This cake is a sensational celebration of one of the most versatile ingredients on Earth, coconut. It’s great in savory as well as sweets dishes, aka my absolute weakness with which you can bribe me into doing anything (okay, that may or may not be an exaggeration but I dare you to try it). Triple Coconut Raspberry Cake with Lemon Glaze. Why Triple? Well, coconut milk, coconut oil, and desiccated coconut are all in the batter, with an added touch of shredded coconut on top. When you taste this cake, you’re literally embracing the many sides, textures, and tastes of the humble little coconut.
As raspberry and coconut natural combination in itself, it felt okay to take a risk of colouring my lemon glaze with rose red – tying the cake’s look more into the theme. My boyfriend said it looked like “fairy puke” at first (which was not entirely false) but don’t worry, I was still 100% on a coconut-high so, I let him live. But you know what? The glaze did look amazing after everything was put in place, that was a HUGE relief.
I knew that I had to share this recipe with all of you because it is so simple, but yields a cake that is so light in texture and balanced in taste. The fullness of the differing coconut flavours is paired with the subtle acidity of the lemon glaze and the freshness of the raspberry. I paired it with the raspberry and vanilla bean jam that I bought from the Victoria Market weeks back, which was proven to be the best decision as it tied everything together. So, if you happen to have any sort of berry jam at home, feel free to experiment yourself. Make this cake, and oh, welcome to the beloved coconut club!
Ingredients:For the cake:
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1/3 cup desiccated coconut
- 1 tsp vanilla
For the glaze:
- 1 cup icing sugar, sifted
- 1 ½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1-2 drops of rose pink coloring
Optional topping:
- ½ cup raspberry
- ¼ cup shredded coconut
- Raspberry Jam
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Line a loaf pan with parchment paper, or grease it with butter or oil; set aside.
- In a bowl, sift in and combine well the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, sugar, eggs, coconut milk, desiccated coconut, and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour the dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients in three batches, stirring continuously. Stir the batter gently with a spatula until everything is just incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Tap the pan several times to break any air bubbles. Bake the cake for 50-55 mins, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake’s centre comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. When the cake is cool enough to handle, remove it from the pan and let it continue to cool on the wire rack before making the glaze; this will take about 30 mins.
For the glaze:
- In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and icing sugar. Add 1-2 drops of rose pink coloring, or until the glaze’s colour is to your liking. Pour the glaze over your cake and let it set completely.
Note: Feel free to top the cake with fresh raspberry, honey, and shredded coconut and eat it with raspberry jam (or other jam that you have in hand) just like I did. It’s amazing!
