Coconut White Cake w/ Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

My mom made this for me every year on my birthday growing up. It is seriously SO luscious, nutty, and delicious. Everyone who tries it asks for the recipe and several have said it's the best cake they've ever tasted. It's not difficult - just a literally perfect assembly of flavors and textures! Thank you, mom.

Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups cake flour

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

¾ tsp salt

1 ½ cups granulated sugar, divided

1 cup coconut milk, room temperature

1 stick (8 Tbsp) salted butter*, room temperature (if using unsalted, add 1/2 tsp salt)

3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted & cooled

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

6 egg whites, room temperature

½ tsp cream of tartar

1-2 bananas, sliced into thin discs

*You may add 1 additional stick of butter (total of 16 Tbsp) for a richer, denser cake. I've used this version and it's wonderful, I just prefer a lighter texture.

Coconut Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients:

1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk

4 Tbsp corn starch

4 Tbsp powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

8 ounces cream cheese

4 ounces white chocolate

1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold

White Coconut Cake

Wash mixing bowl and whisk attachment with soap to remove any oil residue and dry thoroughly. Whip egg whites and cream of tarter on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to medium-low and slowly add ½ cup of sugar. Increase speed back to medium-high and mix until stiff peaks form. Peaks will be shiny. Stop mixing immediately when these stiff peaks form - do NOT over beat! Gently transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

Sift cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and 1 cup of sugar into mixing bowl. Add ½ cup coconut milk and whisk on low speed until combined. Add butter one chunk at a time, letting each chunk incorporate before adding the next. When all the butter is incorporated, add remaining coconut milk, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Increase speed to medium and mix for another 2 minutes.

Gently FOLD the egg whites into the cake batter using a large spatula. When combined, divide batter into baking pans lined with parchment paper on the bottom (no need to grease your pans when using parchment). Bake 25-35 minutes at 350 degrees F. Please check with a toothpick after 25 minutes in case your oven runs hot. You want to remove as soon as cake is cooked to preserve moisture. Cool cakes to room temperature or cooler before frosting.

Coconut Cream Cheese Filling

In medium saucepan, whisk cornstarch in coconut milk until dissolved. Add powdered sugar. Heat on medium until a low boil starts begins, whisking frequently to prevent clumps of starch forming. Continue whisking while boiling for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

While still hot, add to coconut mixture the cream cheese, white chocolate, and vanilla and stir until melted and smooth. Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap so the plastic clings directly to surface of filling (this prevents a dry skin from forming). Chill in the fridge 2-4 hours until cold. (Note: chilling in a wide, shallow bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes will work too!)

When coconut filling is chilled, whip heavy cream on medium-high in stand mixer JUST UNTIL stiff peaks form. (It is easy to over-whip heavy cream. If cream is over-whipped it will “split” (form clumps that look like tiny cottage cheese curds, which doesn’t look cute on a cake). Transfer whipped cream to a large bowl and set aside.

Whip chilled coconut filling for 1-2 minutes on high to loosen it. Then FOLD it into whipped cream until the two are well combined. Store in fridge until ready to use.

Assembly

Cover first cake layer with coconut cream cheese filling and then cover the filling with banana slices (use as many as you want!). Add a little more filling on top of the banana slices, smoothing with an offset spatula. Add your second cake layer. Cover entire cake with remaining filling and garnish with whatever you desire (chopped roasted/salted macadamia nuts, toasted coconut, fresh flowers, sprinkles). Serve cold or at room temperature.