Lemons add such vibrance and exquisite taste to any recipe and it no different in my recipe for Lemon Vanilla Coconut loaf. This will make a most delicious dessert or perfect with tea or coffee. It is really amazing how great how a fruit as bitter as a lemon gives baked treats such a divine taste. 

This loaf is actually referred to known as “the destroyed in seconds” cake in my home. As it is baking it gives off the most wonderful aroma inside and outside my home…it is amazing.  So you know that as soon as it comes out of the oven, it is dusted with icing sugar, and you get a chance to admire it for a second or if you are lucky 2 whole seconds before it is pulled away by the boys to be gobbled up. It was really a miracle this week that I got to spend 5 minutes to take picture of this loaf.

This is a really simple loaf to bake with a moist  soft lemon flavoured sponge topped with a sweet coconut layer. It requires no frosting and is simply dusted with icing sugar…it just looks so pretty.

THE ONLY WAY I KNOW HOW TO SEPARATE EGGS ?

To begin making the Lemon Vanilla Coconut Loaf, I start by separating 3 eggs. using  an egg separator to separate the yolks from the whites, is really simple because I am absolutely useless doing it any other way. I have watched a few videos where they use an empty plastic bottle to pull up the yolk from the white…I tried this and failed so miserably,? and then I watched that you can separate the yolk with your hands…HOW ON EARTH DO YOU DO THAT,? I ended up with scrambled eggs on my hands and the boys laughing uncontrollably at me..?..I am seriously a klutz. So thank you very much, I am sticking with my trusty pink egg separator to help me. So how do you separate yolks from whites?… l love to know and maybe give it a try, probably will end up having the boys laugh at me again ?

Making the Lemon Vanilla Coconut Loaf

After the eggs have been separated, the butter and sugar is creamed, yolks added one at a time and beaten well after each addition. A bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice and vanilla essence is added. The flour, baking powder and salt is sifted into this mixture. Milk is added and it is all beaten together. It is then spooned and leveled  into a 22.5cm loaf pan.

The topping is made by beating the egg whites until foamy, sugar is added and it is then beaten to a stiff peak. The stiff peak stage of beating egg whites is achieved when firm peaks stand straight up when the beaters are lifted.  After it has been beaten, gently fold in the desiccated coconut. This topping is then spooned over the cake mixture. Level and smooth it with the back of a metal spoon.

I would strongly suggest that you cover it with a sheet of heavy foil while it bakes for the first 20 minutes or so. I have found that the top of this cake browns way too quickly before it has been baked. Do not wrap the foil tightly around the pan, just make it dome shaped so that as it rises it does not touch and stick to the foil. Allow a bit of space between the cake and the foil to give it some space to rise. Then simply remove the foil after 20 minutes and allow to bake uncovered for the next 10 minutes. If you still find that it is browning too quickly, then put the foil back on until baked.  To check if it is baked Just stick a metal skewer or knife through the cake, it should come out clean without any batter sticking to it if it is baked.Leave in the pan for a few minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack . Dust with icing sugar…admire for a few seconds and then slice up and dig in.

Enjoy ♥

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Lemon Vanilla Coconut Loaf

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

A simple loaf to bake with a moist,soft lemon flavoured sponge topped with a sweet coconut layer.Requires no frosting and is just dusted with icing sugar.

Course: cake / dessert

Servings: 1 x 22cm loaf

Author: Ashika | Gardening Foodie

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE
• 125 g / ½ cup butter or margarine at room temperature
• 80 g / 100ml / 6 Tablespoons white castor sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 140 g / 250ml / 1 cup all purpose flour
• 10 ml / 2 level teapoons baking powder
• 100 ml / 1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon milk
• 5 ml / 1 teaspoon vanilla essence / extract
• 10 ml / 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• FORTHE TOPPING
• 3 egg whites
• 80 g / 100ml / 6 Tablespoons white castor sugar
• 80 g / 250ml / 1 cup fine desiccated coconut.
• Icing sugar for dusting after baking

Instructions

1. Separate the yolks and whites from 3 eggs and keep aside

2. Cream the butter and sugar together. Add egg yolks and vanilla essence and lemon juice and beat well until light and creamy.

3. Add sifted flour and baking powder to the creamed mixture.
4. Gently pour in the milk and mix well.
5. Spoon the mixture into a 22 cm loaf pan which has been greased and lined with baking paper.
6. TOPPING:
7. Start by beating the egg whites until foamy.
8. Add the sugar and beat until stiff peak stage ( see Note 1)
9. Fold in the desiccated coconut and layer over the cake mixture
10. Bake at 180°C / 350°F / Gas mark 4 for 30 to 40 minutes (see Note 2 for important baking tips)
11. Leave to cool in the pan before cooling completely on a wire rack.

Recipe Notes

NOTE 1
The stiff peak stage of beating egg whites is achieved when firm peaks stand straight up when the beaters are lifted.

NOTE 2
I would strongly suggest that you cover it with a sheet of heavy foil while it bakes for the first 20 minutes or so. I have found that the top of this cake browns way too quickly before it has been baked. Do not wrap the foil tightly around the pan, just make it dome shaped so that as it rises it does not touch and stick to the foil. Allow a bit of space between the cake and the foil to give it some space to rise. Then simply remove the foil after 20 minutes and allow to bake uncovered for the next 10 minutes. If you still find that it is browning too quickly, then put the foil back on until baked. To check if it is baked Just stick a metal skewer or knife through the cake, it should come out clean without any batter sticking to it if it is baked.