Out & About May 2017

Recipe Coconut Layer cake This cake looks magnificent when it has been iced and makes a great birthday cake

Makes 1 x 20 cm cake 110g butter at room temperature 250g caster sugar 2 eggs 175ml milk 210g plain flour 2 tsp baking powder 2 drops vanilla essence

Frosting: 340g caster sugar

2 egg whites 3 tbsp water

¼ tsp cream of tartar ½ tsp vanilla extract 50g desiccated coconut

• Preheat the oven to 180oC/Gas 4. Grease 2 x 20 cm sandwich tins and line them with baking parchment.

• Place the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream thoroughly with an electric hand-whisk until pale in colour and light and fluffy in texture. Add the eggs and milk and mix again, then gently stir in the flour, baking powder and vanilla extract. • Divide the cake mixture evenly between the tins and bake for 25 minutes, until the sponge is springy to the touch. Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn them out on a wire rack. To make the frosting • Put all the frosting ingredients (except the coconut) in a glass bowl and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Gently stir the mixture until the sugar has dissolved and you can no longer see or feel any grittiness from the sugar. • Whisk the mixture for about 5 minutes, until the icing stands in peaks. Remove the pan from the heat and continue to beat until the icing is thick and easy to spread. • When the cakes are completely cool, sandwich them together with some of the frosting. Using a knife, spread the rest of the frosting over the top and sides of the cake then sprinkle the top with desiccated coconut.

honest about food, what’s in it and where it comes from FOOD & ROOMS COOKERY SCHOOL COFFEE SHOPS BAKERY CATERING

01635 268989 www.honestygroup.co.uk

Whats for Dinner? Second helpings

by Romilla Arber, £20, directly from the group, or plus p+p www.honestygroup.co.uk

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