Enjoy another sweet-tooth recipe, this time from chef Matt King, vice president of culinary at Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group. The coconut layer cake has long been a popular dessert at the steakhouse. Since you can’t make it over to the restaurant located at The Grand Canal Shoppes quite yet, try your hand at baking the delicious treat.

“So many of our regulars go crazy for our coconut layer cake,” King said. “And for good reason. It’s light and fluffy, with delicate flavors and layers of cake and coconut cream, topped with fresh coconut. It’s been a mainstay on our menu for over 20 years. The dessert was originally developed for the Smith & Wollensky Miami opening to add some tropical flair.”

Ingredients (for coconut cake layers)

2 cups cake flour

2 cups all-purpose flour

1½ tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2½ cups unsweetened coconut milk

1½ tablespoons vanilla extract

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

8 ounces unsalted butter

1½ cups granulated white sugar

2 eggs (extra large)

1 cup egg whites (about 7-8 extra-large eggs)

½ teaspoon cream of tarter

1½ cups granulated white sugar

Process

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Butter three (9X2) round cake pans. Line with round parchment paper; butter parchment, dust lightly with flour and shake off excess.

Sift together cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt.

In a separate bowl, combine unsweetened coconut milk and vanilla; whisk to blend, add coconut and stir to blend.

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and 1½ cups sugar for 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until incorporated; transfer batter to a large bowl.

Alternately add flour mixture and coconut mixture to batter in 3 batches, until blended.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a wire whip, beat egg whites with cream of tartar and 1½ cups sugar to form medium stiff peaks; add to batter, stirring slowly with a whisk until incorporated.

Spread batter evenly in pans; tap pans on counter to eliminate air bubbles.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; cool on cooling racks for 5 minutes. Run a knife around outer edges of pans and empty cakes onto racks.

Ingredients (for coconut simple syrup)

2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk

2 tablespoons cream of coconut

½ cup Bacardi Rock Coconut rum

1 cup simple syrup

Process

Combine unsweetened coconut milk, cream of coconut, coconut rum and simple syrup and whisk to blend. Place to the side until ready to assemble the cake.

Ingredients (for coconut cake filling)

2 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

¼ cup cream of coconut

1½ cup confectioner’s sugar

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Process

In bowl of stand mixer filled with a wire whip, combine heavy cream, cream of coconut, confectioner’s sugar, shredded coconut and vanilla extract.

Whip until stiff peaks form.

To assemble the cake

Arrange 1 cake layer on a cake stand or large plate. Brush the top of cake generously with the coconut simple syrup. Using an offset spatula, spread evenly with coconut cake filling. Repeat with 2nd and 3rd cake layer.

Chill cake for 3 hours before serving.

Tips from the chef

This cake is best served very cold, so be sure to wait until the last minute to pull it out of the refrigerator.

To add a bit of color and extra flavor to the dessert, add a handful of fruit on the side of each slice. Look for berries that are in season. Blueberries, strawberries and blackberries would all be delicious.

Click here for your free subscription to Las Vegas Magazine’s digital edition. Keep up with everything happening in Las Vegas, including reopening information. You’ll also receive the “Lost Issue” of Las Vegas Magazine, published right before the shutdown.