By The New York Times
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Rating
- 4(616)
- Notes
- Read community notes
A version of this golden, tart-sweet confection was served at the 76th birthday of the legendary Southern chef, Edna Lewis. It is a true labor of love, so be sure to set aside a full afternoon to make it; this is not the sort of cake you want to rush.
Featured in: When Chefs Celebrate; Salute to A Southern Master Chef
Learn: How to Frost a Cake
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Ingredients
Yield:12 servings
- ¾cup/170 grams unsalted butter (1½ sticks), softened, plus more for greasing the pans
- 3cups/435 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
- 1teaspoon salt
- 1tablespoon baking powder
- 1cup/240 milliliters whole milk, at room temperature
- 1tablespoon vanilla
- 1½cups/300 grams sugar
- 3eggs, at room temperature
- 1cup/200 grams sugar
- 3tablespoons flour
- 1tablespoon cornstarch
- 2tablespoons lemon zest
- ½cup lemon juice (from about 3 lemons)
- 3eggs
- 4tablespoons/57 grams unsalted butter (½ stick), at room temperature
- 1½cups/300 grams sugar
- 3egg whites, at room temperature
- 1⅛teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3½cups/200 grams freshly grated or packaged unsweetened coconut
For the Cake
For the Lemon Curd
For the Icing
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
699 calories; 29 grams fat; 20 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 103 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 70 grams sugars; 9 grams protein; 345 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 9-inch cake pans with butter and dust with flour.
Step
2
Bake the cake: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the milk and vanilla and set aside.
Step
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Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add a third of the flour mixture, then half the milk mixture in alternating additions, mixing in between just enough to incorporate, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary.
Step
4
Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. The cakes should be barely done in the middle. Cool 5 minutes in the pans, then unmold onto wire racks to cool.
Step
5
To make the lemon curd: In a medium saucepan combine the sugar, flour and cornstarch. In a bowl whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice and 1 cup of water. Beat in the eggs. Slowly whisk the lemon mixture into the sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, slowly whisking until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Set aside to cool, then refrigerate until ready to use. (This can be made several days ahead.)
Step
6
Make the icing: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar with ½ cup cold water and bring to a boil over high heat without stirring. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Dip a spoon into the syrup and let it drip off. When a 2- to 3-inch thread hangs off, remove from heat. Meanwhile, change the mixer attachment to the whisk attachment and beat the egg whites on medium speed until they hold their shape, about 2 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly add in the syrup in a steady stream. Increase the speed and beat the mixture until firm, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and whisk briefly to combine. Set aside.
Step
7
To assemble: Place 1 cake layer on a serving platter. Spread half the lemon curd on top, but do not let it spill down the sides. Repeat with the second layer, then top with the third cake. Spread the icing on the top and sides, then cover it with the coconut, pressing it in on the sides with the palms of your hands.
Ratings
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out of 5
616
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Cooking Notes
Autumn from Minneapolis
I used the 4-3-2-1 cake batter recipe instead, due to the comments of others here saying the cake was too dry. That is, 4 eggs, 3 cups of flour, 2 cups of sugar, and 1 cup of butter, with the rest of the recipe as is, the milk, baking powder, curd, and frosting. You could swap buttermilk for the milk.
Tam Musgrove
As a Southern cook of several decades, I have to say that this cake was an awful disappointment. I followed the recipe carefully and explicitly, yet the cake itself was as dry as toast. I was careful to try to get all of the air bubbles out of the batter, and I did not overcook the layers. Surely I missed something? As it is now, should I need to start a roaring fire in the pouring rain, all I would need to do is rub two slices of this cake together. But the lemon curd and icing were great!
MC
My sister makes this cake with four layers, alternating lemon curd and lime curd. She frosts it with lightly sweetened whipped cream and then covers that with shredded coconut. It's sublime.
Andrea S
2 sticks butter
4 eggs
Perfect and moist.
Louise
My sister makes this cake with four layers, alternating lemon curd and lime curd. She frosts it with lightly sweetened whipped cream and then covers that with shredded coconut. It's sublime.I used the 4-3-2-1 cake batter recipe instead, due to the comments of others here saying the cake was too dry. That is, 4 eggs, 3 cups of flour, 2 cups of sugar, and 1 cup of butter, with the rest of the recipe as is, the milk, baking powder, curd, and frosting. You could swap buttermilk for the milk.
Lili
I did 4 eggs, 3 c flour, 2 sticks butter and 1c sugar. I always decrease sugar in recipes and it worked in this case. I also used the lemon curd recipe from the Meyer lemon meringue pie recipe which calls for zest and juice/pulp from TWO lemons. I did add flour and corn starch to help thicken. Getting the frosting sugar syrup to drip as described takes WAY more than 2-3 minutes, closer to 10. Also there was only enough cake batter for two layers. But this turned out INSANELY delicious/beautiful.
Susan
When I use a recipe that has both metric and imperial measures I take a highlighter and highlight the ingredient and the measure. That way my eyes just focus on what I need to see.
Odila Cioffi
I did and it`s do good! Thanks
Susan
I used the 4 eggs-3 cups flour-2 cups sugar-1 cup butter recipe to avoid dryness. It was for my stepson who has celiac disease. Came out beautifully with Bob's RedMill Gluten free flour and some white rice flour. I used white rice flour in the lemon curd, Earth Balance to replace the butter, and coconut milk to replace the whole milk. We added more lemon zest to the curd and cake batter. I needed only a cup or two of coconut for the icing. My favorite gluten free, dairy free cake so far!
Barb M
My cousin and I did this 3 times at about age 12 trying to make a birthday cake for my aunt. Fast forward. At age 77 I now make white mountain iceing instead. No thread, just the sugar syrup and egg whites in a double boiler. Also known as 7 minute icing, as that’s about how long it takes to make fluffy, white iceing. I do love buttercream though.
Carol Blanchard
My family teamed up to bake this for my birthday over the weekend - I used 4 eggs and increased the butter to avoid dryness, as indicated in a couple of comments. Overall, it was way too sweet for me. I long for a moist yellow cake! I am not a baker so having experienced people around saved me from over-baking and turning the frosting into stiff peaks. I will not use this recipe again tho will keep experimenting. Love the shared comments and great NYT recipes.
salex53
The cake is delicious. The lemon curd is out of this world. The icing...let's just say I had a major fail trying to make this. No "thread" from the spoon in the sugar syrup, so when I gave up (after 8-10 minutes of boiling) and poured it over the egg whites in the mixer, I had a mess. It was ugly, clumpy, overly sweet, and just not usable. Plan B? A lemon buttercream frosting that was terrific.I'll try that icing again some day and try to figure out where I went wrong.
Saadia
I made this cake and it was extremely dry (the curd and icing were great). I bake very infrequently so I couldn't figure out what went wrong. But someone else pointed out that three eggs for three cups of flour are insufficient. Maybe that's the issue?
Alice Kaiser
Took the advice to use 2 sticks butter and 4 eggs, and not to overbake, and cake turned out beautifully. Great filling! Put very slightly sweetened whipped cream on top instead of frosting. Result was delicious and not overtly sweet.
Someone from somewhere
VERY sugary frosting.
Alex
Truly truly dry sponge, but lovely flavors overall.
Emerson
Seems like the complaints of the cake being too dry are due to the grams vs cup measurement of the flour being off. I usually stick to a cup flour being about 120 grams. At 435 grams for 3 cups, that would be 145 grams. May be worth testing if someone makes this often.
howard clarke
really refreshing nice summer dessert. too bad my wife and me had to eat it all!
nellie
Made it without the coconut and it was a lemon meringue cake. The cake itself was a little dry but the sturdier cake was alright with the gooey curd and meringue.
tiff
Anyone have experience making this a day ahead and keeping in fridge? Thanks!!!
Paige
Did anyone who is not a very experienced cake baker test this recipe? Because it is hard to pull off.
Rosany
Hated the cake - dense and dry even with the addition of another egg but the recipe for the lemon curd is great.
mark
This cake was a hit at the celebration I brought it to, delicious and dramatic. Pulled the cake out after 15 minutes and it was perfect. Struggled a little with making the syrup, which took 10 minutes and left some hardened areas in the egg white bowl. But it tasted good and there was enough to cover the cake. I probably add too much of the delicious lemon custard, because the layers began to slip in leaning-tower-of-Pisa fashion. But it responded to a gentle straighten-up push.
Susan Partain Turner
I adore both coconut and citrus, therefore this cake for me is a go to; however, I substitute the recipe frosting with a classic lemon buttercream. Remove the cake from the oven before it's completely 'cooked', enjoy!
Sukiyumyum
This cake was sublime. Followed recipe and amounts exactly. Not dry at all. You have to remove the cake from the oven when it’s underdone a bit, or “barely done” as the recipe states. It won’t fall as long as you have beaten the batter enough - strengthens the structure.Put coconut only on the sides over the meringue, and heaped the meringue on top and then torched it lightly, so it looked like a gorgeous lemon meringue pie cake. Will definitely make this again for a special birthday.
Sukiyumyum
*Heat the sugar and water to 238 degrees when making the Italian meringue. More accurate than dripping mixture from a spoon if you already own a thermometer.
Cindy
Or just make a Swiss meringue, which is much easier. Google it.
J Damick
ditto for changing the cake recipe. Frosting was perfect. It's helpful to know the sugar syrup forms a thread just BEFORE it would color for turning to caramel
jenruss
I stuck the syrup/sugar mixture for the frosting in the fridge to cool and that seemed to do the trick
Bonnie
I made cake following recommendations of other people. I added an extra egg and a tablespoon extra butter. I also switched out one cup whole wheat flour for one cup white flour. The cake was moist and delicious. I made the frosting as directed and it came out great. Next time I would add less sugar. Yet the sugar of the frosting and the unsweetened coconut flakes I used were a perfect combination.
Someone from somewhere
VERY sugary frosting.
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