Citrus Coconut Layer Cake

I went on a run the other day. I ran 7.5 miles in the rain and almost collapsed from exhaustion. However, not before I devoured a piece of this completely decedent cake that my husband and I baked. There is nothing healthy about this cake, I didn't use whole wheat flour or cut out the processed sugar as I usually do. However, the taste and texture of this little piece of heaven was well worth it.

That said, there are some things I would change: I would not make the butter-cream icing again. It was much too rich for my tastes.


Citrus Coconut Layer Cake

The Layers:
1 cup flour
1/8 tsp salt
6 eggs
3/4 c granulated sugar
1 Tbs orange rind
1 tsp. lemon rind
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 c shredded coconut

The Citrus Curd: 
2 Tbs. tapioca flour (or cornstarch)
cold water
2 eggs
rind of one lemon
fresh orange juice
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
6 Tbs. butter (softened)

For the Frosting:
1/2 c unsalted butter (softened)
1 cup confectioner's sugar
rind of 1 lemon
6-8 Tbs of fresh orange juice
1/2-1 c shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour three cake pans. Sift flour and salt together and set aside.

Place 6 eggs in a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of boiling water. Beat with an electric mixer until frothy, then add 3/4 cup granulated sugar and beat until mixture doubles in volume (about 10 minutes).

Remove from sauce pan, fold in orange rind, lemon rind, lemon juice and coconut. Fold in the sifted flour until mixture is smooth. Divide among the three cake pans and bake until it pulls away from the sides, about 20 minutes. Let stand and then transfer to a cooling rack.

In a medium mixing bowl, blend the tapioca flour and a little cold water to dissolve. Whisk in 2 eggs and set aside.

Combine lemon rind, orange juice, water, sugar and butter. Bring mixture to a boil and whisk in the egg/tapioca flour mixture. Whisk until thick, five minutes. Remove from heat and cover.

In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Stir in the lemon rind and orange juice until you obtain a thick, spreadable icing.

Arrange the layers, spreading the citrus curd in between each layer. Cover the cake with the frosting and lightly press the shredded coconut onto the tops and sides.