Lemon Coconut Rum Cake (VIDEO)

My Lemon Curd Recipe

For the Cake:
-3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
-1/4 cup dark rum
-1 tablespoon vanilla extract
-1 tablespoon lemon juice
-9 tbsp butter (4.5 oz)
-9 tbsp shortening (4.5 oz)
-2 cups (14 ounces) sugar
-3 large eggs, plus 1 large yolk, room temperature

For the Rum Soak:
-2/3 cup (4 2/3 ounces) granulated sugar
-1/2 cup dark rum
-2 tablespoons water
-4 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the Frosting:
-1 cup unsalted butter, softened
-4 to 4 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
-1/4 cup coconut rum
-1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions:

1. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9-inch round baking pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottoms of pan with parchment and spray parchment. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in medium bowl. In small bowl, whisk buttermilk, rum, vanilla, and lemon juice together.

2. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium-high until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down bowl as necessary. Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, and beat until combined. Add one-third of flour mixture and beat on medium-low speed until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add the dry ingredients until well-combined. Then add the wet ingredients slowly.

3. Pour into prepared pans and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes then turn out onto rack to cool cakes to room temperature, about 2 hours. Once cool, use a long, serrated knife to level the cakes and cut off any dome or excess off your cake.

4. For the Rum Soak: Meanwhile, bring granulated sugar, rum, and water to boil in small saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Whisk in butter until smooth. Prick each cake layer all over with fork. Brush cake with rum syrup and allow to soak into the cake for about 30 minutes before frosting.

5. For the Frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter at medium high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add confectioners’ sugar, coconut rum and vanilla and mix until very fluffy, about 1 minute.