This deliciously moist coconut cake comes from my lovely mother-in-law Jan.
Jan always had something for afternoon tea in her tins and this cake was always very popular.
I’ve added vanilla to the cake base, but grated orange or lemon zest would also be good.

 

Yield: 10

Ingredients

• 125g butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar for topping
• 1 cup coconut

Method

Preheat the oven to 160 C/320 F.  Line a 20cm (8 in) baking tin with baking paper. Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Add the vanilla and egg yolks, mix well. Gently mix in the combined flour, baking powder and salt, along with the milk. Spread the mix into the prepared tin. Beat the egg whites in a bowl until frothy, with the beater going gradually add the sugar until thick and glossy.  Gently stir through the coconut and then pile the mixture onto the cake base. Bake for 45-50 minutes until the topping is golden and a skewer inserted comes out clear. Allow to cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container. (If the coconut topping looks too pale then increase the oven temperature to 180 C/350 F for the last 10 minutes of cooking)