Perfect Party Cake

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk or 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves, warmed gently until spreadable
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

Recipe

• 1 for the cake:.
• 2 center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350°f butter two 9" cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper rounds. place on baking sheet.
• 3 sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
• 4 in a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together the egg whites and milk.
• 5 in another bowl, whisk together the lemon zest and sugar until fragrant. or, you may rub the lemon zest and sugar together until fragrant.
• 6 add the butter to the sugar and lemon zest mixture and beat at medium speed for three minutes or until butter and sugar are light.
• 7 incorporate the extract and 1/3 flour mixture.
• 8 beat in half the milk/egg mixture and beat in half of the remaining flour mixture.
• 9 add the rest of the milk/egg mixture, then add in the rest of the dry ingredients.
• 10 beat for at least two more minutes until all the ingredients are fully incorporated and the batter is well aerated.
• 11 divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth tops with a rubber spatula.
• 12 bake for 30-35 minutes until the cake is springy to the touch or a toothpick inserted comes out clean. cook for about 5 minutes in the pan, then invert and cool on wire racks the rest of the way.
• 13 for the buttercream:.
• 14 put the sugar and egg whites in a double boiler, or heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, or about 3 minutes. (sugar will be dissolved and it will look like shiny marshmallow creme.).
• 15 remove the bowl from the heat.
• 16 beat with a whisk on medium speed for about 5 minutes. if using an electric mixer, switch to paddle attachment and add butter one stick at a time, beating until smooth. you will need to beat it for about 6-10 minutes after all the butter is incorporated. the mixture may separate, but keep beating, it will come back together.
• 17 while still beating at medium speed, gradually add the lemon juice, then the vanilla (be sure each addition is incorporated before adding more).
• 18 to store, press a piece of plastic over it.
• 19 for the assembly:.
• 20 using a bread knife, level the top of each cake, then cut horizontally into two layers.
• 21 lay down one layer of cake on a cake round. spread 1/3 preserves, then 1/4 buttercream.
• 22 repeat layers 1-3 until last layer of cake, which is placed upside down.
• 23 cover the cake with the remaining buttercream, then coat with coconut.