Ingredients
Baking spray, for pan
3 c. cake flour, spooned and leveled
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 c. malted milk powder
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 c. canola oil
1 c. half-and-half, at room temperature
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. pure coconut extract
1 large egg plus 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
Coconut Buttercream (recipe link below)
1/8 tsp. brown gel food coloring
Phyllo nest and robin egg candies (recipe link below)
Method
1-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease three 8-inch cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Whisk together flour, baking powder, malt powder, and salt in a bowl.
2-Whisk together oil, half-and-half, sugar, vanilla, coconut extract, and whole egg in a separate bowl until smooth. Fold in flour mixture just until incorporated. Beat egg whites with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Fold egg whites into batter just until combined.
3-Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert onto racks to cool completely.
4-Place one layer on a cake plate and frost top with 1 cup Coconut Buttercream. Repeat two more times. Frost sides with remaining Coconut Buttercream.
5-Stir together food coloring and 2 drops water in a bowl. Dip the tip of a wide, stiff paintbrush into the mixture. Holding the brush 6 to 8 inches from the cake, gently fling the mixture onto iced cake. Repeat for desired effect. Spread Phyllo Nest around the base of the cake, and nestle candies in nest.