It’s a coconut celebration today as Yudhika Sujanani prepares a scrumptious Asian feast. She starts off with a hearty Slow Cooked Asian Beef, fresh Marinated Asparagus served with an aromatic Coconut Scented Rice. For that sweet finish –a spicy Coconut & Lemon Grass Cake.
Ingredients
- 170g butter
- 250g sugar
- 4 eggs
- 5ml baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 60g desiccated coconut
- 250g self-raising flour
- 200ml coconut milk
- 5ml vanilla essence or paste
- Syrup
- 200ml coconut milk
- 35g sugar 1 stalk lemongrass
- Topping
- 250ml double thick cream
- 60g icing sugar
- 2,5ml vanilla essence
- 195g dessert cream Berries, to garnish
Method
- Cream the butter until light in colour. Continue beating and gradually add the sugar.
- Add the vanilla essence when the sugar has slightly dissolved into the butter and the creamed mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time with a teaspoon of flour, beating well after each addition.
- Stir the desiccated coconut into the mixture, salt and baking powder.
- Gently stir half the self-raising flour into the butter and egg mixture. Add the coconut milk and vanilla paste. Stir well and scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are well combined. Once the batter is smooth, pour into a greased and lined 10 inch loose bottomed cake tin.
- Smooth the batter to level. Bake at 170 degrees Celsius for 30 – 35 minutes.
- The cake should be golden brown, and a skewer should come out clean when the cake is tested.
- Use a skewer to make a few holes in the cake. Turn the cake onto a wire rack.
- Heat the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Then bruise the lemongrass and add to the coconut milk before adding in the sugar. Simmer until a thick syrup forms.
- Spoon the syrup over the warm cake and leave the cake to cool completely.
- Combine the double thick cream, icing sugar, vanilla and dessert cream in a mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth and thick
- Top the cake with cream and use a spatula to make swirls while covering the cake. Garnish with fresh berries.