Coconut Cake From Scratch

Prepare egg yolks

Place 6 egg yolks in large bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Make custard base

Combine 3/4 cup sugar, 6 tablespoons cornstarch, and 1/8 tsp salt in medium saucepan. Gradually add 3 cups milk, whisking constantly.

Cook custard

Cook, stirring over medium heat until mixture thickens and just begins to bubble (10-12 minutes). Remove from heat.

Temper egg yolks

Whisk 1/2 cup hot sugar mixture into reserved yolks to temper. Slowly pour warmed yolks into saucepan, stirring constantly.

Finish filling

Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture just begins to bubble (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in 1.5 cups coconut and 1.5 tsp vanilla.

Chill filling

Place in bowl and cover with buttered plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate at least one hour, or overnight.

Prepare pans

Arrange 2 racks near center of oven. Line the bottom of three 6x2-inch buttered cake pans with parchment paper. Dust bottoms and sides with flour and tap out excess.

Preheat oven

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix dry ingredients

Sift together 2 cups cake flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/4 tsp salt. Set bowl aside.

Cream butter and sugar

In food processor, cream 3/4 cup room-temperature butter until fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup superfine sugar and keep beating until fully incorporated into butter.

Add egg yolks

Gradually drop 4 egg yolks into the turning blender. Beat until mixture is fluffy again.

Combine wet and dry

Alternating between flour mixture and 2/3 cup sour cream, add a little of each, continuing to blend until all is incorporated and smooth. Don't continue to blend unnecessarily. Quickly beat in 1 tsp vanilla.

Fill pans

Divide batter evenly among the three prepared cake pans.

Bake layers

Bake for 30-40 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean, rotating pans if necessary to achieve equal browning.

Cool in pans

Let the cooked cakes cool in their pans on racks for about 40 minutes.

Cool completely

Remove the cakes from pans and let them continue to cool on same racks, tops up. Remove parchment paper.

Split layers

Split each cake layer in half horizontally. Reserve most perfect dome for top, ugliest for upside-down on bottom of serving plate.

Layer with filling

Build the cake by cementing layers back together with about 1/2 cup coconut cream filling between each layer, sprinkling coconut flakes onto the filling between layers.

Chill assembled cake

Place cake in refrigerator for one hour to firm up.

Frost cake

Remove from refrigerator and frost with seven-minute frosting and remaining flaked coconut. Do not refrigerate cake after frosting - it can stand at room temperature for several days.

Prepare cupcake tin

Line a 12-cupcake tin (regular size) with parchment liners.

Fill cupcake liners

Drop batter into each liner (you may use a large pastry injector for this task). Equally distribute among all 12 slots.

Bake cupcakes

Bake in center of oven, preheated to 375°F, for 20 minutes. Tops should be well puffed out and turning golden on the edges. Toothpick should come out clean.

Cool cupcakes

Set aside and let cool completely.

Hollow cupcakes

Using a melon scoop, first cut a small hole in the crown of each cupcake. Then insert the scoop and remove some of the interior of the cupcake.

Fill cupcakes

Inject with cool cream filling or pudding mix.

Decorate cupcakes

Ice and decorate as desired. Covering with seven-minute icing, coconut, and then sprinkling with powdered sugar is a great look. For Christmas, add red and green colored sugar for an accent.