Friday, May 22, 2015

Coconut, chocolate and vanilla cake

When I rule the world, I'm going to introduce a law banning vanilla-flavoured perfumes and all forms of fake vanilla extract.
Real vanilla has such a beautiful, delicate scent, but it's been ruined by the synthetic variants wafting through a home near you.
Vanilla soap, vanilla perfume, vanilla moisturiser, vanilla candles, they'll all be banned. Fake vanilla extracts will be outlawed, too. Instead, we'll feast on real vanilla-scented cakes, like this tropical number.


Coconut, chocolate and vanilla cake
This has a triple dose of vanilla, but it's not overpowering. Just make sure you use the real deal. The combination of chocolate and vanilla - a powerful duo - makes this just right for this month's We Should Cocoa, hosted by the ever-lovely Karen of Lavender and Lovage.

125g butter, softened
1 cup caster sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla
2 cups desiccated coconut
1 cup flour
'1 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
3/4 cup roughly chopped dark chocolate

For the syrup:
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla

For the icing:
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tsp butter
2 tsp pure vanilla
2 tsp boiling water

Heat the oven to 170C and grease and line a 23cm ring tin (or similar).
Cream the butter and sugar together until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating furiously. If it looks in danger of curdling, add a little of the desiccated coconut. When the eggs are all in, add the coconut and vanilla. Beat to combine, then fold in the sifted flour, baking powder and salt. Scraipe into the prepared tin and bake for 30 mins, until a skewer comes out cleanly. Leave in the tin for five minutes, then stab with a skewer (very satisfying!) and pour over the syrup (just stir together the boiling water, sugar and vanilla to make it).
When the cake has cooled, carefully remove from the tin and set on a plate.
Make the icing by beating together all the ingredients - you may need more boiling water to make it the right consistency - and drizzle it over the cake.

Have a great weekend, everyone x

5 comments:

  1. Oh dear I really like vanilla scented soaps and candles but am not keen on vanilla in baking. However I am with you when it comes to lots of dessicated coconut and chocolate in cakes! So I would definitely go for this cake - I hope there will be lots of this type of cake for all when you rule the world :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lovely cake, especially with the real vanilla. I'm definitely a real vanilla fan but there are some vanilla scented flowers out in the garden at the moment - please don't ban them, they cheer me up. Where do I get my Lucy for World Ruler T shirt?

    ReplyDelete
  3. It sounds gorgeous. I agree. I actually used to love vanilla scented stuff but now it just gives me a headache from its nasty fakeness. Bring on the real deal!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm with you on the fake vanilla Lucy and it's so unnecessary. Love, love, love the sound of this cake with not only real vanilla but chocolate and coconut too. Thanks for joining in with #WeShouldCocoa. Might be needing another guest host soon?

    ReplyDelete

Hello - thanks for stopping by. If this was real life I'd make you a cup of tea and open the biscuit tin, but in lieu of those things, let's have a chat anyway...