This lime coconut sponge cake is truly superb. Packed full of tart lime flavour, and moist and creamy with yoghurt. Better yet, its made in one bowl and in the oven in 10 minutes flat! If you love sweet citrus desserts, you’ve got to give this one a go!
Something exciting is happening. My citrus grove is flourishing.
I say grove, but its really just three trees – one lemon, one lime and one mandarin. They’ve been in the ground a little under 18 months but the lemon and lime in particular are growing in to beautiful, healthy looking trees. And the lime tree is laden with gorgeous plump juicy fruit.
I have a real thing for citrus trees. I always have to have them in my garden and I never feel quite at home without them. For years when living in rented homes and flatting with friends I kept them in pots, usually only lemons, and with limited success. In our previous house I had a lemon and a kaffir lime – the lemon was a miniature and in the nearly 10 years we lived there, it never really fruited worth mentioning.
But in this house, its a completely different story! We purchased the house from a couple who were avid gardeners and they must have left behind some really good garden mojo because almost everything that goes in the ground here thrives. I planted my little row of citrus within a few months of us moving in, and the trees have just gone from strength to strength.
It should be no surprise then that I’m doing a fair bit of cooking with limes these days. This lime coconut sponge cake is an adaptation from my mothers lemon-yoghurt cake recipe and it makes a beautifully light, moist sponge that absolutely zings with citrus flavours.
This lime coconut sponge is a wonderfully easy cake to put together and bakes beautifully. Spectacular served with a dollop of yoghurt on the side for afternoon tea, or served gently warmed as a wonderful dessert. I can’t think of a better way to show off my amazing citrus harvest.
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- 2 tbsp lime zest, finely grated
- 3 tbsp lime juice (about 2-3 juicy limes)
- 1 cup bland oil, such as canola
- 2 eggs
- 1¾ cups sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup unsweetened yoghurt
- ¾ cup shredded coconut
- 2 cups plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
For the icing: - 2 cups icing sugar
- 1 tbsp melted butter
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- enough hot water to make a thin paste
- extra lime zest and shredded coconut to garnish
- Preheat the oven to 180C Bake. Line and grease a 22cm cake tin.
- Place zest, oil, eggs, and sugar into a bowl and, using an electric beater, beat for 3-4 minutes until thick and creamy. Note, if you don't have an electric beater you can use a food processor for this as well.
- Add the salt, yoghurt and lime juice and beat again for another minute. Stir in the coconut. Note: if using long-thread shredded coconut, chop it roughly before adding to the cake so the strands aren't too long.
- Sift in the flour and baking powder and gently stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. The mixture will be very runny.
- Pour into the prepared cake tin. Bake for 45-60 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out cleanly. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack and cooling completely before icing.
- To make the icing, combine the icing sugar, melted butter and lime juice in a bowl. Add enough hot water, 1 tsp at a time, to form a thin paste, about the same consistency as pouring custard. Spread or pour over the cake, sprinkle with the extra lime zest and coconut and allow to set.
- Serve with a side of yoghurt or whipped cream and a nice cup of tea.
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