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Lemon Vanilla Coconut Loaf

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 powdered sugar
Course cake / dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

For the cake

  • ½ cup /125g butter at room temperature
  • 6 Tablespoons /80g white sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 cup / 120g all purpose or cake flour flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • cup / 80 ml milk
  • 1 teaspoon 5 ml vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons 10 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the topping

  • 3 egg whites
  • 6 Tablespoons 80g / 6 Tablespoons white castor sugar
  • 1 cup / 80g fine desiccated coconut.
  • Powdered sugar for dusting after baking

Instructions

For the cake

  • Separate the yolks and whites from 3 eggs and keep aside
  • The yolks will be used in the cake and the whites will be used for the topping
  • Cream the butter and sugar together. Add egg yolks and vanilla essence and lemon juice and beat well until light and creamy.
  • Add sifted flour and baking powder to the creamed mixture.
  • Gently pour in the milk and mix well.
  • Spoon the mixture into a 9 x 5 x 3 inches (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan which has been greased and lined with baking paper.

For the topping

  • Start by beating the egg whites until foamy.
  • Add the sugar and beat until stiff peak stage ( see Note 1)
  • Fold in the desiccated coconut and layer over the cake mixture
  • Bake at 180°C / 350°F / Gas mark 4 for 30 to 40 minutes (see Note 2 for important baking tips)
  • Leave to cool in the pan before cooling completely on a wire rack.

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.

Nutrition

Serving: 0g | Carbohydrates: 0g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 0mg | Potassium: 0mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 0g | Calcium: 0mg | Iron: 0mg
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