Coconut Cake Recipe

For this recipe we use coconut milk that contains about 25 percent fat and sour cream that contains about 35 percent fat.

Preparation time: about 30 minutes (excludes baking and cooling time)

Serves 8-10.

Cake
54g (2/3 cup) desiccated coconut
225g (1 1/2 cups) self-raising flour
300g (1 cup plus 2 1/2 tablespoons) sour cream
83ml (1/3 cup) coconut milk
125g butter, softened (if using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon fine table salt with the butter)
220g (1 cup) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
2 large eggs (we use eggs with a minimum weight of 59g)

Icing
185g (1 1/3 cups) pure icing sugar (powdered sugar)
30ml (1 1/2 tablespoons) fresh lemon juice
8g (1 tablespoon) desiccated coconut, for sprinkling on top of icing

Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius (150 degrees Celsius fan-forced). 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 (not necessary for a fan-forced oven).

Grease a 22.5cm diameter (top inside measurement) round springform cake pan and line the base and side with non-stick baking paper.

Place desiccated coconut and flour in a medium bowl. Stir together and set aside.

Place sour cream and coconut milk in a small bowl. Stir together and set aside.

Using an electric mixer or electric hand-held beaters, beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl, starting on low speed and increasing to medium once the sugar is incorporated. Beat until lighter in colour and creamy (about 5-7 minutes), stopping the machine once or twice during beating to scrape down the side and base of the bowl with a spatula.

Add one 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 and beat on medium speed for about one minute.

Add half the sour cream mixture and half the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Using a large spoon or spatula, fold together until just combined. Fold in the remaining ingredients until just combined (don't overmix).

Transfer mixture to the prepared pan and smooth the surface of the batter with a spatula or the back of a spoon.

Bake for about 50-60 minutes, until 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.

Sit pan on a wire rack and allow cake to cool to room temperature. Remove from pan and flip cake over so the base becomes the top – this gives a flatter surface for icing.

Icing
In a small bowl, stir icing sugar and lemon juice together until smooth. Spread the icing over the top of the cake using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.

Sprinkle icing with coconut.

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