1. Preheat oven to 190C.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat egg yolks and half the caster sugar until very thick and pale.

3. Combine oil and 3/4 cup of water in a jug. With mixer on low speed, gradually pour oil mixture into yolk mixture, beating until just combined. Set aside.

4. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggwhites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining caster sugar, continuing to beat until thick and glossy.

5. Sift flour, coconut and salt over yolk mixture and whisk until just combined. Using a large metal spoon, fold in eggwhite mixture in 2 batches.

6. Spoon mixture into an ungreased 25cm tube (angel food) cake tin. Level the top then cook on the lowest shelf in oven for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

7. Immediately invert cake tin. Cool, inverted in tin (cooling the cake upside down stops it from sinking).

8. Run a knife around the inner edge of cooled cake to release it from tin.

9. Turn on to a plate.

Serving Suggestion:  Dust with icing sugar when cool.  Serve with a dob of cream.

• 125g butter, softened
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut essence
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
• 1 cup milk
• double cream, to serve

Icing Ingredients

• 200g butter, chopped
• 200g dark chocolate, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a large round cake pan. Line with baking paper.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and coconut essence until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Sift half the flour and half the cocoa over the butter mixture. Add half the coconut and half the milk. Stir to combine. Repeat with remaining flour, cocoa, coconut and milk.

4. Spoon into prepared cake pan. Smooth the top.

5. Cook for 55 minutes or until a skewer (or fork) inserted in the centre comes out clean.

6. Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

To Make Chocolate Icing:

1. Place butter and chocolate in a glass or ceramic bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature. Beat mixture with a wooden spoon until thick and spreadable.

2. Using a serrated knife, cut cake in half crossways. Place bottom of cake on a plate. Spread with one-third of icing. Sandwich with cake top. Spread remaining icing over the top and side of cake.

• Melted butter or margarine, for greasing
• 1 (270ml) can coconut milk
• 1 & 1/2 cups (105gms) desiccated coconut
• 3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 & 1/3 cups (295g) caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 & 2/3 cups (250g) self-raising flour, sifted

filling ingredients

• 1/2 cup (160g) strawberry jam
• 1/2 cup (125mls) whipped cream

topping ingredients

• 1 punnet (250g) small strawberries, hulled if desired
• Icing sugar to dust

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease 2 round 20cm cake pans with butter or margarine. Line the base of each pan with non-stick baking paper.

2. Combine coconut milk and coconut in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat until lightly brown. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

3. Cream butter and caster sugar in a large mixing bowl with electric beaters until pale and creamy.

4. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition until combined.

5. Fold a large spoonful of flour into the butter mixture with a large metal spoon. Fold in the coconut mixture and then fold in the remaining flour until combined. Divide mixture evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the surfaces.

6. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer (or fork) inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. Stand in pans for 10 minutes then run a knife around the edge of the cakes and turn them onto wire racks to cool.

7. To assemble, place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread evenly with the strawberry jam and then the whipped cream. Top with the remaining cake layer. Decorate with the strawberries and dust with  icing sugar.

• 1/2 small pineapple (base half only)
• Melted butter, to grease
• 1/2 cup (100g) caster sugar
• 5 whole star anise
• 3 tblspns butter, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup butter, extra, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (100g) caster sugar, extra
• 3 eggs
• 1 & 1/4cup (125g) self-raising flour, sifted
• 1/2 cup (125ml) light coconut milk
• 3/4 cup (65g) desiccated coconut

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a round 22cm (base measurement) cake pan. Line the base with non-stick baking paper.

2. Use a sharp knife cut the skin off the pineapple half. Cut the pineapple into 5 thin slices. Core and cut each slice in half. Arrange about 6 of the slices around the edge of the cake pan, overlapping slightly. Cut remaining slices into pieces and fill the gaps.

3. Heat the sugar and star anise in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar melts and is golden.

4. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Quickly pour the butter mixture evenly over the pineapple. Arrange star anise around pineapple before the caramel starts to set.

5. Use an electric beater and large bowl to cream the extra butter and extra sugar until pale and creamy.

6. Add the eggs, beating well until combined.

7. At low speed, stir in a large spoonful of the flour and until just combined. Add coconut milk, coconut and remaining flour, stirring at low speed until well combined.

8. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and smooth the surface.

9. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

10. Set aside in the pan for 5 minutes to cool before turning onto a serving plate (if any star anise or pineapple pieces fall off the cake, arrange them over the top).

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 2 passionfruit, halved

Passionfruit Icing

• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 & 1/2 cups icing sugar mixture, sifted
• 2 passionfruit, halved

• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 teaspoons finely grated orange rind
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup (160g) of self-raising flour, sifted
• 1 & 3/4 cups (150g) desiccated coconut
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

1. Preheat oven to 160C. Grease a medium round cake pan and line with baking paper.
2. Put sugar, butter and orange rind in a large mixing bowl, and beat with electric beaters until light and creamy (about 4 minutes).
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions.
4. Fold flour and coconut through mixture, along with orange juice. Spoon mixture into cake pan.
5. Cook for 50 minutes or until a skewer (or fork) inserted comes out clean.

Serving suggestion:  When cool serve dusted with icing sugar.

 

• Melted butter, to grease
• 3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup (215g) caster sugar
• 1 tbspn finely grated lemon rind
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup (65g) desiccated coconut
• 2 cups (300g) self-raising flour
• 1/2 cup (125ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup (60ml) milk
• 1 cup (150g) icing sugar
• 1 & 1/2 tbs hot water
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (30g) flaked coconut

1. Preheat oven to 170C. Grease a medium loaf pan with melted butter. Line the base with non-stick baking paper.
2. Use an electric beater to beat the butter, sugar and lemon rind until pale and creamy.
3. Add the eggs to the butter mixture, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. On low speed, slowly add the desiccated coconut, flour, lemon juice and milk to the butter mixture, until just combined. Do not overbeat.
5. Spoon mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.
6. Cook cake in oven for 1 hour or until a skewer (or fork) inserted in the centre comes out clean.
7. Leave in the pan for 5 minutes before releasing the sides of the cake with a knife and turning cake out of the pan onto a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Combine the icing sugar, water and vanilla in a bowl. Drizzle over the cake and sprinkle with flaked coconut. Serve.