Coconut Key Lime cake

Coconut Key Lime cake, originally uploaded by shpnggoddess.

This baker / photographer says:

"This was one of the best cakes I have ever made
It is one of my my signature cakes, my friend Ben Cutshall took the picture for me , fabulous work Ben!!!!!

Coconut Key Lime Cake
2-¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter room temperature
1 ¾ cups extra fine bakers sugar*
4 large eggs
2 tbsp Vanilla
½ cup cream or milk

Position rack in middle of oven and p reheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease and flour two 8 or 9 inch cake pans place greased parchment rounds into bottoms of pans
(Affix cake-baking strips to pans if you have them)

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt set aside. With mixer set on high cream together
Butter and sugar until pale yellow in color and creamy reduce speed to medium add eggs one at a time make sure to completely incorporate after each addition add vanilla next add flour mixture and milk alternately ending with flour mixture scraping sides of mixing bowl to make sure everything is combined beat for a few extra minutes. Pour batter in equal amounts into prepared pans about 2 ½ to 3 cups per pan place pan on rack in the middle of 350 degree preheated oven and bake for about 35 to 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into cake comes out clean or free of wet crumbs. Cool cakes on a rack for ten minutes turn caked out on to cooling racks remove parchment paper and cool completely before frosting

Key Lime Curd
3 to 4 tablespoons key lime zest
1/2-cup fresh Key limejuice
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 egg, lightly beaten
*Do not use bottled Lime Juice
In a medium-size saucepan (use a heavy-bottom, non-reactive saucepan such as stainless steel or an enamel coated pan) over medium heat combine limejuice, sugar and eggs. Bring just to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer until mixture has started to thicken. Remove from heat and add butter; stir until the butter has melted add lime zest and a very small drop of green food coloring to give the curd a slight green tint.
Note: do not let the mixture boil or it curdle
Remove from heat and cover immediately (to keep a skin from forming) let cool to room temperature.
Will last for up to two weeks in refrigerator can last in the freezer for approximately two months. Lime Curd doesn't freeze solid, so you can spoon out exactly what you need with out defrosting entire container.
Makes approximately 1 1/2 cups lime curd.

Vanilla Butter Cream frosting

1-cup butter r/t
6 to 8 cups confectioners sugar
½ cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt

In the bowl of electric mixer, cream butter until smooth add sugar, salt, milk and vanilla mix until light and fluffy.
Gradually blend in additional sugar if needed

•Cake strips are place around the outside if the baking pan to help keep the cake moist and level during baking, they can be found on-line under the name Magic cake strips or in Cake supply stores such as Do it with Icing
•The curd can be made in advance and stored in freezer until you need it
•Can frosting can be used to save time"

Gorgeous!