Lemon Coconut Cream Stack Cake
Ever since I laid eyes on an Apricot Stack Cake in Better Homes and Gardens (and promptly recreated it), I have been totally in love with stack cakes. I love how whimsical, yet practical they are. They are easy to make and put together, and they look quite impressive. Although they resemble a stack of pancakes, the semblance stops there.
I think the greatest appeal to making a stack cake is that you aren’t baking anything! Yes, a no-bake cake. Genius! You cook each layer on a skillet (ok, yes, like pancakes) and each layer only takes 4 total minutes to cook. That’s just amazing, as far as cakes go.
You also get all the benefits of “ice box” cakes as the layers meld together and the flavors really soak in when you let the assembled cake set in the refrigerator. When it’s finished, you get tender, moist layers of cake and light whipped frosting. What’s not to love?
Because it’s summer, my latest stack cake creation includes the best of summer flavors. Lemon cake, because I love floating lemon slices in my summer water glasses, and coconut cream, because my birthday is in the summer and my favorite birthday cake has always been the coconut cake my grandma makes.
Want an even more indulgent treat? Double the Coconut Cream recipe and serve each slice with a dollop of extra cream. This cake would also be beautiful served with a variety of summer berries. It’s versatile, not overly sweet or heavy, and the perfect solution to your entertaining needs.
So let’s get to it!
First you’ll beat your eggs.
Then you’ll add sugar.
Then add butter and then vanilla.
Next, the rest of the wet ingredients, like milk and lemon juice, go in.
Next you’ll add your dry ingredients,
and mix it all up.
Now your batter is ready to cook.
Then you make the Coconut Cream.
Stack ‘er up and… Tah dah! A beautiful Lemon Coconut Cream Stack Cake!
Lemon Coconut Cream Stack Cake
Makes one 7″ stack cake
INGREDIENTS
For the cake
2 eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
Juice from 1 lemon (approximately ¼ cup)
Zest from 1 lemon (approximately 2 Tbs.)
1 1/2 cups flour (all purpose or white whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the coconut cream
1 can coconut milk (Thai Kitchen, unsweetened original)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. coconut extract
1 Tbs. toasted coconut flakes
DIRECTIONS
Place the can of coconut milk in the refrigerator to sit overnight.
Cover a cooling rack with parchment paper and set aside (to set your cake layers on to cool after they’re cooked).
In the bowl of your KitchenAid Stand Mixer, start mixing your eggs on medium-low speed until they get slightly frothy. Then, add the sugar and mix for a minute more.
Drizzle in your cooled butter (make sure it is cooled so you don’t scramble the eggs), and then the vanilla. Finally, turn the mixer to low speed and add the milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. When the wet ingredients are mixed together, stop your mixer.
To the wet ingredients, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Turn your mixer on low and let the ingredients come together, but do not over-mix them (let it mix for about a minute, until it looks like an even batter).
Heat a nonstick skillet, sprayed with nonstick spray, over medium (err on the side of medium-low to not burn your cooking spray) heat.
When the skillet is heated, scoop ½ cup of the cake batter onto the skillet, letting it spread into approximately a 7” circle. Let the cake cook for 2 minutes, until the top is bubbly and the sides look slightly dry, then flip.
Cook on the other side for 1-2 minutes, until slightly golden but not too dark. Set the cake layer on your prepared cooling rack.
Continue to cook the rest of the batter in this same fashion (in ½-cup portions) until all your cake layers are made.
To make the Coconut Cream: carefully remove the can of coconut milk from your refrigerator (you don’t want to shake or mix it). Carefully open the can with a can opener.
Use a spoon to scoop the thick coconut cream from the can, until you get to the thin, clear liquid in the bottom of the can (this is the bottom 1/3 of the can typically), placing the cream into the bowl of your mixer and discarding the liquid in the can.
Start mixing the cream on medium speed, increasing your speed to medium high. As the cream mixes, it gets thicker and fluffier.
After 5-6 minutes, turn off the Stand Mixer, add the powdered sugar, and then turn the mixer on medium high again. Beat for an additional 3 minutes.
When it’s done, it should be thick and slightly hold its shape (like whipped cream).
Add the coconut extract and toasted coconut flakes, letting the mixer slowly mix those in. You’re now ready to build your cake!
Set aside 1/3 cup of the Coconut Cream to use on top of the cake. In an 8” springform pan (or an 8” cake pan or round, tall-sided dish lined with plastic wrap to help you remove the cake later), set down a layer of cake.
On top of the cake, spread an even layer of the coconut cream, then top it with another cake layer. Continue to stack your cake and cream in alternating layers, finishing with a cake layer.
Top the cake with the coconut cream you reserved in the beginning. Place the cake in the fridge to set (and for the layers to really soak in their flavors) for at least two hours before slicing and serving.
Enjoy!
*The Contributor of this post has been compensated by KitchenAid for this post, but this post represents the Contributor’s own opinion.*
