ROBERT CARTER'S PENINSULA GRILL COCONUT CAKE

Robert Carter's Peninsula Grill Coconut Cake image

Categories Cake Side Bake Coconut Chill Boil

Yield serves 12 to 16

Number Of Ingredients 28

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Ingredients

Filling
5 cups heavy cream
3 cups granulated sugar
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
9 cups sweetened flaked coconut
Cake
Cooking spray
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
To Assemble
Simple Syrup (recipe follows)
Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out and reserved, or 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
5 cups confectioners' sugar
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, toasted
Simple Syrup
3/4 cup sugar

Steps:

To make the filling, combine the cream, sugar, and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Mix the cornstarch, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon water together in a small bowl, and slowly add this to the boiling cream mixture, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add the coconut. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 and up to 12 hours.
To make the cake, preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray three 10-inch cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
Beat the butter and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl, and mix until creamy.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a separate bowl.
Mix the cream, vanilla, and coconut extract together in a third bowl. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and wet ingredients to the batter in three additions, starting and ending with the dry.
Divide the batter evenly among the 3 pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and let cool for 10 minutes in the pans. Then remove from the pans, remove the parchment, and let cool completely, about 2 hours.
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the filling just until soft and creamy.
To assemble, trim off the domed top of each cake. Brush the top of one layer with simple syrup. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the filling evenly on top. Continue with the remaining 2 cake layers, stacking them on top of each other and brushing each layer with simple syrup before spreading with filling. Refrigerate the cake until firm to the touch, about 4 hours.
To make the frosting, combine the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed until light and fluffy, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla seeds and beat for 30 seconds. Slowly add the confectioners' sugar on low speed. Then raise the speed to high and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Ice the top and sides of the cake with the frosting, and pat the toasted coconut around the outside. Chill for at least 2 hours before slicing.
Simple Syrup
Combine 3/4 cup water and the sugar in a small saucepan over high heat, and bring to a boil. Cook until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.