Fresh Lime and Coconut Cake

25 minutes

Scroll to the bottom of the page to see questions Lindsey has answered on this recipe

This recipe is from Delia's Cakes.

This is a new adaptation of the cake in Summer Collection.

I have to say the coconut milk powder is an essential ingredient, as we have tried other products which simply don’t work.

The Delia Online Cookery School: Watch other sponge cakes being made in our video. Press the recipe image to play.

Got a question on Delia's recipes? Ask Lindsey

Ask a Question

Freezing Lime and Coconut Sponges

Asked by: Mardie

Can the Lime and coconut cake be frozen before the filling and icing are used?

Answered by Lindsey: Hello, Yes, once cooked, on the day they are baked, well wrapped they can be kept in the freezer for 3 months. Best wishes Lindsey

Making a larger cake

Asked by: Misscatolica

Hi Lindsey If I double the quantity of Delia’s Fresh Lime and Coconut Cake do I double the cooking time?

Answered by Lindsey: Hello, Assuming you’re still baking it in two tins I would do the same temperature and I think it will need about 35 minutes. Kind regards Lindsey

About the Lime and Coconut Cake

Asked by: JarkoK

Hi Lindsey, I made Delia's Fresh Lime & Coconut Cake following the online recipe for the first time (I've made it before from the book) and I only ended up with enough batter to fill one 8" tin. I went back to look at the episode of the Summer TV series and in the TV version, Delia uses 6 ounces of butter, flour, sugar etc & 3 eggs. In the online version, only 4 ounces and 2 eggs are used, listed in grams. I think that's why there isn't enough batter. I'm a bit baffled why the ingredients have been cut for the online version. There's no way 4 ounces (115g) will stretch to two cakes, even in 7" tins. Cheers, Jarko

Answered by Lindsey: Hello Jarko, Thanks for your feedback. For a basic sponge cake that’s going to have a filling we always do a 2 egg version for a pair of 7 inch tins or a 3 egg version for a pair of 8 inch tins. It is important the eggs are large. They tend to be smaller than they were when Delia started writing recipes. If the eggs I have seem a bit on the small side I check the liquid weight and allow 65g of beaten egg per large egg. Delia say that her sponge cakes are not like any of the very deep sponges you see everywhere nowadays. The proportion of filling to sponge is important so her recipes have been developed with that in mind. If you’d prefer to have a deeper sponge just use 3 large eggs instead of 2 in 7 inch sponge tins. Best wishes Lindsey

Method

Begin by removing the zest of two limes either with a zester or a grater onto a piece of clingfilm, then wrap the zest in the clingfilm and leave on one side.

You now need to measure the desiccated coconut into a small bowl and add the juice of both limes. Give it a stir, and leave it to soak for at least an hour. When you are ready to make the cake, pre-heat the oven to 170°C, gas mark 3.

Then sift the flour and baking powder into a roomy mixing bowl, lifting the sieve quite high to give the flour a good airing as it goes down. Then add the caster sugar, butter, eggs and coconut milk powder and whisk, with an electric hand whisk, for about 1 minute to combine them until you have a smooth creamy consistency. Then fold in the soaked coconut and the prepared lime zest.

Next divide the mixture between the two prepared tins, level off using the back of a tablespoon and bake near the centre of the oven for about 25 minutes. The cakes are cooked when you press lightly with your little finger and the centre springs back. Remove them from the oven and after about 30 seconds loosen the edges by sliding a palette knife all round then turn them out onto a wire cooling tray. Now carefully peel back the lining by gently pulling it back.

Lightly place the other cooling tray on top and just flip them over so that the tops are facing upwards (this is to prevent them sticking to the cooling tray). For the icing, take the zest from one lime (using a zester if possible), and squeeze out the juice. Put the juice and zest in a bowl, then add 150g of the sifted icing sugar a little at a time, with a wooden spoon. After that add the coconut milk powder.

Now zest the other lime, then pare off the pith (using your sharpest knife). Next take out the lime segments one at a time, slicing between the membranes. Do this over a saucer to catch the juice, allowing the segments to drop onto the saucer. If they are large, cut each one in half and add them and the juice to the icing and fold them in with a tablespoon. The juiciness of limes can vary, so if it seems a little runny add some or all of the remaining 25g of sifted icing sugar. Then use half of the icing to sandwich the cakes together and spread the other half on top.

Finally sprinkle the surface with the lime zest. Store the cake in a tin until needed.