Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C fan (350℉). Line two 7-inch cake pans with parchment paper.

Make the Lemon Coconut Sponge

1. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a stand mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and continue beating until pale and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stop and scrape down the bowl as needed.
4. Mix in the lemon extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest until combined.
5. Alternately add portions of the flour mixture and coconut milk to the batter, starting and ending with the flour.
6. Gently fold-in the desiccated coconut using a silicone spatula.
7. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Smooth the tops and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
8. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the Homemade Lemon Curd

1. In a heatproof bowl, whisk together eggs,  egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
2. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water, stirring constantly until thickened (about 8-10 minutes).
3. Push the cooked lemon curd through a sieve. 
4. Remove the sieve and stir in the cold  butter until smooth. 
5. Store it in a glass container. Allow it to cool completely before storing in a refrigerator.

Make the Lemon Buttercream Frosting

1. Mix the salt and icing sugar in a bowl.  Set aside.
2. In a stand mixer, beat the butter until creamy and pale.
3. Add the icing sugar mixture gradually, mixing until fully combined. 
4. Mix in lemon juice, lemon extract, and double cream. Beat until smooth and fluffy.
5. Load the buttercream into a piping bag and secure with an icing bag tie. Store in the refrigerator until you assemble the cake.

Assemble the Cake

1. Level the cooled cakes using a serrated knife.
2. Spread a layer of  buttercream frosting on one cake.  Then pipe a rim of buttercream around the cake’s edge, creating a well to contain the curd.  
3. Spread lemon curd generously, inside the buttercream rim.
4. Sprinkle desiccated shredded coconut on top. 
5. Place the second layer on top, facing down (bottom up).
6. Crumb coat the entire cake with lemon buttercream frosting.
7. Chill the cake for 30 minutes to set. 
8. Now coat the whole cake with a generous layer of buttercream frosting.  Smooth out the sides with a dough scraper and the top with an angled offset spatula to make the cake look neat.
9. Gently press desiccated coconut around the sides of the cake, using a cupped hand and brushing away the excess.
10. Decorate as desired (see my choice on the video) and serve!