Recipes: Coconut Lime Cake

COCONUT-LIME CAKE

Serves 12 to 16.

Note: Find unsweetened coconut at co-ops and natural-food stores. The coconut provides much of the bulk of the cake layers, which are flourless and almost like macaroons. Adapted from a recipe in "Gorgeous Cakes," by Annie Bell.

Cake:

• 12 oz. (about 4¹/₂c.) unsweetened coconut, plus coconut shreds for decorating

• 1¹/₂tsp. baking powder

• 6 eggs, separated

Lime mousse:

• 2 limes

• 2 (¹/₄-oz.) envelopes unsweetened gelatin

• 1 c. powdered sugar, sifted

• 2 c. plain full-fat yogurt

• Green food coloring, optional

Directions

To prepare the cake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil 3 (8-inch) pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper and lightly oil the paper.

Whirl the coconut in a food processor until it is the texture of coarse meal. Add the baking powder and whirl briefly, to mix. In the large bowl of the electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they are frothy, then add the sugar in a slow stream, and beat at high speed several minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and is starting to get some body. In the small mixer bowl (no need to clean beaters), whip the egg yolks briefly.

Gently fold the yolks into the whites, and when they are almost fully mixed, gently fold in the coconut mixture. Divide evenly among the three pans. Bake about 20 minutes. The tops should be firm. Cool 10 minutes, run a knife around the edge, invert and peel away parchment paper. Cool completely.

Put the powdered sugar in a medium bowl, gradually stir in the yogurt, then the gelatin, then the cream. Stir in the zest, then food coloring if you like. Chill the mixture 30 minutes or more, until it begins to mound when you stir it.

Fill and top the cake layers with thirds of the mousse. Chill at least 4 hours. Sprinkle rim with extra coconut if you like.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories369Fat26 gSodium104 mg

Carbohydrates31 gSaturated fat19 gCalcium100 mg