Jamie's Many-Layered Coconut Cake

I had a piece of this cake for the very first time last week, and it quickly rose to the top of one of my all-time-favorite cakes!  It's delicious!!  And the person who made it is not only a great baker, but makes everything she bakes, beautiful!  I knew who made it just by looking at it, then later asked her for the recipe.

It's a Paula Deene recipe, so that says a lot right there, doesn't it?!  It was her son, Jamie's favorite cake.  I would call it a coconut lemon cake, if I were naming it...just to give a clue about the lemon.  The combinations of the two flavors is delicious!  The many layers make it extra-special. I look forward to making it!  And the cake, itself?  Well, it's just really good! I think it would be great, even by itself.

MANY-LAYERED COCONUT (LEMON) CAKE

1 cup butter softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon coconut extract
3 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups coconut milk
2 (10 oz.) jars lemon curd
Coconut Cream Frosting (recipe follows)
Garnish: sweetened flaked coconut, lemon slices, lemon zest

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 (9-inch) cake pans with nonstick baking spray with flour.

2) In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed with a mixer until fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in coconut extract.

3) In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; sift twice.  Gradually add to butter mixture alternately with coconut milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until dry ingredients are combined after each addition.
4) In a medium bowl, beat egg whites at high speed with a mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into batter. Soon batter into prepared pans; bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

5) Cut each cake layer in half horizontally. Spread lemon curd evenly between cake layers.

6) Spread Coconut Cream Frosting on top and sides of cake. Garnish with coconut, lemon slices, and lemon zest, if desired.

COCONUT CREAM FROSTING
Makes about 3 cups

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon coconut extract
5 1/2 cups confectioners' (powdered) sugar

1) In a large bowl, beat butte,r coconut milk, cream, and coconut extract at medium speed with a mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth.
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