Coconut and Lemon Loaf Recipe

Coconut adds flavour and texture to this moist cake, which is topped with a crisp lemon icing. We find that the cake seems moister the day after baking. You will need about two lemons for this recipe.

Preparation time: about 40 minutes (excludes baking and cooling time)

Serves about 10.

We use a 20ml tablespoon and 250ml measuring cup for all of our recipes.

Cake
125g butter, softened (if using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon fine table salt with the butter)
225g (1 cup) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
4g (1 teaspoon, firmly packed) finely grated lemon rind
2 large eggs (we use eggs with a minimum weight of 59g)
40ml (2 tablespoons) lemon juice
30g (1/3 cup) desiccated coconut
210ml (3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon) milk (we use full cream milk that contains 3.6 percent fat)
225g (1 1/2 cups) self-raising flour

Lemon Icing
150g (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon) pure icing sugar (sifted if lumpy)
25ml (1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon) lemon juice

Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius (150 degrees Celsius fan-forced). If you are not using a fan-forced oven, adjust the oven rack to the lower half of the oven so the top of the cake will be in the centre of the oven.

Grease a 6cm high, 10cm by 20cm (base measurement) loaf pan. Line pan with baking paper, extending the paper about 3cm above the top of the pan.

Using an electric mixer or electric hand-held beaters on low speed, beat the butter in a large bowl until creamy (about 2 minutes).

Add the caster sugar and lemon rind and beat on medium speed. Stop the machine once or twice during beating to scrape down the side and base of the bowl with a spatula. Beat the mixture until it is pale and creamy (about 5-7 minutes).


Add the first egg to the butter mixture and beat on medium speed for about one minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the side and base of the bowl. Add the remaining egg, beating on medium speed for about one minute. Scrape down the side and base of the bowl.

To the butter mixture, add two tablespoons lemon juice, coconut, half the milk and half the flour. Using a large spoon or spatula, gently fold ingredients together until just combined. Add the remaining flour and milk and fold ingredients together until combined. Don't over mix the batter.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Using a spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the batter evenly and smooth the surface.

Bake for about 55-63 minutes, until the crust is golden in colour and the cake springs back when lightly pressed in the centre. Insert a thin-bladed knife or wooden skewer into the centre of the cake to test whether it is cooked through. If the knife/skewer comes out without batter attached, the cake is ready.

Allow cake to cool in pan on a wire rack.

When cooled, remove cake from pan.

Stir icing sugar and 25ml (1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon) lemon juice together in a small bowl until smooth. Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the icing over the top of the cake.

Store cake in an airtight container at cool room temperature. © www.exclusivelyfood.com.au