Coconut Lemon Syrup Cake

I just love this cake as it is so moist and cuts well, an important factor if serving it for a morning or afternoon tea, or taking to a picnic.  You can  pour the syrup over whilst in the tin but it might be difficult to remove: the finish will be better if the syrup is brushed or spooned over. 

Inroduction

About this Recipe

By: Sheridan Rogers

This cake is also fabulous made with fresh limes, something I discovered after  spending a few days in Hawaii with my son and his family a few years ago: the lime-coconut-passionfruit combo evokes magical summer evenings spent by the beach there.

Ingredients

  • softened unsalted butter, 250g
  • caster sugar, 350g
  • organic lemons, 2
  • free range or organic eggs, 8, at room temperature
  • desiccated coconut, 280g
  • self-raising flour, 250g, sifted
  • Lemon Syrup:
  • caster sugar, 200g
  • water, 350ml

Preheat the oven to 170degC.
Grease a 25cm round cake tin and line the base with non-stick baking paper. Cream together the butter, sugar and finely grated zest of the lemons until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time. Fold through the coconut and flour.
Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for one hour. Remove cake from oven and  turn  out carefully onto a wire rack.
Meanwhile, make the syrup: place the sugar and water in a saucepan.  Add the strained juice of both lemons.  Bring to the boil, and leave to gently simmer for a few minutes.
Brush or spoon over the hot syrup.  It seems like a lot of syrup but this cake will absorb it all.
When cool, dust with icing sugar and decorate with candied citrus peel (optional).

For the Tropical Lime-Passionfruit Syrup : Substitute 2-3  limes (depending on their size) for the lemons and add the pulp of three passionfruit to the cooled syrup, stir to combine, then spoon over the cake.