Marilyn's Birthday Cake

I posted last year about reconnecting with a dear friend from long ago. I went to visit her in Oregon in September last year and just recently she came to visit me here in Texas. We had so much fun reminiscing and talking about all kinds of things and catching up. Her Mama and Daddy live in San Antonio so we went there and I got to do the tourist thing with a trip to the River Walk (along with the entire state of Texas who were visiting there for Spring Break I do believe!) This is the cake that Marilyn says is what she has for her birthday. I have to say I think this is one of the best cakes I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. The picture was taken with one of her Mama's orchids. I don't know which is more beautiful! I don't know how we ever lost touch with each other, but I hope to spend the next 30 years making up for that!

COCONUT CREAM CAKE

CAKE
1 cup (8 oz.) cold butter, diced
2 cups (14 oz.) sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspons vanilla
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 cups sifted cake flour (10.5 oz)

1 1/4 cups (10.75 oz) coconut milk

COCONUT PASTRY CREAM
1 cup (8.5 oz.) coconut milk
1 cup (8.5 oz.) half-and-half
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup (3.5 oz.) sugar
1/4 cup (1 oz.) cornstarch
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups coconut
1 cup (8 oz.) whipping cream

CAKE
Set oven at 350 degrees. Grease 2 9-inch round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment paper, grease again. In a mixer with a paddle attachment, mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy - about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down after each addition. Add vanilla. Add half of dry ingredients (which have been combined), add half of the coconut milk, then other half of dry ingredients, then remainder of coconut milk. Be sure to scrape bowl down after each addition. Pour batter into cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until layers test done. Cool.

PASTRY CREAM
Whisk sugar and cornstarch together in a medium-size bowl. Add eggs and whisk until smooth.
Place coconut milk and half-and-half in a saucepan and heat to simmer. Ladle out about 1/3 of the liquid and stir into the egg mixture. Pour egg mixture back into saucepan and heat, stirring constantly until it boils. Let boil for 1 minute, stirring all of the time. Add vanilla and coconut and stir until combined. Place plastic wrap over custard so that it is touching the surface. Refrigerate until cool. Whip cream and fold into the cold pastry cream.

NEVER FAIL BOILED ICING
1 cup (7 oz.) sugar

2 egg whites
3 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

In double boiler, combine ingredients except vanilla, and beat over boiling water until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla last - takes about 5-7 minutes using electric mixer.

TOASTING COCONUT
3 cups coconut, toasted in oven - at 300 - watch closely and stir a couple times (10 minutes.

ASSEMBLY
Split cake layers in half. Fill with coconut pastry cream. You will have four layers. Frost with Boiled Icing, then cover in toasted coconut.