Nectarine and Coconut Cake

. January, 2016
Photography by Claire Aldous .
Nectarine and Coconut Cake

This is a gorgeous, generously sized coconut cake filled with juicy pieces of nectarine and topped with a tart lemon icing.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup milk
finely grated zest 1 large lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
250 grams butter at room temperature
2 cups caster sugar
6 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup desiccated coconut
3 firm but ripe nectarines, diced 2cm pieces
26cm x 7cm springform cake tin, greased and base and sides lined with baking paper.


Lemon icing
1½ cups icing sugar
1 tablespoon melted butter
2–3 tablespoons lemon juice
pistachios for garnish

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 150˚C.

Cake
Combine the milk, lemon zest and juice in a jug and set aside. The milk will thicken and form curds.

Beat the butter and sugar until light and pale. Whisk the eggs and vanilla together and gradually beat into the butter until really well combined.

Combine the flour, baking powder, spices and the coconut together. Gently fold into the butter mixture along with the milk. Fold in the chopped nectarines.

Tip into the tin and smooth the top. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cover the top loosely with foil after 40 minutes to prevent the top from over browning.

Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin. Makes 1 large cake.


Lemon Icing
Put the icing sugar and butter in a bowl then stir in enough lemon juice to make a thick but pourable icing.

Spoon over the cake, letting it drip down the sides then scatter with the pistachios.