COCONUT CAKE WITH FLUFFY ICING

Steps:

• For filling: In heavy saucepan, combine lemon juice and 1/2 cup water.
• Add cornstarch and whisk to dissolve.
• Add sugar, egg yolks, butter, lemon zest and salt.
• Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a simmer.
• Reduce heat to low and whisk 1 minute.
• Strain through a coarse sieve into a medium bowl.
• Let cool to room temperature, press a piece of plastic wrap directly on surface and put in refrigerator until very cold.
• (Filling may be prepared up to 2 days in advance).
• To make cake: Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly greaes and flour three 9-inch round layer pans.
• Line bottoms with parchment paper.
• In medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt.
• In another bowl, cream sugar and butter with electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Beat in egg yolks one at a time, then vanilla.
• On low speed, add flour in three 1-cup additions, alternating with two 1/2-cup additions of coconut milk.
• Begin and end with flour and beat until smooth, scraping bowl often with rubber spatula.
• In another bowl, beat egg whites (with clean beaters) on high speed until they form stiff peaks.
• Whisk 1/4 of the whites into the batter, then fold in the remainder.
• Spread mixture evenly in pans.
• Place in oven on center rack.
• Make sure pans don't touch each other and that they are not too close to sides of oven so air can circulate evenly around them.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until toothpick inserted in centers come out clean.
• Let cakes cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.
• Invert and remove from pan and peel off parchment paper.
• Tun right sides up and cool completely.
• To make icing: In the top of a double boiler, combine sugar, egg whites,corn syrup, cream of tartar, and 1/3 cup water.
• Place over simmering water.
• Beat on high speed with handheld electric mixer until icing forms soft peaks, about 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and beat in vanilla.
• Continue beating 5 minutes, or just until stiff peaks form.
• Place one layer upside down on serving plate.
• Spread with half of lemon filling.
• Place second layer on top, right side up.
• Spread with remaining half of filling.
• Add the final layer right side up.
• Spread icing over top and sides of cake.
• Press handfulls of coconut all over icing.