Coconut Carrot Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).

Butter the bottom and sides of two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans and dust with flour to coat. Tap out any excess flour.

Bake until the cakes are evenly golden on top and a few moist crumbs cling to a skewer or toothpick inserted in the center of each cake, 38 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven.

While the cakes bake, combine the granulated sugar, coconut milk, shredded coconut, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the coconut extract, cover, and set aside to steep for at least 20 minutes.

Strain the coconut syrup, reserving the coconut for another use or nibbling it while you wait for the cakes to be done. Use the syrup warm or at room temperature. (The coconut syrup will keep, in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 1 week. Reheat it in a small saucepan over low heat before using.)

Immediately after removing the cakes from the oven, while the cakes are still in their pans, pierce them at 1-inch (2.5-cm) intervals with a skewer or the tip of a paring knife. This creates channels for the syrup to seep into the cakes. Pour or generously brush the syrup over the surface of the hot cake layers, dividing it evenly between them. Move the soaked cake, still in their pans, to a wire rack to cool completely, 1 to 2 hours. When the cake layers are cool and no longer wet to the touch, carefully turn them out of their pans onto a wire rack. (You can carefully wrap the soaked cakes and keep them at room temperature for up to 24 hours before frosting.)

Combine the butter, cream cheese, salt, and 2 cups (227 grams) confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add the remaining sugar and beat on medium speed until the frosting is pale and no longer grainy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat until the frosting is very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes more. The frosting will be quite thick. (The cream cheese frosting will keep, in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 1 week. For best results, before using, bring it back to room temperature and stir it vigorously or beat it again before using.)

Place one layer of the cooled cake on a cake plate or platter. Use a serrated knife to gently trim the domed top of the cake to create a flat surface. Cover the top of the cake with some of the cream cheese frosting, spreading it all the way to the edge of the cake. Carefully add the second layer of cake on top of the first and frost the top and sides of the entire cake.

Immediately after you frost the cake, support the cake plate or platter from the bottom with one hand while holding it above a baking sheet. Gently press the coconut flakes or shards onto the side of the cake with your other hand. (It’s important to press the coconut flakes onto the frosting right away while the frosting is still sorta sticky. Otherwise the coconut won’t adhere.) Slice, serve, and sit back while folks toss accolades your way.