Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 9oz unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• 9oz caster sugar
• 4 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ lime, zest only
• 9oz plain flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• pinch salt
• 2½oz desiccated coconut
• 4 tbsp coconut cream
• 1¾oz coconut chips
• 7oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1lb 2oz icing sugar
• 4 tbsp coconut cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• ½ lime, zest only
• salt

Method

1. Heat the oven to 350°F, grease two 8in sandwich tins and line their bases with buttered baking paper.
2. Beat the softened butter and caster sugar together for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is pale and light, scraping down the sides of the bowl from time to time.
3. Add the lightly beaten eggs gradually, mixing well between each addition, then mix in the teaspoon of vanilla extract and the zest of half a lime.
4. Sift the plain flour, baking powder and pinch of salt into the bowl, add the desiccated coconut and 4 tablespoons of coconut cream, and beat until the batter is smooth and everything is combined.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the two tins and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the cakes are well risen and golden brown and a skewer pushed into the middle comes out clean.
6. Leave the cakes in their tins for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack and let them cool completely.
7. Drop the oven temperature to 300°F and toast the coconut chips on a baking tray for 2 to 3 minutes until their edges are just golden, then leave them to cool.
8. For the icing, beat the room-temperature butter until very pale, add the icing sugar gradually with a mix between additions, then mix in the 4 tablespoons of coconut cream followed by the vanilla, the second half lime's zest and a pinch of salt.
9. Set one cake on a serving plate, spread 4 tablespoons of icing over its top, sit the second cake on that layer, then cover the top and sides of the whole cake with the remaining icing using a palette knife and scatter the toasted coconut chips over the top.

Prep: 1 h · Cook: 1 h

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data