Ingredients: |
Ingredients: For the Cake:
2¼ cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1¼ cups whole fat buttermilk
4 large egg whites
1½ cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
½ teaspoon pure lemon extract
Softened butter for greasing the pan
For the Buttercream:
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large egg whites
3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup fresh lemon juice, about 2 large lemons
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For Finishing:
⅔ cup seedless raspberry preserves, stirred vigorously or warmed gently until spreadable
1½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
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Directions: |
Directions:1). Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9- x 2-inch round cake pans with softened butter and line the bottoms of the pans with a round of buttered parchment paper. Grease the parchment-lined bottoms and the pans again. Put the pans on a baking sheet.
2). For the cake, in a small bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together the buttermilk and egg whites in a medium bowl and set aside.
3). In the bowl of an electric mixer, rub the sugar and lemon zest with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter and working with the paddle attachment, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light. Beat in the lemon extract. Add ⅓ of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed.
4). Add half of the buttermilk and egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients just until incorporated. Add the rest of the buttermilk and eggs, beating until the batter is homogenous, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Beat the batter for 2 minutes to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.
5). Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the centers of the cakes comes out clean. Transfer the cakes to a cooling rack and cool for 5 minutes in the pans. Run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up. The cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.
6). For the buttercream frosting, put the sugar and egg whites in a mixing bowl or other large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream. Remove the bowl from the heat.
7). In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes. Switch to the paddle attachment and add the butter a stick at time, beating until smooth. Once all the butter is in, beat the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, about 6 to 10 minutes. During this time, the buttercream may curdle or separate, just keep beating it and it will come together again.
8). With the mixer on medium speed, gradually beat in the lemon juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla. You should have a shiny, smooth, velvety, pristine white buttercream. Press a piece of plastic against the surface of the buttercream and set aside briefly.
9). To assemble the cake, using a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each layer horizontally in half. Put one layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. Spread it with ⅓ of the preserves. Cover the jam evenly with about ¼ of the buttercream. Top with another layer, spread with preserves and buttercream and do the same with the third layer. You'll have used all the jam and have buttercream left over. Place the last layer cut side down on the top of the cake and use the remaining buttercream to frost the sides and top of the cake. Press the coconut into the frosting, patting it gently over the sides and top of the cake. |
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