Coconut cake

ingredients

• Coconut cake

  • 185 gram butter, plus 30 g extra - all at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup caster sugar
  • 2 teaspoon coconut essence
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 3/4 cup self-raising flour
  • 3/4 cup desiccated coconut
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 cup icing sugar
  • few drops red food colouring
  • flaked coconut, to garnish

method

• Coconut cake

  • 1

    Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan forced. Grease a 23cm fluted ring pan, line base with baking paper.

  • 2

    Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and essence in a small bowl until light and creamy. Add eggs, one by one, beating well after each addition.

  • 3

    Using a large metal spoon, fold sifted flour, coconut and milk into butter mixture until just combined.

  • 4

    Spoon mixture into prepared pan; smooth surface. Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted at centre comes out clean. Stand cake in pan for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack; remove paper then cool completely.

  • 5

    Sift icing sugar into a medium heatproof bowl. Add extra butter and 2 1/2 tablespoons boiling water, stir until smooth. Tint icing with a few drops food colouring. Place cake on serving plate, drizzle with icing and lightly sprinkle with coconut. Set aside for 30 minutes to set.

notes

To line base of cake pan, roughly estimate size of required baking paper round then cut a circle to place on top of ring. Cake batter will flatten paper into fluted shape of pan.