Dessert Time Anyone

OK!  It is Sunday and time for dessert...what do I do...ummm..got an idea...  Well, I made a cake for my friends at work for their birthdays.  After trimming this delectable cake, I didn't have the heart to throw the trimmings away.  So I made TRIFLE!

The  Cake - THANK YOU MARTHA STEWART!!!

Coconut Cake

Makes one 9-inch square layer cake.

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup packed sweetened, shredded coconut

2 2/3 cups sugar

4 large whole eggs, plus 4 large egg whites

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp coconut extract (if you have it)

1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Butter two 9-by-9-by-2-inch cake pans; line bottom with parchment paper. Butter parchment and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Place shredded coconut in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Stir chopped coconut into flour mixture until combined; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed. Add whole eggs, egg whites, and extracts; beat until fluffy and combined. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture, alternating with the coconut milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, mixing well after each addition.

Divide batter evenly between prepared pans; smooth with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes.

Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Invert cakes onto rack; peel off parchment paper. Re-invert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of the cake layers to make level and trim sides.

OK..so to Martha Stewart's recipe, I did a slight modification - I added coconut extract which she did not use in her recipe.  And I didn't use her advice on frosting it.  Just so you know - I made a very scrumptious lemon mousse frosting for this cake.  AMAZING. Nor did I cover with toasted coconut.

Oh, but let's get on with the Trifle....

So using the trimmings and the following recipes, I layered it all in a trifle bowl and refrigerated for at least two hours.  AMAZING - that is all I can say...Simply AMAZING!  But..you can just bake 1/2 the cake recipe and use that.

Lemon Curd:

1 cup granulated sugar

3 egg

1 cup fresh lemon juice

zest of 2 lemon

6 tablespoons butter, melted

In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until smooth.

Stir in lemon juice, zest and butter.

Cook for one minute intervals on high, stirring after each minute until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon.

Cover the curd with cling film placed directly on the surface of the curd and refrigerate until set.

Lemon Whipped Cream

1 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup lemon curd

Beat whipped cream until almost stiff, add lemon curd and whip until blended.

Lemon Mousse:

4 ounces (1/2 package) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup lemon curd

Beat cream cheese with 1/4 cup sugar.  Set aside. Whip the cream.  Add lemon curd to the whipped cream.  Add the cream cheese.  Whip until blended.

Assemble Trifle:

If using the cake, cut into 1 inch pieces.  Start by placing cake pieces on bottom of bowl.    Use the Cream, Mousse, then curd  and just layer.  Start all over with cake and keep going until everything is used up.  Each layer can be different - leave the curd off one layer..etc.  But you should end with the whipped cream.  Refrigerate for 2 hours.  To serve, sprinkle with toasted coconut, optional

Oh yeah!  The frosting for the cake -

Whipped Lemon Mousse Buttercream

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)

2 tablespoons milk

Makes: About 3 cups of icing.

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed for 1 minute.   Add 3/4 cup Lemon Curd and beat until fluff