Lemon Coconut Naked Cake with Lemon Curd
Get ready to enjoy the fresh, vibrant flavors of spring with this Lemon Coconut Cake! The zesty kick of lemon and the sweet nuttiness of coconut come together in this tender, moist, and oh-so delicious dessert. The perfect treat for bringing a little sunshine to your day!
Servings: 8 slices
Calories: 1143kcal
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ⅓ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅔ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 1⅛ cups granulated sugar
- 9 Tablespoon unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 1⅓ cups buttermilk room temperature
- 3½ Tablespoons lemon juice
- ⅔ teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon Curd
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 large egg yolks room temperature
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter sliced, room temperature
Frosting
- 1½ cups salted butter room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
- ⅔ cup coconut cream
- ½ cup unsweetened, dried coconut
Instructions
Cake
- Heat oven to 350℉/177℃.
- Spray three 6-inch pans with baking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest together. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, combine butter and sugar.
- Beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Once all eggs are added, continue beating until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
- Stir in lemon juice and vanilla.
- Divide batter evenly among prepared pans.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until cake tests done.
Lemon Curd
- Combine sugar, egg yolks, and lemon juice in a heatproof glass bowl.
- Whisk until smooth.
- Place bowl over a pot of simmering water.
- Stir continually with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl.
- Whisk in lemon zest and butter.
- Cover with plastic wrap touching the top of the curd.
- Set aside until ready to use. Or, if not assembling right away, refrigerate.
Frosting
- Combine butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater.
- Beat on high speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add coconut cream. (Feel free to add more, if you need it.)
- Beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Assembly
- Trim cake layers, if necessary.
- Place 1 cake on cake plate (or whatever you are using to hold the cake).
- Spoon frosting into a piping bag (or zip top bag).
- Snip the bottom so that you have about a ½ inch hole.
- Deposit ¼-½ cup of frosting onto cake layer.
- Spread until smooth and level.
- Pipe frosting around outer edge of cake layer.
- Fill center with half of lemon curd.
- Top with another cake layer.
- Repeat filling.
- Top with final layer.
- Frost top.
- Press coconut around the sides of the cake.
Notes
- Room temperature is about 70℉/21℃.
- Use an oven thermometer to ensure accurate cooking temperatures.
- To substitute salted butter for the unsalted in the cake, reduce salt to ⅓ tsp.
- To substitute unsalted butter for the salted in the curd, add a pinch (slightly less than 1/16 teaspoon) of salt.
- To substitute unsalted butter for the salted in the frosting, add ⅜ teaspoon of salt.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 1143kcal | Carbohydrates: 131g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 68g | Saturated Fat: 44g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 302mg | Sodium: 698mg | Potassium: 246mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 102g | Vitamin A: 1877IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 139mg | Iron: 3mg