Anne Bunch's Coconut Cake

Recipe Ingredients

		Cake
		Nonstick cooking spray
4		Eggs
2 cups	396g / 13oz	Sugar
2 1/2 cups	156g / 5.5oz	Unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons	10ml	Baking powder
1 teaspoon	5ml	Salt
1 cup	237ml	Oil
1 cup	237ml	Dry white wine
1 tablespoon	15ml	Vanilla extract
		Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
		Pastry Cream
1 1/3 cups	315ml	Milk
1 tablespoon	15ml	Vanilla extract
1 cup	198g / 7oz	Sugar
6		Egg yolks
1/4 cup	15g / 0.5oz	Cornstarch
1 lb	454g / 16oz	Mascarpone or cream cheese
		Assembly
2 cups	474ml	Whipping cream - whipped
3 cups	279g / 9.8oz	Sweetened flake coconut

Recipe Instructions

For the Cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 (9-inch) layer cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and dust them with flour. Beat the eggs and sugar in a mixer at high speed until pale and frothy, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn off the mixer and add the flour, baking powder, salt, oil, wine, vanilla and lemon zest. Beat 2 minutes at high speed.

Divide the batter between the pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of each comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool the cakes in pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn them out and cool completely.

For the Pastry Cream: (It's more convenient to make the pastry cream the day before so it will be completely cooled and ready to fill the cake) Bring the milk and vanilla to boil in a small saucepan and keep warm. Beat the sugar and egg yolks in a mixer until fluffy and pale in color, 6 to 8 minutes.

Reduce the speed, add the cornstarch and beat until blended. Add the hot milk mixture, beating continuously. When well blended, return to the saucepan and heat slowly, stirring constantly to keep the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook until very thick, about 10 minutes.

Pour the mixture into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to cool. When completely cooled, beat the cream mixture with the cheese to form a thick filling.

For Assembly: Spread all of the pastry cream in a thick, even layer on the bottom cake layer. Cover with the top cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with whipped cream and cover with the coconut.

Source:
"The Los Angeles Times, 09-26-2001"

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