Melt and Mix Coconut Cake

I bake when I’m happy, I bake when I’m sad, I bake when I’m bored and I bake when I’m mad. I don’t think I have ever said, “I don’t feel like baking today.” Saying no to baking is not in my DNA. However, my love of baking does not directly correlate with my organisational skills so often I’ll want to bake but not have the necessary ingredients, the right equipment and/or enough time.

Butter is one of my big loves and my pet hates. Keeping butter at room temperature is a fine art here in Australia, because depending on the season, room temperature can equate to a melty mess. I prefer to keep my butter in the fridge and take it out if I’m planning to bake which is all well and good but it totally thwarts my spontaneous baking pursuits! Not this cake though, because it’s melt and mix, so you can just bake and go!

This cake is simple, scrumptious and the perfect teatime treat. I’ve updated the recipe with some new pics and a Thermomix conversion. I’ve used chocolate icing with sprinkles because I believe that sprinkles make everything better. If you want to agree to disagree, lemon icing will work just as well, as would my Coconut Ice Frosting. However, you top this cake, you’re in for a treat!

Ingredients

1 ½ cups (210g) self-raising flour

1/2 cup (115g) sugar

2/3 cup (60g) desiccated coconut

1/2 cup (125g) butter

2 eggs

80ml milk

1-2 teaspoons vanilla or coconut essence

TO DECORATE

1 ½ cups (185g) icing sugar (or raw sugar with Thermomix)

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 dessertspoon butter

1-2 tablespoons hot milk

Hundreds and thousands or chocolate sprinkles

How to – Traditional

1. Preheat oven to 180 C (160 C fan-forced.)  Grease a 20cm cake tin and line with baking paper.
2. Combine the flour, sugar and coconut in a large bowl. Melt the butter and let it cool slightly before beating in the eggs  and milk.  Add wet ingredients to dry and mix well.
3. Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

FOR THE CHOCOLATE ICING

1. Sift together the icing sugar and cocoa powder.  Beat in butter and enough hot milk to obtain a spreading consistency.
2. Spread the chocolate icing over the cooled cake and scatter over some sprinkles.

How to – Thermomix

1. Preheat oven to 180 C / 160 C fan-forced.  Grease a 20cm cake tin and line with baking paper.
2. Add the sugar, flour and coconut to the TM bowl and mix for 5 seconds on speed 4. Set aside.
3. Place the butter into TM bowl and melt for 3 minutes at 60C on speed 2.
4. Add eggs and milk and mix for 10 seconds on speed 4.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the TM bowl and mix for 15 seconds  on speed 4. Scrape down the sides and check that mixture is well combined. If necessary, mix again for another 5-10 seconds on speed 4.
6. Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

FOR THE CHOCOLATE ICING

1. Mill the raw sugar into icing sugar for 10-15 seconds  on speed 9. 
2. Add the cocoa powder,  butter and 1 tablespoon milk.
3. Mix for 15 seconds on reverse speed 4. You may need to add another tablespoon milk (add it very gradually bit by bit) and mix again for another  15 seconds on reverse speed 4 to achieve a spreading consistency.
4.  Spread the chocolate icing over the cooled cake and scatter over the sprinkles.

TIP!
Lemon icing is also good with this cake. Or for an all out coconut flavour try Coconut Ice Frosting