Coconut Ice Cake

Sometimes I make a cake just for me (and the ladies at knitting). Coconut ice and coconut cakes are not really like by the man of the house, however, I really enjoy them both and from time to time will make this cake as it sort of combines a deliciously moist coconut cake with an icing that is a bit like coconut ice.

When baking it to share with the ladies at knitting I opt for a roast/baking tin, it is easier to cut and portion than in a round tin, however if making it as a syrup cake I prefer a round springform tin.

Sprinkle a little desiccated coconut over the icing for decoration.

The instructions are for a conventional creaming or beating method which is the traditional way of making butter cake variations. These days I mostly use the food processer.

Coconut Ice Cake

Coconut  Cake 185 g soft butter 1 1/2 cups caster sugar 2 teaspoons coconut essence 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 eggs or 2 eggs plus yolks from icing 1 1/2 cups sour cream* 2 cups SR flour 1 cup desiccated coconut *I have used 3/4 cup pure cream and 3/4 cup plain yoghurt

Coconut Icing 2 cups icing sugar 1 2/3 cups desiccated coconut 2 egg whites 1 – 2 teaspoons coconut essence 1 -2 drops pink food colouring Coconut Syrup 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 1-2 teaspoons coconut essence

Method

Preheat oven 170 deg C

Grease and line cake tin

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add coconut essence and vanilla extract

Gradually add eggs, beating well

Stir in sour cream

Add flour and coconut. Mix well.

Bake at 170 deg C for ten minutes and then reduce heat to 160 deg C until cooked, approximately 50 minutes or longer depending on size of tin. (Golden brown in colour, the edges will shrink slightly from side of cake tin and a skewer comes out clean.)

Place on cake cooler and allow cake to cool.

If icing the cake needs to be cold, for the syrup it can still be warm.

 Coconut Icing

Lightly whisk egg whites and beat in icing sugar, add coconut, colouring and essence. Mix well. Add a little water if necessary. The icing should be thick so that it resembles coconut ice.

Syrup

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and simmer until syrupy. Add coconut essence.  Pierce cake with skewer and brush warm syrup all over the cake. Do this in stages allowing the cake to absorb the syrup. Retain any syrup and pour some over/around cake when serving.