Coconut cake Recipes using coconut milk

Here are some things I've realized. And that you should have warned me about, you smug cat owners.

1. Cats are fluffy.

Yes, they are cute-fluffy, but they are also fur-tumbleweeds-on-all-surfaces, must-vacuum-all-the-time, why-is-there-cat-hair-in-my-mouth fluffy. I don't think I've ever used up an entire lint roller in my life, but since Buckle got here, I've gone through two. I have to dust, vacuum, and wash all throws/rugs every weekend without fail or the creep of the cat dander will eventually cover me like an evil, carnivorous fur coat.

He also hates his furminator and tries to attack it. Good thing he loves the prickly hairbrush.

2. Cats are busybodies.

If you have cabinets, they need to know what's in those cabinets. They don't want a cursory glance. They want to get in those cabinets and roll around until they have fully explored the texture of the cabinet contents.

If you have some dinner, they need to smell that dinner. And paw at that dinner. And if at all possible (for instance, if you have gone to retrieve a forgotten napkin or fork), taste that dinner.

If they hear a noise, see you pick something up, detect a motion in their peripheral vision, or just have a weird hunch, immediate and thorough investigation is essential.

What's this? Cake? What's cake? I'm going to need to investigate that...

3. Cats are terrifying.

Every now and then Buckle will go bat-you-know-what-crazy for no apparent reason, dive through the house, tackle an utterly-terrified Byrd, jump on three or four separate pieces of furniture, knock something over, and then hide under the buffet.

During this time, I close my eyes tightly and hope nothing expensive is in his path.

4. Cats sleep a lot. In weird places.

I emailed my friend Jamie shortly after Buckle came home just to make sure he wasn't sick: "Are cats supposed to sleep, like, 20 hours a day?" Apparently, yes.

Buckle's favorite spot to sleep is on my bright orange tray, using The Wednesday Chef's amazing book, My Berlin Kitchen, as a pillow. He's got good taste in literature, I'll admit, but there are fluffy pillows and blankets all over the room. And he chooses to sleep squished into a too-small tray with the corner of a book digging into his side. I don't get it.

5. Cats are worth it.

Worth the fur, worth the terror, worth the furniture cleaning (We had an incident. Don't get me started.) I'm already forgetting what it was like without Buckle here at home with us. As I punctuated that last sentence, he just stretched out and curled into an even more absurd position in his little book tray, as if to underscore my point. He's a big sweet baby, and I'm glad he's mine.

* * *

Buckle's already given his furry "thumbs up" to this cake - he tried his best to reach it during the photo shoot. I love all coconut cakes, and have tried . Both were amazing in their own ways, but I knew it was time to Frankenstein together the ultimate coconut cake. And this is it.

This cake combines the perfect white cake from The Way the Cookie Crumbles's careful experiments, an insane coconut pastry cream filling from Zoë Bakes, a thick coconut syrup drizzled onto each layer to keep it moist, and a buttery coconut French meringue buttercream to top it all off. It's a time consuming recipe, but if you're as crazy about coconut as I am, it's worth it.

My sweet friend Mara and I were both gunning to make this ultimate treat, so we teamed up to present it to you two different ways! Go see her version of this masterpiece at What's For Dinner? I love her version so much - not only is it an awesome coconut cake, but it tells a story!

One year ago: Savory Sweet Potato & Chorizo “Cinnamon Rolls”
Two years ago: April Fool’s Day Cupfakes
Three years ago: Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Squares with Shortbread Crust

Total time

• 2¼ cups cake flour (9 ounces)
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 6 large egg whites (¾ cup), at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1 inch vanilla bean seeds)
• 1½ cups + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (11.35 ounces)
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1½ sticks), softened but still cool

• 1 can (14 fluid ounces) unsweetened coconut milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• pinch kosher salt
• 3 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup whipping cream

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup coconut water

• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups sweetened coconut flakes