Light, fluffy, moist coconut sponge cake slathered with a coconut and vanilla icing. Enough said! Nothing complicated, nothing fancy, quick and easy to make, but oh, so good! Absolute heaven and my new obsession.
Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
Preheat oven to Fan Oven 160°C /180°C/350°F/Gas 4
Grease and line a deep 20cm/8in round cake tin.
Toast the coconut for the topping: as soon as the oven has heated, scatter the desiccated coconut, (for the topping) onto a baking tray and pop in the oven to lightly toast – this should take only 2 – 3 minutes.
When toasted, remove from the oven and transfer to a bowl to prevent further discolouration.
Make the cake: using a microwave safe mixing bowl, melt the butter and coconut oil in a microwave. Leave to cool a little, whilst you collect all the remaining ingredients together.
Add the remaining ingredients. Do not let the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda come into contact with the wet ingredients. You can ensure this by adding the ingredients in this order:
- plain/all-purpose flour
- cornflour
- salt
- baking powder
- bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
- desiccated coconut
- caster sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- coconut extract, if using
- tinned coconut milk
Beat with a balloon or electric whisk until incorporated – be careful not to over-mix. It should take 30 seconds to a minute; you may need to stop half way to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
The batter is quite liquidy. The easiest way to transfer the cake batter to the cake tin, is by pouring it.
Bake in the centre of a preheated oven for 40 – 45 minutes or until cooked. It is cooked when:
– the centre feels springy when lightly touched with your finger and no imprint remains
– a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean
– the cake is beginning to come away from the sides of the tin.
Leave the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, and then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
Make the Coconut and Vanilla Icing: when the cake is completely cold, make the icing. Gradually add the coconut milk, coconut and vanilla extracts to the icing sugar. Mix thoroughly, until you have a soft, spreadable paste.
Pour the icing over the top of the cake. Spread to level over the surface.
Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the icing.
Equipment:
Coconut and Chocolate:
Coconut and chocolate are meant to be eaten together. If you love this classic combination, you may wish to try my Coconut Loaf Cake with Salted Milk Chocolate Ganache. Same cake recipe, cooked in a loaf tin, and covered in a lush, salted chocolate topping.
This recipe is based on my Butter and Oil Cakes – Core Recipe. The changes I made were to:
Order of ingredients: it is important to add the ingredients in the order stated in the recipe. This is to ensure the raising agents do not come into contact with too much liquid too soon and activate.
Food processor: this cake can also be made in a food processor. Simply place all the ingredients in the processor bowl, in the order stated, and pulse until mixed. Be careful not to over-mix though.
Freezing the cake: this cake freezes well and, although you can freeze it with the icing or ganache, I recommend freezing it without and adding it when you de-frost the cake and you are ready to eat it.