To serve a high cake like this, rather than trying to cut small slices and risk the chance that they might collapse, it is best to cut a regular-sized piece, then separate the slice into two servings of two layers.
Ingredients
Lemon curd
Cream cheese filling
Method
1.Make lemon curd.
2.Preheat oven to 170°C/340°F. Grease two deep 22cm (9-inch) round cake pans; line bases and sides with baking paper.
3.Beat butter, essence and caster sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
Stir in coconut and sifted flour, then sour cream and milk in two batches. Divide mixture evenly between pans; smooth the surface.
4.Bake cakes for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean; cover cakes loosely with foil if they start to over-brown. Leave cakes in pans for 5 minutes before turning, top-side up, onto a wire rack to cool.
5.Make cream cheese filling.
6.Trim tops of cakes to level, if needed. Split cakes in half. Place one cake layer on a plate or stand. Spread cake layer with a quarter of the cream cheese filling and a quarter of the lemon curd. Repeat layering with remaining cakes, filling and curd, finishing with curd. Dust with sifted icing sugar. Top with toasted coconut.
Lemon curd
7.Finely grate rind from lemons; you will need 1 tablespoon. Squeeze juice from lemons; you will need 2/3 cup juice. Combine egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a medium saucepan until smooth. Stir in rind and juice; stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring mixture just to the boil. Remove from heat and gradually whisk in butter until melted; strain curd into a heatproof bowl or jug. Cover surface with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until cold.
Cream cheese filling
8.Beat butter in a small bowl with an electric mixer for 3 minutes or until pale and fluffy. Add cream cheese; beat until smooth. With motor operating, gradually beat in sifted icing sugar until well combined.
Note
- Tip Save the unused egg whites to make meringues, pavlova or friands; they can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
* Do ahead Cake can be made a day ahead; keep covered in the fridge. Stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
