Southern (Brooklyn) Coconut Cake with Silk Meringue Buttercream

Close-up on coconut. On a no-joke coconut cake. I've been making coconut cakes for Jessica's birthday for many years--usually with seven minute frosting, but this time around it went even sweeter and richer, with a gooey, coconut milk buttercream. Rose's Silk Meringue Buttercream continues to terrify me a bit--creme anglaise AND Italian meringue AND butter? As a friend at the birthday party who cooks professionally said:

"Katya, no disrespect, but this frosting is just coconut and butter, right?"  Um...not entirely...

The icing was fluffy, the cake was fluffier...I've gotten pretty good at this. And, even more importantly in my mind, I was able to transport the perfectly frosted cake without a blemish through nearly an hour of bus and walking and street  fairs, etc...

The only modifications that I made to the recipe were in the realm of extract--I subbed almond extract for coconut in both the cake and the creme anglaise. Because there was also coconut in flake and milk form, the almond complemented it instead of standing alone, just kind of deepening the flavors. I also ran out of coconut milk and used a little cream to finish off the creme anglaise.

No reactions from Matt, as he doesn't eat coconut, but the responses from partygoers ages 3-35 were enthusiastic. In fact, the three year old invited me to come sleep over at her house, an invitation that I have to assume was issued more or less on the strength of her piece of cake, or excitement at having a large pink ribbon.

Happy birthday, Jessica.