Tuesday 7 February 2012

Coconut Loaf Cake

I have been feeling under the weather with a head cold since Sunday, which my grandson was so kind to share with me. After a few days of nursing this cold I have reached my limit of sitting about and doing nothing, (yes I'm a lousy patient) and today decided to cheer myself up with a spot of therapeutic baking. I decided to continue my mission trying out another recipe from my new cookbook and bake this Coconut Loaf Cake. This retro style cake really reminded me of a school dinner pudding often served with custard. Unfortunately in reading the recipe it was clear to me that there was something not quite right. The first thing was the size of the tin, there was no way that the sum of the ingredients would fit into a 1lb loaf tin as specified! So I went with my baking experience and used a 2lb loaf tin instead. The second anomaly was in relation to the cooking time stated in the recipe, I had to extent the cooking time by a further 20 minutes. At first I was thinking it might be a typo regarding the size of loaf tin but upon further reading of other loaf cake recipes in the book a 1lb tin is used through-out. Some of the other recipes also appear to have more ingredients than would fit in a tin of that size. It's a shame that these types of errors exist as they could throw off a less experience baker.

Besides the above, this cake turned out to be everything I expected it to be. I can confirm it is very addictive and popular, with hubby having finished his third slice of the day after his evening meal. This recipe is well worth trying and if you follow my adaptations, included in the recipe below, it should turn out just fine!


Coconut Loaf Cake

Serves 8-10

Ingredients
For the cake:
225g butter, softened
225g caster sugar
2 large eggs
225g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
60g desiccated coconut
3 tbsp milk

For the topping:
60g raspberry jam
30g desiccated coconut, toasted

Preheat the oven to 180oC/fan oven 160oC/Gas mark 4. Butter and flour a 2lb loaf tin.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, mixing well after each addition.

Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl, then add to the egg mixture along with the coconut. Beat for a few seconds to combine. Add the milk and mix until just combined.

Spoon the batter into the tin and bake for 45-50 (mine needed 70) minutes, until golden and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes or so before turning onto a rack to cool.

Once the cake is fully cool, spread the jam onto the top and cover in the toasted coconut.

23 comments:

Hello said...

Looks lovely, this eat bake love love books seems quite good. I've never considered using jam on the top but looking at your pictures I realise that the jam makes the coconut stick. I've learnt something new today yay x

Rolling Pin Claire said...

Maria, I have this book too but haven't baked anything from it yet. Thanks for the word of warning. End result looks lovely though!

Anna's kitchen table said...

I love old fashioned cakes like this! I think it must have been my favourite at school :)

Shame about those mistakes in the book. One would think that the recipes are tested before a book is published!

Xx

Gloria Baker said...

Oh MarĂ­a This look yummy,yummy I love cakes like this! xxxgloria

Kelly-Jane said...

I need some of that for breakfast! shame about the typos in the book. x

Finla said...

Hi hi i guess most of us are lousy ppl totake care when we are sick her emy daughter is sick too and i am hoping i don't catch it too. Cake looks super super moist and yumm.

Jenny said...

Yummy, My hubby's fave!

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

Oh that looks good and yes custard would be excellent with it. I think I am going to have to try this one. It is calling out to me.

ps hope you are feeling better.

Jac
x

Nickki said...

I used to make coconut cake for my grandad all the time, it was his favourite :-) I'm really enjoying this book and have been curled up the sofa this afternoon reading all the recipes. Thanks for the warning on the loaf tin size xx

The Caked Crusader said...

A lovely coconut cake is better than medicine! HOpe it did the job and revived you

Paula said...

I've already found your blog, as I usually look for cooking blogs( I love cooking, and of course..eat !) and i have to say that your recipes, the way you explain them is just amazing! The coconut cake looks superb. I wish I could make it that well as you did. From now on i'm your follower, for sure! by the way, my name is Paula and I'm from the north of Spain. Best wishes!

Maria♥ said...

Hi Paula and welcome to my blog.

Thanks for following me and for the lovely compliments. Please let me know if you try any of the recipes, I love receiving feedback!

Maria
x

traceyh said...

hi maria, made this today and it was a lovely cake.
thankyou so much for the recipe.
love your blog

Maria♥ said...

Hi Tracey and welcome to my blog :)

Thanks for the lovely compliment and glad you loved this cake!

Maria
x

Tracey said...

Maria, thank goodness you tried this recipe out first as the mistakes in the book would have flumexed me. I gave it a go last night and it is lovely. Cooking time was a bit frightening as it really was so long but well worth the effort. My edges are a bit crisp but I will try and make this again in a couple of days to see if I can get it just right. Thanks so much for all your help with my plight for making cakes for an event I have coming up. Hope that you feeling a bit better now Tracey x

Paula said...

I made the coconut loaf cake two days ago. And brought it to a tea-meeting-with -family, and they just adore it! it came out so so well. So moistured, flavoured and just delicious. Thank's Maria to share this lovely recipe( and the others, which i will be make for sure!)
I would ask you if you would show us how to bake/ cook a nice lemon tart, not cake but tart. looking forward summer time( which here, in the north if Spain it's like spring time..:-)) thanks for sharing those lovely dishes.My best wishes.

Maria♥ said...

Hi Paula

So glad the cake turned out great and your family loved it. I am not very confident with pastry and don't make many tarts but I will see if I can find a nice recipe and try it out.

Maria
x

Nicole said...

I'm wondering if freshly grated coconut could be used in place of the desiccated one. About to try this recipe and fresh coconut is what I have on hand.

Maria♥ said...

Hi Nicole

You can only try but I'm thinking using freshly grated will make the cake very moist and damp.

Maria
x

Anonymous said...

Lovely cake, mine took the full 70 minutes...will definitely bake again

Anonymous said...

Hi can you tell me the amount you need to make a bigger cake is it just the mater of doubling up on all the ingredients thanks xx

Maria♥ said...

Yes just double the amounts.

Angel Delight said...

Hi
Just picked up your blog when looking for a recipe for old fashioned coconut cake - it turned out really well but I mixed two tablespoons of desiccated coconut and caster sugar together and put it on top of the cake half way through cooking to make a really crunchy topping x