Coconut Cake with Creamcheese Icing

Name: Coconut Cake with Creamcheese Icing
Ingredients: 375 gm butter; 500 ml (2 cups) sugar; 5 eggs; 7,5 ml (1 ½ teaspoon) vanilla essence; 2,5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) almond essence; 750 ml (3 cups) cake flour; 5 ml (1 teaspoon) baking powder; 2,5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) bicarbonate of soda; 2,5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) salt; 250 ml (1 cup) milk; 125 gm desiccated coconut; For the cream cheese icing:; 500 gm cream cheese, at room temperature; 250 gm butter, at room temperature; 5 ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla essence; 1,25 ml (1/4 teaspoon) almond essence; 500 gm icing sugar; desiccated coconut, enough to cover the top and sides of the iced cake

This is a very rich but deliciously moist recipe for coconut cake. If you like coconut, this one is for you.

Published 11 June 2020

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Grease and line 2 cake tins with baking paper. Brush the paper with melted butter and dust with cake flour.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time scraping the mixing bowl a few times. Add the vanilla and almond essence and mix well.
Sift the dry ingredients together. With the mixer running on low, alternately add the dry ingredients and milk to the batter in 3 parts, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the coconut with a spatula.
Divide the batter between the 2 prepared cake tins and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the centre of the oven for 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.
Set the cake tins on a cooling rack and leave to cool for 30 minutes. Turn out the cakes onto the cooling rack and set aside until completely cooled down.
Make the cream cheese icing. Combine and mix the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a mixer. Add the vanilla and almond essence. Add the sifted icing sugar and mix on low speed until smooth.
Assemble the cake. Place one layer, top side down onto a flat serving plate. Spread the layer with some of the icing. Place the second layer, top side up, on top. Spread the remaining cream cheese icing on the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides of the cake. Serve the cake at room temperature.