Still hunting for the perfect dessert to crown your holiday table? This stunning pumpkin roll with a dreamy Swiss meringue buttercream delivers big on taste and packs an eye-pleasing punch. It’s a Thanksgiving no-brainer! (Oh, and did I mention it was easy? Yep, it's easy!) ...Continue reading at The Kitchn
Recipe: The Best Yellow Butter Cake with Vanilla Bean Buttercream
I will never forget a certain Smitten Kitchen post when soon-to-be-mom Deb confesses, upon discovery of her current "condition," that her first moment of panic was not because she had yet to make her first million or travel the world, but in fact, because she hadn't yet found the perfect from-scratch birthday cake to carry into motherhood.
I must admit that maternal fears thoughts like these regularly pass through my brain. (Side note: babies are not on my current horizon, I swear!) It's just that certain recipes are going to be your kids' benchmark for comparison for the rest of their hungry little lives. As their mother, it is imperative you set them up knowing that you and only you make the very best of everything. I mean, it's the least you can do. Or so that's how I feel. For now.
There are a number of foods I'm confident I have mastered, much to the benefit of my unborn children—fluffy biscuits, chocolate chip cookies, buttermilk pancakes, and roast chicken to name a few. The elusive celebration cake, however, has remained an unsolved mystery. I have baked my way through countless recipes over the years, from the classic 1-2-3-4 on the Swans Down box, to the Cook's Illustrated tried-and-true, and even Deb's eventually-declared favorite. Unfortunately they all left something to be desired. I didn't just want good yellow cake. I wanted perfect yellow cake.
Well kids, I finally found it: the holy grail of yellow cakes. To quote a text to Walt upon first bite (please pardon my French), "It's f*#@in' perfect!" And there's not much more to say other than that. If you are looking for a recipe that is soft, moist, flavorful, and slices like a dream, here it is. The cake itself is so divine that it doesn't even need frosting, although once topped with vanilla bean-spiked buttercream it transcends all worldy dimensions. I look forward to a long and delicious future with this recipe, from best friends' engagements to children's birthday parties. The best part about this cake, though? It doesn't even need an excuse. Heck, I'd make it again tomorrow.
(P.S. Just to give you one last example of how fantastic it is, I realized after my first slice that it is the ultimate wedding cake! If I was a crazier person I would just make it myself, but instead I will pass the recipe along to our baker in hopes she won't be offended that I no longer want hers. April 20th can't get here soon enough!)
BEST YELLOW BUTTER CAKE
Yields: 2 (9-inch) round cake layers
This cake recipe comes from the CakeLove cookbook, purchased upon high recommendation from Jonathan Kallini, the very best pastry chef I know. It calls for the increasingly-common ingredient potato starch, found in the specialty flour section of well-stocked grocery stores. (Look for Bob's Red Mill brand.) Even if you are not familiar with potato starch, buy it and use it often—it will become your "chef's secret" in no time.
This recipe calls for weighing the dry ingredients. It took me a few years to jump on the grams-and-ounces bandwagon, but I am now a full-fledged believer. If you don't own a kitchen scale, here's a link to the adapted recipe using cups, although I cannot attest to the same end results.
UPDATE: according to one commenter, this recipe as written will not work in high altitudes. A modified recipe for high altitude baking is included in the CakeLove cookbokk for those interested.
Dry ingredients
7 ounces all-purpose flour
2 ounces potato starch
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
Liquid ingredients
1 cup half and half (or half milk, half heavy cream)
2 tablespoons brandy*
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Creaming ingredients
14 ounces extra-fine granulated sugar**
6 ounces (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 large eggs
Preheat oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle of the oven.
Set out the ingredients and equipment: Sift flour directly into a bowl on the scale. Measure the remaining dry ingredients into another bowl; add the flour and whisk together. Measure the liquid ingredients into a separate bowl and set aside. Place sugar and butter in bowl of standing mixer. Crack eggs into a separate bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on the lowest speed for 3-5 minutes. With the mixer still on the lowest speed, add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Alternate adding the dry ingredients with the liquid ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry mixture. (Move swiftly through the step to avoid overworking the batter. Don’t wait for the dry or liquid mixtures to be fully incorporated before adding the next. This step should take a total of about 60 seconds.) Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix on medium speed for an additional 15 to 20 seconds to develop the batter’s structure.
Generously coat the bottom of 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with shortening, then toss with flour, discarding the excess. Do not coat the sides of the pan, in order to prevent the cake from doming. (I highly recommend using Baker’s Joy, a shortening spray with flour added.) Evenly distribute the batter into the cake pans and smooth with a rubber spatula.
Bake the cakes for approximately 27-30 minutes, or until a toothpick pricked into the middle comes out clean. The center should be an even blonde color and the edges should be just beginning to pull away from the pan. (I usually take mine out just a smidge before I think they are ready. I am terrified of overcooking baked goods.)
Remove pans to a wire rack and cool to room temperature, 25-30 minutes. Cut around the edges with a pairing knife and invert the cakes to wire racks. Cool completely before moving forward with the recipe. (Wrap the layers in plastic and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days if making in advance.) Assemble the cake with the buttercream recipe below.
Kitchen notes: *I substituted butter extract for the brandy, which is an (unnatural) flavoring that I have been playing around with lately. Additional vanilla extract would be fine, too.
**If you can't find extra fine sugar, regular granulated sugar can be processed in a food processor for a few seconds.
VANILLA BEAN ITALIAN MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
Yields: 4-5 cups
5 egg whites
1-1/4 cups extra-fine sugar, divided
1/4 cup cold water
1 pound (4 sticks) cubed, unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Set out ingredients and equipment: Separate the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add 1 cup sugar and the water into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and gently stir to combine. Hold remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a separate bowl.
For the sugar syrup, place a candy thermometer in the sauce pan and heat the mixture over medium-high heat. Dip a pastry brush in water and brush down the sides to remove any excess sugar. Partially cover with a lid to capture the steam (this helps to moisten the sides of the saucepan to prevent sugar crystals from forming).
For the meringue, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Keep the mixer running and pour the remaining 1/4 cup sugar into the meringue.
Raise the heat under the sugar syrup to bring the syrup to 245° if it’s not already there. When it has reached 245°, remove the thermometer and slowly pour the syrup into the meringue with the mixer running. Continue beating at high speed for 1-2 minutes.
Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and beat for 6-10 minutes until the meringue has cooled. Add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Add the vanilla bean paste and extract and increase the mixer speed to high for 2 to 4 minutes or until the butter is fully incorporated. Immediately frost cooled cake halves.
Store the frosted cake under a cake dome or in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to one week. If chilled, bring the cake back to room temperature before serving.
Yields: 2 (9-inch) round cake layers
This cake recipe comes from the CakeLove cookbook, purchased upon high recommendation from Jonathan Kallini, the very best pastry chef I know. It calls for the increasingly-common ingredient potato starch, found in the specialty flour section of well-stocked grocery stores. (Look for Bob's Red Mill brand.) Even if you are not familiar with potato starch, buy it and use it often—it will become your "chef's secret" in no time.
This recipe calls for weighing the dry ingredients. It took me a few years to jump on the grams-and-ounces bandwagon, but I am now a full-fledged believer. If you don't own a kitchen scale, here's a link to the adapted recipe using cups, although I cannot attest to the same end results.
UPDATE: according to one commenter, this recipe as written will not work in high altitudes. A modified recipe for high altitude baking is included in the CakeLove cookbokk for those interested.
Dry ingredients
7 ounces all-purpose flour
2 ounces potato starch
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
Liquid ingredients
1 cup half and half (or half milk, half heavy cream)
2 tablespoons brandy*
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Creaming ingredients
14 ounces extra-fine granulated sugar**
6 ounces (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 large eggs
Preheat oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle of the oven.
Set out the ingredients and equipment: Sift flour directly into a bowl on the scale. Measure the remaining dry ingredients into another bowl; add the flour and whisk together. Measure the liquid ingredients into a separate bowl and set aside. Place sugar and butter in bowl of standing mixer. Crack eggs into a separate bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on the lowest speed for 3-5 minutes. With the mixer still on the lowest speed, add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Alternate adding the dry ingredients with the liquid ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry mixture. (Move swiftly through the step to avoid overworking the batter. Don’t wait for the dry or liquid mixtures to be fully incorporated before adding the next. This step should take a total of about 60 seconds.) Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix on medium speed for an additional 15 to 20 seconds to develop the batter’s structure.
Generously coat the bottom of 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with shortening, then toss with flour, discarding the excess. Do not coat the sides of the pan, in order to prevent the cake from doming. (I highly recommend using Baker’s Joy, a shortening spray with flour added.) Evenly distribute the batter into the cake pans and smooth with a rubber spatula.
Bake the cakes for approximately 27-30 minutes, or until a toothpick pricked into the middle comes out clean. The center should be an even blonde color and the edges should be just beginning to pull away from the pan. (I usually take mine out just a smidge before I think they are ready. I am terrified of overcooking baked goods.)
Remove pans to a wire rack and cool to room temperature, 25-30 minutes. Cut around the edges with a pairing knife and invert the cakes to wire racks. Cool completely before moving forward with the recipe. (Wrap the layers in plastic and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days if making in advance.) Assemble the cake with the buttercream recipe below.
Kitchen notes: *I substituted butter extract for the brandy, which is an (unnatural) flavoring that I have been playing around with lately. Additional vanilla extract would be fine, too.
**If you can't find extra fine sugar, regular granulated sugar can be processed in a food processor for a few seconds.
VANILLA BEAN ITALIAN MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
Yields: 4-5 cups
5 egg whites
1-1/4 cups extra-fine sugar, divided
1/4 cup cold water
1 pound (4 sticks) cubed, unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Set out ingredients and equipment: Separate the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add 1 cup sugar and the water into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and gently stir to combine. Hold remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a separate bowl.
For the sugar syrup, place a candy thermometer in the sauce pan and heat the mixture over medium-high heat. Dip a pastry brush in water and brush down the sides to remove any excess sugar. Partially cover with a lid to capture the steam (this helps to moisten the sides of the saucepan to prevent sugar crystals from forming).
For the meringue, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Keep the mixer running and pour the remaining 1/4 cup sugar into the meringue.
Raise the heat under the sugar syrup to bring the syrup to 245° if it’s not already there. When it has reached 245°, remove the thermometer and slowly pour the syrup into the meringue with the mixer running. Continue beating at high speed for 1-2 minutes.
Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and beat for 6-10 minutes until the meringue has cooled. Add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Add the vanilla bean paste and extract and increase the mixer speed to high for 2 to 4 minutes or until the butter is fully incorporated. Immediately frost cooled cake halves.
Store the frosted cake under a cake dome or in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to one week. If chilled, bring the cake back to room temperature before serving.
Recipe: Southern Coconut Layer Cake
First and foremost, let me just start by saying this coconut cake is my masterpiece. But it didn't come easy. What you see here took lots (and lots) of licked fingers, too many slices to count, and a few more tears than I'd like to admit.
It all started out simply enough, when I decided to surprise Walt with an impromptu 30th birthday party on a particularly nondescript Sunday afternoon. In years past, the menus have been very much the same and always include my "famous" chocolate chip cookie cake. But milestones are milestones (no matter how hard we try to avoid them) and deserve something a bit more over the top. I took it upon myself to whip up the most impressive, most irresistible, most Southern cake I could think of—the one and only coconut cake.
To get started, I needed to do my homework. (It should be noted that when I take on a project like this, I demand perfection.) I trolled the many reputable food websites and culled through all of my cookbooks. I compared and contrasted and left no stone unturned. The sheer amount of recipes available to me was overwhelming, but I persevered and marched into battle ready to bake.
Unfortunately, all the research in the world does not guarantee a perfect cake. I learned this the hard way. I made a costly impulse decision, putting my usually hard-earned trust in the hands of a yet unproven cookbook (by a famous Southern chef, no less!), when I should have followed my instinct and chosen a more reputable source. Just ask Walt. Because he's the one who found me sitting alone and defeated on the kitchen floor, black streaks of mascara the only remaining proof of the tears I had shed. Three sullen, sunken cake layers glared down at me from the counter, a bittersweet reminder of how much I still have to learn.
I spent the next few hours feeling beaten up and broken down. I'm a pretty chill girl, but for some reason mistakes in the kitchen get me and they get me good. And it's cakes that always pack the hardest punch, it seems. So I decided to sleep on it. I knew a little rest would ease the pain, and then with the party only hours away I wouldn't have too much time to sulk, anyways.
It's amazing what a good night's sleep can do. I woke up ready to bake, armed with a new recipe in hand. This time I went straight for Cook's Illustrated, which never lets me down in a moment of need. Sure enough, two golden, flat, and damn near perfect cake layers emerged from the oven safe from harm's way. Talk about a huge sigh of relief!
The final product was a piecemeal of recipes: a Food & Winebuttercream and a Martha cream cheese frosting. I even salvaged one cake layer from the previous day's disaster, which yielded a triple-stacked Southern beauty. My tragic coconut cake had gone from ugly ducking to beautiful swan in almost an instant.
Of course one of the major conversation starters at the party was coconut-gate 2012. But all the drama was forgotten as soon as it was time to blow out the candles and cut into the cake. The silence from my guests seemed to be a good sign. I took one bite and must admit that even I was impressed. (And I really am my worst critic, you know.) It was so good, in fact, that I didn't even get a moment to snap a blog-worthy photo, because every last slice was gone in the blink of an eye.
Since this recipe was too good not to share, I'm giving y'all a dessert encore, however this time around I made the recipe my own. I think you'll very much like the changes. Of course, three cakes in as many days is a lot for anyone—I'm going to need a short break from all things coconut, piña coladas not included. I truly hope you enjoy this coconut cake as much as Walt and I did. It was definitely a labor of love, but worth every single second of blood, sweat, and even those pesky tears.
COCONUT LAYER CAKE
Source: Nealey Dozier, adapted from Cook's Illustrated and Martha Stewart
Yields: 16 or more slices
I developed the base recipe of this 3-layer coconut cake after too-many-to-count hours of baking research, in addition to my previous testing using versions from both Cook's Illustrated and Bottega Favorita. It is a fairly traditional butter cake steeped with lots of extra coconut flavor, and yields a dense, super-moist crumb.
The filling, which I adapted from Martha Stewartvia Charleston's Peninsula Grill, is nothing short of spectacular. I think I went into shock from deliciousness upon my first taste from the bowl. Next time I'll probably double the recipe—half for the cake and half for me.
The frosting contains both butter and cream cheese; it has a slightly thicker texture than the filling and adds just a bit more tang. And last but not least, a coconut cake isn't a coconut cake without a cozy blanket of sweetened, shredded goodness. This cake must be the taste of heaven!
For the cake layers:
1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
13-1/2 ounces cake flour (approximately 3-1/4 cups, spooned and swept)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/4 teaspoons table salt
1 (13-1/2 ounce) can coconut milk
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons stirred, sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco Lopez)
5 egg whites
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 teaspoons pure coconut extract
10-1/2 ounces granulated sugar (approximately 1-1/4 cups, spooned and swept)
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 large eggs
For the coconut filling:
1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
1-1/4 cups heavy cream
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt
For the coconut frosting:
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese
2 teaspoons pure coconut extract
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
1 (16 ounce) box confectioners' sugar
3 cups sweetened shredded coconut plus more as needed, for garnish
For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously coat 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with shortening and flour the pan, discarding the excess. (I use Baker's Joy, a shortening spray with flour added. It's fabulous!)
Place shredded coconut in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped coconut, flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the coconut milk, cream of coconut, egg whites, vanilla, and coconut extracts until completely blended.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the sugar and butter on high speed until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and beat in the three whole eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the coconut milk mixture, to the creamed butter, starting and ending with the flour.
Divide batter equally into the three prepared pans (I use a kitchen scale for accuracy). Bake the layers until they are light golden and set, and come out clean when pricked with a toothpick, approximately 35 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes. Cut around the edges with a pairing knife and remove the cakes to wire racks. Cool completely before moving forward with the recipe.
For the filling: Place shredded coconut in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped. Set aside.
In a medium to large saucepan, bring butter, cream, and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted and sugar completely dissolved.
Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch, water, vanilla bean paste, and a pinch of salt together in a small bowl, then stir the mixture into the saucepan with the cream mixture. Bring cream back to a boil, stirring constantly. Once the mixture returns to a boil, cook for an additional minute or so, until just thickened.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the chopped coconut. Continue stirring for another minute or so to release some of the heat. Transfer the filling to a mixing bowl and cool at room temperature for an hour. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill, stirring occasionally, until cool, 3-4 hours (or overnight).
When ready to assemble the cake, beat the chilled filling with a handheld mixer on high speed until thick, light, and fluffy, approximately 1-2 minutes.
For the frosting: Place butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer) and beat on medium speed until light and creamy. Turn mixer on low and add coconut extract and vanilla bean paste, followed by the confectioners' sugar. Continue beating until smooth, about 3 minutes.
To assemble the cake: Place one cake layer on a large plate or cake stand and coat with half of the coconut filling. Add the second cake layer and cover with the remaining coconut filling. Add the third cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with a crumb coat of coconut frosting, followed by thicker layer. Thoroughly cover the frosted top and sides of the cake with shredded coconut, pressing gently to adhere it to the cake.
Kitchen tip: I recommend breaking this cake into steps—at least baking the cake layers ahead of time. The layers can be made up to three weeks in advance. If making two days in advance or less, just wrap each individual layer tightly in plastic wrap and tuck into a large Ziploc bag. Store the cakes on the counter at room temperature. To store the layers longer than two days (and up to three weeks), wrap a layer of aluminum foil around the layer of plastic wrap before freezing. Allow layers to thaw to room temperature before continuing with the recipe. The frosted cake will keep three or four days in an airtight container.
Source: Nealey Dozier, adapted from Cook's Illustrated and Martha Stewart
Yields: 16 or more slices
I developed the base recipe of this 3-layer coconut cake after too-many-to-count hours of baking research, in addition to my previous testing using versions from both Cook's Illustrated and Bottega Favorita. It is a fairly traditional butter cake steeped with lots of extra coconut flavor, and yields a dense, super-moist crumb.
The filling, which I adapted from Martha Stewartvia Charleston's Peninsula Grill, is nothing short of spectacular. I think I went into shock from deliciousness upon my first taste from the bowl. Next time I'll probably double the recipe—half for the cake and half for me.
The frosting contains both butter and cream cheese; it has a slightly thicker texture than the filling and adds just a bit more tang. And last but not least, a coconut cake isn't a coconut cake without a cozy blanket of sweetened, shredded goodness. This cake must be the taste of heaven!
For the cake layers:
1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
13-1/2 ounces cake flour (approximately 3-1/4 cups, spooned and swept)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/4 teaspoons table salt
1 (13-1/2 ounce) can coconut milk
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons stirred, sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco Lopez)
5 egg whites
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 teaspoons pure coconut extract
10-1/2 ounces granulated sugar (approximately 1-1/4 cups, spooned and swept)
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 large eggs
For the coconut filling:
1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
1-1/4 cups heavy cream
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt
For the coconut frosting:
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese
2 teaspoons pure coconut extract
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
1 (16 ounce) box confectioners' sugar
3 cups sweetened shredded coconut plus more as needed, for garnish
For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously coat 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with shortening and flour the pan, discarding the excess. (I use Baker's Joy, a shortening spray with flour added. It's fabulous!)
Place shredded coconut in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped coconut, flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the coconut milk, cream of coconut, egg whites, vanilla, and coconut extracts until completely blended.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the sugar and butter on high speed until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and beat in the three whole eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the coconut milk mixture, to the creamed butter, starting and ending with the flour.
Divide batter equally into the three prepared pans (I use a kitchen scale for accuracy). Bake the layers until they are light golden and set, and come out clean when pricked with a toothpick, approximately 35 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes. Cut around the edges with a pairing knife and remove the cakes to wire racks. Cool completely before moving forward with the recipe.
For the filling: Place shredded coconut in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped. Set aside.
In a medium to large saucepan, bring butter, cream, and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted and sugar completely dissolved.
Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch, water, vanilla bean paste, and a pinch of salt together in a small bowl, then stir the mixture into the saucepan with the cream mixture. Bring cream back to a boil, stirring constantly. Once the mixture returns to a boil, cook for an additional minute or so, until just thickened.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the chopped coconut. Continue stirring for another minute or so to release some of the heat. Transfer the filling to a mixing bowl and cool at room temperature for an hour. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill, stirring occasionally, until cool, 3-4 hours (or overnight).
When ready to assemble the cake, beat the chilled filling with a handheld mixer on high speed until thick, light, and fluffy, approximately 1-2 minutes.
For the frosting: Place butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer) and beat on medium speed until light and creamy. Turn mixer on low and add coconut extract and vanilla bean paste, followed by the confectioners' sugar. Continue beating until smooth, about 3 minutes.
To assemble the cake: Place one cake layer on a large plate or cake stand and coat with half of the coconut filling. Add the second cake layer and cover with the remaining coconut filling. Add the third cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with a crumb coat of coconut frosting, followed by thicker layer. Thoroughly cover the frosted top and sides of the cake with shredded coconut, pressing gently to adhere it to the cake.
Kitchen tip: I recommend breaking this cake into steps—at least baking the cake layers ahead of time. The layers can be made up to three weeks in advance. If making two days in advance or less, just wrap each individual layer tightly in plastic wrap and tuck into a large Ziploc bag. Store the cakes on the counter at room temperature. To store the layers longer than two days (and up to three weeks), wrap a layer of aluminum foil around the layer of plastic wrap before freezing. Allow layers to thaw to room temperature before continuing with the recipe. The frosted cake will keep three or four days in an airtight container.