

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