This is my first cake recipe with fresh coconut, coconut oil, and apple as well as spices from Sri Lanka.
I was very happy with the way it came out! The apple retained some crunch, and it was full of delicious fresh coconut flavour.
INGREDIENTS
3 cups any sweet apple (peeled and diced)
1/2 lemon (juiced)
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp cloves powder
100g walnuts (roasted and chopped)
3 eggs
1/4 plain yogurt
1 cup coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla essence
For the caramel coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tbs hot water
1 cup freshly scraped coconut
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
Pinch of salt
Butter Caramel sauce
100g soft butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup double cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
METHOD
For the cake
- Heat the oven to 180*
- Line a baking tray with baking parchment
- In a bowl mix lemon juice and apple, and keep on one side
- In another bowl mix all the dry ingredients together (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices)
- Mix the wet ingredients together in another bowl (eggs, oil, yogurt and vanilla essence)
- Combine both mixtures together with the apple
- Transfer mixture into the lined baking tray, and bake for 40 minutes
For the caramelised coconut
- heat the pan with the brown sugar and caramelise lightly
- then add the hot water and cardamom powder, coconut and salt and cook on a low heat until the syrup absorbs into the coconut
- remove from the heat and let it cool
For the caramel butter
- melt the butter in a pan and keep stirring without burning until light brown
- then add the sugar mix and well on low heat
- when the sugar and butter mixture starts to boil remove from the heat and add the cream and vanilla, whisking well
- allow to cool
To assemble the cake
- when the cake is ready to sandwich, separate it into two halves
- spread one half with the caramel sauce and walnuts
- put the other half on the top, and finish with the caramel topping and sprinkle over the caramel coconut and the rest of the walnuts