I made this cake ages ago, nearly two years ago in fact, and then the book I got the recipe from went missing. When I was in France I thought it must be in the UK and vice versa. I couldn’t find the recipe anywhere on the worldwide web so I was feeling miffed that I had made a really nice cake but had no idea how! When I eventually found the book languishing under a pile of other stuff waiting for filing, sorting, chucking or saving, I was very pleased. It was a good cake and I wanted to have the recipe so I could make it again if I ever wanted to. The book is called “What’s for dinner?” by the actress Fay Ripley.
The cake didn’t look much when it came out of the oven, which made me chuckle because in the book she describes it as “comforting and sexy at the same time”.
Well, I don’t know what you think about the idea of cake being sexy, but this one did not look too enticing! More twinset and pearls than slinky undies but if that’s what wrinkles your prune…….
Anyway, enough of that! One of the reasons that I write this blog is that I find it handy to have a record of the recipes I used and what they turned out like. Now that I have this one posted I can always find it regardless of which side of the channel I happen to be! It was a lovely cake made for a CCC event although it looked a lot better after I had tarted it up with some drizzly icing and a sprinkling of coconut and blueberries. It was moist and fresh tasting with the fruitiness of the blueberries, and the coconut added that unique texture that you only get from……coconut. Which is not everyone’s favourite in a cake but it is one of mine.
There were some stunning cakes on the table at that meeting and I would like to think that mine looked as tempting as any of them. Not that the events are competitive of course – far from it – but even so, one does like one’s cake to look more bee’s knees than dog’s dinner!
Ingredients
180g softened butter (I used Flora Buttery)
180g caster sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g ground almonds
150g self raising flour
60g desiccated coconut
300g fresh blueberries
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160° fan / gas mk 4. Butter a 23cm springform tin and line the base with baking paper.
Using an electric whisk, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Whisk in the eggs, vanilla and almonds. Fold in the flour and coconut then, very gently, the blueberries.
Transfer to the tin and level the top. Bake for 50 minutes until done.
Serve warm as a dessert dusted with a little icing sugar. Or allow to cool in the tin before turning out and decorate with a little lemon water icing drizzled over, some shredded coconut and blueberries arranged on top.
Cuts into 10-12 slices.
I admit that I'm one of those people who love the taste of coconut but aren't so sure about the texture. Despite that, this does sound and look like a very fine cake. I'm not entirely sure that cake is ever sexy, though. I suppose it might depend a bit on who you're with when eating cake but, personally, I don't want anyone distracting me from the pleasures of cake.
ReplyDeletePhil, my thoughts exactly, and as for the crumbs.........very awkward!
DeleteHowever....back to the cake.....I seem to remember that the desiccated coconut I could get in France was quite fine, giving the flavour but a less gritty texture, which was nice.
I love coconut and blueberries, so another 'have to make'! Are cakes sexy, depends on who's feeding you!!!
ReplyDeleteSnowy, you would not regret trying this cake! I reckon it might work well with raspberries too. As for the sexy bit - I completely agree with you! (Apart from the crumbs!)
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