coconut cake with coconut filling & buttercream

Ingredients For coconut cake with coconut filling & buttercream

• FOR THE CAKE:
• 2 Tbsp

  unsalted butter, at room temperature (for the pans)
• 12 Tbsp

  cold butter, cut into 12 pieces (for the cake)
• 2 1/4 c

  cake flour, plus more for the pans
• 1 c

  whole milk, at room temperature
• 6 lg

  egg whites, at room temperature
• 1

  vanilla bean, split lenthwise, seeds scraped out and reserved
• 1/2 tsp

  pure vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 c

  granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp

  plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tsp

  salt
• FOR THE COCONUT FILLING:
• 3/4 c

  coconut custard, (below), cold
• 3/4 c

  heavy cream, cold
• FOR THE COCONUT BUTTERCREAM:
• 3 stick

  unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 c

  confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 c

  coconut custard (below)
• 1 pinch

  salt
• FOR ASSEMBLY:
• coconut simple syrup (below)
• 2 c

  sweetened flaked coconut, lightly toasted, for garnish
• COCONUT CUSTARD:
• 3/4 c

  whole milk
• 3/4 c

  unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2

  vanilla bean, seeds scraped out, bean and seeds reserved
• 4 lg

  egg yolks
• 1/3 c

  granulated sugar
• 3 Tbsp

  cornstarch
• 2 tsp

  coconut rum
• 1/2 tsp

  pure vanilla extract
• COCONUT SIMPLE SYRUP:
• 1 Tbsp

  granulated sugar
• 3/4 c

  sweetened flaked coconut