coconutty coconut ice cake
serves 10 I prep 45 mins (+ cooling) I cooking 50 mins
50g desiccated coconut
400ml can coconut milk
1 tbs coconut essence
270g (1 3 /4 cups) plain flour
21 /2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
250g unsalted butter, chopped, at room temperature
285g (1 1 /3 cups) caster sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
Rose pink liquid food colouring, to tint
500ml (2 cups) thickened cream
100g pure icing sugar, sifted
200g coconut flakes
Coconut ice, mini meringues and mini marshmallows, some halved, to decorate
1 Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan forced. Grease two 7cm-deep, 14 x 24cm (base size ) loaf pans. Line the bases and sides with baking paper.
2 Place desiccated coconut, 250ml (1 cup) coconut milk and 1 tsp coconut essence in a small saucepan over low heat. Heat through. Set aside to cool. Place the remaining coconut milk in the fridge to chill. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Stir in the salt.
3 Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or electric beaters to beat the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. With the motor running on low speed, add the flour mixture and coconut milk mixture in alternating batches, beginning and ending with the flour, until just combined. Pour half the cake mixture into 1 prepared pan. Smooth the surface. Add a little food colouring to tint the remaining cake mixture pink. Pour into the remaining pan. Smooth the surface. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4 Use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or electric beaters to beat the cream, chilled coconut milk, icing sugar and remaining coconut essence in a large bowl until firm peaks form.
5 Use a serrated knife to trim and level top of each cake. Cut each cake in half horizontally. Place 1 pink cake layer, base-side down, on a serving plate and spread with 1 /2 cup coconut milk mixture. Repeat layering with the remaining pink cake followed by the plain cakes, spreading1 /2 cup coconut milk mixture between each layer. Spread the remaining coconut milk mixture over the top and side of the whole cake. Gently press the coconut flakes over the top and side of the cake. Decorate the top with coconut ice, meringues and marshmallows. Serve.
TOP TIPS
Bake the cakes up to 3 days ahead. Wrap warm cakes in plastic wrap (this traps the steam and helps
