Chocolate Coconut Layer Cake

Chocolate and coconut cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 170c degrees and grease the pan.
2. Chop the chocolate and put in a bowl. Add butter and melt together in the microwave or over double-boiler until everything is melted and the mixture is uniform.
3. Add sugar, salt and vanilla and whisk until combined.
4. Add the eggs one after the other, mixing well between additions.
5. Add coconut milk and mix until incorporated.
6. Add flour, ground coconut and baking powder and mix until uniform.
7. Pour the batter into the pan, straighten the top and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cake is set to the touch and a skewer inserted in its center comes out with moist crumbs.
8. Cool completely at room temperature, than cool it for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
9. Cut the cake into 2 equal layers. Keep in the refrigerator until assembly.

White chocolate and coconut cream:

1. In a mixer bowl, whip cream and coconut extract into a stable whipped cream.
2. In a separate bowl, dissolve the white chocolate in the microwave or over double-boiler until it is completely melted.
3. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the whipped cream into the melted chocolate bowl and stir well to compare textures.
4. Add in the remaining whipped cream and gently fold until you get a uniform cream.
5. Add the ground coconut and fold until it spreads evenly in cream.

Assemble the cake:

1. Place a layer of cake on top of a serving dish and gently brush with coconut milk.
2. On the base of the cake, pour about 1/3 of the coconut cream and straighten to a uniform layer.
3. Top with the second layer of cake and brush with coconut milk.
4. Coat the cake evenly with the coconut cream on the sides and top. Keep approximately 1/4 of the cream in a piping bag fitted with 2 cm serrated piping tip for decoration.
5. With your hands, press some ground coconut to the cream on the edges of the cake and on the top.
6. Cool the cake for about an hour in the freezer.

Chocolate ganache:

1. Chop the chocolate and put in a bowl.
2. Add the cream and salt and melt together in the microwave or over double-boiler until everything is melted and the mixture is uniform.
3. Cool the ganache for about 1 hour at room temperature until it is slightly stabilized, but still relatively liquid.
4. Pour the ganache over the top of the cake and let it drizzle a bit on the sides as well.
5. Pipe mounds of the remaining coconut cream and decorate with chocolate and coconut snowballs.