Moist Coconut Vanilla Cake with Blueberries & Thick Yoghurt Topping
May 01, 2017
Make the most of Mother's Day by enjoying some special time with mum, a grandma or close motherly friend. Nothing beats baking a delicious cake and sharing afternoon tea together. This moist cake is quick and easy, and you can bake it a few days before and then just finish it off on the day. Happy Mother's Day to all the lovely mothers out there who do so much for their families and loved ones. If you do not have time to bake a cake or you live too far away from your mother, see our delicious gourmet food hampers, including sweet dessert hampers, and personal gifts for her - we can gift wrap your stylish and unique gift and send it, with your personal message, to anywhere in NZ, in time for Mother's Day.
Mother's Day Coconut Vanilla Cake with Blueberries & Thick Yoghurt Topping
Ingredients
125 g butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup castor sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 1/2 cup self raising flour
250g tub sour cream
50g yoghurt
1/3 cup milk
1 cup of frozen or fresh blueberries (or other berry) - optional
For the topping: 1 cup thick greek plain yoghurt & a drizzle of fruit syrup (optional - we used a few drops of Blue Frog Zesty Raspberry Syrup, found in Farro and other gourmet food stores). Alternatively, you could just add some lemon zest and a drizzle of honey to the yoghurt.
icing sugar and toasted shredded coconut (optional, for the topping).
Method
- Set the oven to 180 degrees celcius.
- Grease and line, with baking paper, a 23 cm round cake tin.
- Cream butter, essence and sugar in a bowl or food processor, until light and fluffy.
- Add each egg, one at a time and beat until combined.
- Add half of the flour, sifted, with half of the coconut and half each of the following: sour cream, yoghurt and milk. Mix together. Then, add the remaining half of each ingredients and mix once again, until fully combined.
- Pour half the mixture into the prepared cake tin and, if using, add the blueberries, scattered over the mixture. Pour over the remaining cake mixture. Be careful to avoid the berries making the cake mixture blue. Place it in the oven and bake for 45 - 60 minutes, depending on your oven. Test the cake with a skewer after about 45 minutes. If the skewer comes out clean, then it is ready. If not then continue to bake the cake. If the top of the cake is browning too much, quickly place a piece of tin foil over the cake so it continues to cook, without burning - try not to loose too much heat from the oven.
- Remove the cake from the oven, when it is ready and cool for 5 - 10 minutes, before removing it from the tin. Cool it on a wire rack.
- The cake lasts 1- 2 days in an airtight container in the fridge (due to the berries). On the day that you are going to eat the cake, bring to room temperature and then add the yoghurt topping, just before serving. Sprinkle shredded toasted coconut on top.
Icing - mix 1 - 1 1/2 cups of thick greek plain yoghurt with optional fruit syrup or the zest of a lemon and a drizzle of honey. Ensure that it does not become too moist - it needs to be quite thick so that it stays on the cake. Smooth over the top of the cake. To toast the coconut - place a layer of shredded coconut under the grill, and gently toast it; or dry fry the coconut in a non stick frying pan, tossing the coconut frequently - check constantly as it burns easily. Cool the coconut, before using.
A cake from my mother's collection of recipes, adapted to create a more modern, fresh version.
