Baking // Lime and Coconut Cake

Servings:   6-8

Ingredients:

CAKE 

3 eggs

175g Self Raising Flour (for a gluten free option use coconut or any nut flour)

175g Butter

175g Caster Sugar

2-3tbsp Lime Juice

1/2 cup of desiccate coconut 

FROSTING

250g Cream Cheese

10 fl oz Elmlea (Or double cream)

1/2 cup Icing Sugar

OPTIONAL 

Toasted Coconut Flakes

- Pre Heat the oven to 160 c

- Beat together butter and sugar until light and creamy. I always do this with a wooden spoon! I just think it creates a nicer, lighter and fluffier cake.

- Add in the eggs and flour (add the baking powder to the flour). 1 egg then a spoonful of flour, once all eggs are beaten in add the rest of the flour. This just stops the mixture curdling but if it does is seriously doesn't matter!

- Finally fold in the lime juice and desiccated coconut.

- Using two sandwich tins, line the bottom with greaseproof paper, and free the edges with butter.

- Place half the mixture in to each tine and place on the same shelf on the middle shelf of the oven.

- Bake for around 10 - 15 minutes, the lower temperature will ensure the cakes rise flat without a domed middle.

Leave to cool for around an hour, depending how cold your kitchen is.

FROSTING 

- Using an electric whisk (unless you want solid biceps I strongly recommend an electric one!) whisk together the cream cheese and icing sugar.

- In a separate bowl whip up the cream until very stiff, I over whip slightly.

- Fold a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture into the cream to loosen the mixture. Then add the cream into the cream cheese mixture. If you fold the cream cheese mixture straight into the whipped cream, you'll just knock the air out of it.

- For a zesty twist, add a little lime zest or lime juice to the frosting mixture. I didn't the sweetness cut through the sharpness of the cake!

- Finally, using one cake slather 1.3 of the mixture on to the cake and spread out leaving around 2cm around the edge, place the second cake on top and lightly press down this'll fill out that 2cm gap ;). Using the other 2/3 spread evenly on to the top of the cake.

- Optional - Toast some coconut flakes in a dry frying pan until golden and sprinkle on top of the cake for a little nutty crunch!

LASTLY EAT THE ENTIRE THING! Sharing is optional ;)