Coconut & Almond Brownie Cake

This beautiful snowy white cake hides a rich, fudgy chocolate interior.

With a luxurious meringue buttercream, it’s super impressive but surprisingly easy to decorate, as the coconut coating means you don’t need to worry too much about neat icing!

Yields: 20 servings

Prep Time: 1 hour 20 mins

Process Time: 50 mins

Total Time: 2 hours 10 mins

Calories per Serving: 511

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 250 g

  unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease

• 200 g

  dark soft brown sugar

• 175 g

  granulated sugar

• 3

  medium eggs

• 400 mL

  tin full-fat coconut milk

• 200 mL

  soured cream

• 300 g

  plain flour

• 125 g

  cocoa powder

• 2 tsp.

  baking powder

• 75 g

  ground almonds

Ferrero Raffaello truffles, optional, to decorate

FOR THE MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

• 75 g

  dark chocolate, chopped

• 5

  medium egg whites

• 200 g

  granulated sugar

• 250 g

  unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 2.5cm peices

• 1 tsp.

  vanilla extract

• 60 g

  desiccated coconut

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Lightly grease and line 2 x deep 20.5cm round tins with baking parchment.
2. To make the cake, using a freestanding mixer or a handheld electric whisk and a large bowl, beat the butter and both sugars until pale and fluffy, about 5min. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. In a jug, mix the coconut milk and soured cream. Into a separate bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Stir in the ground almonds and 1/2tsp fine salt. With the motor slowly running, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. When almost incorporated, add 1/3 of the milk mixture. Continue adding until all the dry and liquid ingredients have been mixed in (don’t overwork it at this stage).
4. Divide the cake batter evenly between the tins and smooth to level. Bake for 35-40min, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of a sponge comes out clean. Leave to cool completely in tins on a wire rack.
5. To make the frosting, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, in a separate large heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, beat the egg whites and sugar with a handheld electric whisk until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved, about 5min.
6. Quickly empty meringue mixture into the (clean) bowl of a freestanding mixer, or continue with the bowl off the heat and a handheld electric whisk. Beat on high for 10min or until meringue is thick and outside of bowl is completely cool. Gradually add the butter, 1 piece at a time, beating well after each addition (the frosting might look curdled but keep beating and it will come together). Once all the butter has been added, beat on medium-high for 5min.
7. Spoon 125g of the frosting into the cooled chocolate bowl and mix together. Add the vanilla to the remaining (white) frosting and whisk briefly to combine. Cover the white frosting bowl and chill until needed.
8. To assemble, place a sponge on a cake board, stand or serving plate, using a little of the chocolate buttercream to stick it in place. Spread the remaining chocolate buttercream on top, then top with the second sponge. Chill for 10min to firm up.
9. Scantly cover the top and sides of the cake with 1/3 of the remaining (white) frosting, smoothing with a palette knife to finish. Chill for 1hr to firm up. Once firm, use the remaining frosting to generously ice the top and sides, then use your hands to press desiccated coconut on to the sides of cake. Chill for 30min. Decorate with the Raffaello, if using, and serve in slices.

GET AHEAD

Make cakes up to a day ahead. Once cool, wrap cakes in clingfilm and store in tins at room temperature. Make frosting to end of step 6 up to a day ahead. Cover and chill. To serve, allow frosting to come up to room temperature and beat until smooth. Complete recipe.

TO STORE

Store the iced cake (without truffles), loosely covered in fridge, for up 3 days. Allow to come to room temperature before serving. Leftovers will keep, covered and chilled, for up to 4 days.

Per serving (without truffles):

• Calories: 511
• Protein: 7g
• Fat: 33g
• Saturates: 21g
• Carbs: 45g
• Sugars: 32g
• Fibre: 2g

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