Almond Strawberry And Coconut Cake
Simple recipes will always have an important place in this house. With so much going on daily (including the new addition of home schooling!) mixed with work and domestic jobs it can get a bit overwhelming to be presented with something that looks incredible but has lots of steps to making it. So I've created this Almond, Strawberry and Coconut Cake as a way for you to stay happy in the kitchen as well as bake a delicious and satisfying treat!
Almond Flour
The cake is a single layer so minimal washing up (winner!) and uses only 150g of self raising flour. I know the supermarkets are struggling right now getting in flour supplies so I've used ground almonds in this instead. It adds a wonderful nutty flavour to the vanilla.
You could substitute the coconut yoghurt for Greek yoghurt, whipped cream or vanilla buttercream. And switch up the fruit on top according to what you have in the fridge! How about some sliced oranges or fresh blueberries? Tropical flavours such as passion fruit would also be amazing.
I recommend baking this in a deep 8 inch cake tin (these are around 3 inches deep and easily found in many supermarkets or online). The mix will rise quite considerably during baking and the deep pan will avoid the mix overflowing. Because we're using only a single pan it's best to bake this slowly at a low temperature to avoid the outer edge over baking. If you don't have a deep tin, split the cake mix between two standard pans and bake for a little less time - keep an eye out for the cake coming away from the edges and an even colouring on the top as a good indication of doneness before opening the oven door and testing.
Spread A Little Happiness
I've also renamed this Almond Strawberry and Coconut Cake the "Spread A Little Happiness Cake" as it's absolutely perfect to bake for someone local to you who may be lonely or needing a little pick me up amidst the confusion of these times. Bake this for a neighbour, leave it unfrosted then pop it in a cake tin and leave it on the doorstep of their house. Don't forget to leave a little tub of fresh cream and a punnet of strawberries in the bag too! I guarantee you'll bring a smile to their face!
INGREDIENTS
150g butter, softened
150g caster sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
50g ground almonds/almond flour
150g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp sour cream
200g coconut yoghurt
400g punnet of strawberries, rinsed and sliced
mint leaves to decorate
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat your oven to 160 degrees C/140 degrees C fan assisted
Grease and line a deep 8 inch loose bottomed cake tin
Using a stand mixer or hand whisk, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
Add the eggs one at a time and mix well between
Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix again
In a separate bowl, combine the self raising flour, almond flour/ground almonds and baking powder
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and gently whisk on a low speed until fully combined
Stir through the sour cream
Pour the cake mix into the prepared deep cake tin and place in the oven
Bake for around 40 minutes or until an inserted skewer or tooth pick comes out clean
Once baked remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out into a wire rack to cool completely
Once cool, spoon over the coconut yoghurt and place the sliced strawberries on top
Decorate with fresh mint leaves and serve
NOTES
Best kept in the fridge due to the yoghurt topping
