Fans of coconut will love this rich layer cake. Perfect as a birthday surprise or as a sweet end to a special meal.
Coconut Cake
1 (9-inch) round store-bought sponge cake
FOR THE CUSTARD
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup, plus 1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
5 large egg yolks
1 cup dried coconut (preferably unsweetened)
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
FOR THE RUM SYRUP
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons dark rum
FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 cups dried coconut, sweetened or unsweetened, toasted
To make the coconut custard, stir together the cornstarch and 1/4 cup of the milk in a small bowl with a fork until the cornstarch has dissolved completely. Measure the 1 1/4 cups of milk and the sugar into a heavy saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the milk, then add the vanilla pod, and warm over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. When the milk is hot, whisk in the slurry of cornstarch and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Once thick, whisk some of the warm thickened milk into the egg yolks, then add them back to the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom, until the mixture just begins to boil and becomes very thick. Remove from the heat and strain into a clean bowl. Remove the vanilla pod, stir in the coconut, and chill. (You can set the bowl in a large bowl of ice and water to speed it up.)
To assemble the cake, make the rum syrup by heating the water and 1/2 cup sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, add the rum, and let cool to room temperature. With a long serrated knife, slice the sponge cake horizontally into 3 equal layers. Place a layer of sponge cake on a plate. Brush the first layer of the cake with 1/3 cup of the rum syrup. Evenly spread half the coconut custard filling, about 1/2 cup, on top of the soaked sponge cake layer. Cover it with a second layer of sponge cake. Brush the second layer of spongecake with another 1/3 cup of rum syrup. Spread the remaining coconut custard over the soaked sponge cake layer. Place the final sponge cake layer on top and soak with the rest of the syrup. Let the cake to set in the refrigerator for at least four hours, or overnight.
To finish the cake, whip the cream until stiff, but not don't overbeat, then whip in the 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and vanilla. Frost the cake with the whipped cream with a spatula. Cover the top and sides of the cake evenly with the toasted coconut by sprinkling coconut on top of the cake and pressing more around the sides with your hands.
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