Ambrosia Layer Cake

Ambrosia sounds exotic, but it's simply chilled fruit...
(typically oranges or bananas) tossed with coconut and
sugar. Some serve it as a salad as well as a dessert. This
recipe has a different spin on this southern classic by
bringing cake into the picture, and moving the oranges to
the filling and pressing the coconut into the frosting.

For Cake:
2-3/4 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 large whole eggs, at room temperature for 30 minutes
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh orange zest
1-1/2 teaspoon vnilla
1 cup whole milk

For Orange Filling:
2 large whole eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh orange zest

For Seven-Minute Frosting:
1 (7-oz.) bag sweetened flaked coconut (2-2/3 cups)
2 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Special equipment: 2 (9x2-inch) round cake pans.

Make Cake:
Put oven rack in middle postion and preheat oven to 350*F. Butter and flour cake pans, knocking out excess flour. Sift together flour (2-3/4 cups), baking powder, and salt into a bowl.

Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer (fitted with paddle attachment if using a stand mixer) at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then beat in zest and vanilla and continue beating 5 minutes more. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and milk alternately in 4 batches, beginning with flour mixture and mixing until batter is just smooth. Divide between cake pans, spreading evenly.

Make Filling While Layers Bake:
Whisk together eggs in a heatproof bowl until combined well. With clean dry whisk, stir together sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt in a 1-1/2 to 2 quart heavy saucepan, then whisk in water and juices until smooth. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking, then reduce heat and cook at a bare simmer, whisking constantly, 2 minutes (mixture will be thick).

Add half of hot juice mixture to eggs in a slow stream, whisking, then whisk egg mixture into juices in saucepan and cook over miderately low heat, whisking, just until it reaches a boil. Remove pan from heat, then add butter and zest, whisking until butter is melted. Chill filling, its surface covered with a buttered round of wax paper (buttered side down), until cold, about 30 minutes.

Make Frosting:
Spread coconut in a shallow baking pan and toast in oven, stirring occasionally, until golden, 12 to 15 minutes.

Beat together egg whites, sugar, water, corn syrup, and a pinch of salt in a large metal bowl with a handheld electric mixer (clean beaters if necessary) until combined. Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and beat mixture at high speed until it holds stiff, glossy peaks, 5 to 7 minutes. (Humid weather may necessitate additonal beating time.) Remove bowl from heat, then add vanilla and lemon juice and contine beating until frosting is cooled and very thick, 6 to 10 minutes.

Assemble Cake:
Halve each cake horizontally with a long serrated knife. Put 1 layer on a cake stand or large plate and spread with about 3/4 cup filling. Stack remaining cake layers using about 3/4 cup filling between each layer. Spread top and side of cake with frosting and coat cake with coconut, gently pressing to help it adhere.


Cook's Notes:
* Cake layers (not split horizontally) can be made 3 days ahead and chilled, wrapped individually in plastic wrap.
* Fillinig can be chilled up to 8 hours. Stir before spreadiing.
* Frosting can be made 4 hours ahead and chilled, covered.
* Cake can be assembled and frosted 2 hours ahead.
Yield: 10 to 12 servings.