Coconut-Almond Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting
- Level: Easy
- Total: 1 hr 30 min (plus cooling time)
- Active: 45 min
- Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
For the cake:
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans
2 cups cake flour, plus more for the pans
3/4 cup almond flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
3/4 cup milk
For the frosting:
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons dark rum (optional)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Sweetened shredded coconut, for topping
Directions
- Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter the parchment and dust with cake flour, tapping out the excess; set aside.
- Whisk the cake flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt in a separate large bowl; set aside. Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla and coconut extracts. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until just combined.
- Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake until the cakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 10 minutes in the pans. Run a thin knife around the edges of the cakes and gently turn out onto the rack; remove the parchment and let cool completely.
- Make the frosting: Put the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted and smooth; let cool slightly. Combine the butter, confectioners' sugar, melted chocolate, cocoa powder, milk, rum and vanilla in a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
- Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate and spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with the second cake layer, then frost the top and side of the cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle the top with the coconut.
