Lemon Coconut Cake with Blueberry Frosting

Have your cake and eat it too! This 6-inch layer cake may be smaller but it packs the flavor with coconut, lemon and fresh blueberry-lemon frosting.

If you follow me on Snapchat (thespiffycookie), you saw this cake coming. If so, you also saw that I have bandaids on two fingers, one on each hand, because evidently I am not to be trusted around sharp objects. Makes for an interesting time as I sit here and try to type this and darn now my boyfriend has to wash all the dishes… noooo… But I promise no blood was spilled in this cake, although the first injury did occur while cleaning the knife that was used to cut it. I really know how to sell it, someone should hire me to be the spokesperson for their food product.

You may think that there’s a lot of flavors going on here, but I promise it’s just right. The cake itself is coconut with layer of lemon curd in between the layers and a covering of fresh blueberry-lemon frosting. I threw some toasted coconut and fresh blueberries on top for good measure, in case you were confused as to what flavor it was. But what’s my favorite part? It’s a mini 6-inch layer cake! Which means it serves about 4-6 people and is basically my ideal cake size for when I want to bake a cake but not worry about the leftovers. And to promote the recreation of this cake in your home, I’m giving away a bottle of Nielsen-Massey pure lemon extract! Just use the widget located at the bottom of this post to enter.

Side note: please make sure you add 1/2 tablespoon of baking powder, not 1/2 teaspoon to your cake. Not that I know from experience or anything…

One year ago: Sourdough Blueberry Muffins

Two years ago: Whole Wheat Scone for One

Four years ago: Banana Bread French Toast

Five years ago: Sweet Potato Fries

LEMON COCONUT CAKE WITH BLUEBERRY FROSTING

Serves 4

Ingredients:

CAKE

1 egg + 2 egg whites

1/2 cup full fat coconut milk

1/2 tsp Nielsen-Massey Madagascar bourbon pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp coconut extract

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into cubes

1 cup + 2 Tbsp cake flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup lemon curd

FROSTING

4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2-1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 Tbsp pureed blueberries (about 1/4 cup whole)

1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp Nielsen-Massey Madagascar bourbon pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp Nielsen-Massey pure lemon extract

1/8 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease two 6-inch round cake pans.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and egg whites. Whisk in the coconut milk, vanilla and coconut extracts.
3. In a large bowl, sift together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry blender or two ceramic knives from The Kitchen calls, cut in the butter until only pea-size pieces remain. Add in half of the egg mixture, and beat using a hand mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
4. Reduce speed to low and add in the remaining egg mixture. Mix on low until combined, about 30 seconds. Stir batter once by hand with a rubber spatula (Do not over mix cake batter otherwise you will end up with a dense cake).
5. Divide batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake cakes until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25-30 mins, rotating pans halfway through baking.
6. Let cakes cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing and cooling completely on a wire rack.
7. While the cake cools, prepare the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until creamy then add the powdered sugar, pureed blueberries, lemon juice, extracts, and salt. Continue beating until very light and fluffy. Add more powdered sugar to reach desired consistency.
8. Store in the refrigerator until somewhat stiff, before using. (May be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.)
9. Slice the very top of each cake to flatten and frost, stacking the layers. Top with additional blueberries.

Source: Adapted from Blahnik Baker , my Blueberry Blue Velvet Cake and Strawberry Stuffed Cupcakes.

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Disclosure: I was provided with complimentary product to use and giveaway but was not otherwise compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.