Coconut and lime cake recipe

You can decorate this with toasted coconut flakes – Haarala Hamilton

I didn’t like coconut cakes or buns until I made this. It does include desiccated coconut but the coconut milk brings a richness that compels you to take another bite. It’s one of my favourite cakes.

Timings

Prep time: 20 minutes, plus cooling time

Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Serves 

10

Ingredients

• 245g butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for greasing
• 300g plain flour, sifted
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• 50g desiccated coconut
• 145g soft light-brown sugar
• 100g coconut palm sugar (or just use all soft light-brown sugar)
• 200ml tinned coconut milk (be sure to shake the tin so the cream and liquid are blended)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• finely grated zest of 2 limes

For the coconut buttercream

• 80g unsalted butter
• 80g icing sugar
• 50ml coconut cream
• 2 tbsp desiccated coconut
• juice of ½-1 lime, to taste
• 1 tbsp Malibu or white rum (optional)
• toasted or sweetened coconut flakes, to decorate

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/170C fan/gas mark 4. 
2. Butter and base-line a 22 x 11 x 6cm loaf tin.
3. Put all the dry ingredients for the cake, plus a pinch of salt, into a large bowl.
4. Mix together the cooled butter, coconut milk, eggs and vanilla extract, and pour into the dry ingredients. 
5. Add the lime zest and mix with a wooden spoon.
6. Scrape into the prepared tin and bake for about 1 hour 30 minutes (check the cake after 1 hour 15 minutes, as ovens vary so much). A skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean.
7. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then carefully turn it out on to a wire rack (it’s a fragile cake). Leave to cool completely.
8. Meanwhile, beat together the butter and icing sugar until pale and fluffy, then (with the electric stand mixer on a low speed if you’re using one) add the coconut cream. 
9. Beat again, then add the desiccated coconut, lime juice and alcohol, if using. 
10. Scrape into a bowl, cover and chill for about 30 minutes, to allow it to firm.
11. Spread the buttercream on top of the cake with a palette knife and sprinkle with coconut flakes. Leave somewhere cool so that the topping can set a little before slicing.

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