Bake a gluten-free lime and coconut island cake for a good cause
Look, we know you are trying to be healthy. But hear us out. You need to eat cake – it’s for a good cause! If that isn’t the best excuse to indulge in some spongey, sugary goodness, we don’t know what is. Monday August 31 marks the official date of the Australian Red Cross’s Big Cake Bake, which encourages Australians to gather with friends, family or workmates to share in an array of baked goods and raise funds for the Red Cross. Money raised from the bake off will go towards supporting people across the country who are in need of assistance. One of this year’s ambassadors, gluten-free superstar Rowie Dillion of Rowie’s Cakes, has shared her recipe for lime and coconut island cake, which is sure to be a standout on any Big Cake Bake table spread.
INGREDIENTS
Cake
150g unsalted butter, chopped and softened
1 cup caster sugar
5 eggs
1¼ cups coconut flour
1½ teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
1¾ cups desiccated coconut
1¾ cups buttermilk
Syrup
1 cup caster sugar
zest and juice of 1 lemon
zest and juice of 1 lime
½ cup water
Icing
2 egg whites
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 cups pure icing sugar, sifted
TO MAKE
Preheat the oven to 175°C. Grease and line a high-sided (approx 9.5 cm) 20 cm springform cake tin.
Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl with electric beaters until pale and fluffy (the sugar needs to dissolve and the mixture should be very creamy). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift the coconut flour and baking powder into a separate bowl and mix in the desiccated coconut with a whisk. Fold the coconut mixture and the buttermilk into the egg mixture.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for one hour, or until firm on top.
Cool in the tin on a wire rack.
To make the syrup, place all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10–15 minutes without stirring.
Pour one third of the syrup over the cake in the tin. After five minutes pour over another third of the syrup.
If your cake still needs more liquid, after a further five minutes, pour over the remaining syrup being careful not to add more than it can absorb.
Set the cake aside for at least three hours or overnight.
To make the icing, beat the egg whites and lemon juice with electric beaters until stiff peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and beat until the icing is thick and holding perfectly smooth and shiny ‘standing’ peaks. Be very careful not to overbeat, this will cause the icing to break down into clumps.
Using a palette knife, quickly (the icing sets very fast) and evenly spread the icing over the entire cake to create peaks on the top and sides.
Find more Big Cake Bake recipes online.
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