Last weekend I was feeling a need for dense chocolate cake and an even greater need not to have to get dressed and buy ingredients or spend ages baking so I remembered this super easy Bounty Bar Cake from the River Cottage Handbook No 8 – Cakes by Pam Corbin. Aside from having the patience and fore thought for soaking the coconut for a few hours, it’s almost an all in one recipe and it hit the spot with a hot mug of tea.
Bounty Bar Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
50g desiccated coconut
150ml full-fat or reduced fat coconut milk (or ordinary milk)
150g self raising flour
25g cocoa powder
150g caster sugar
150g unsalted butter, softened and cut into small cubes
2 eggs
For the icing:
120g natural yogurt or creme fraiche (at room temperature)
120g dark chocolate
Firstly, put the coconut and coconut milk (or ordinary milk) in a small bowl and leave for around two hours to swell and rehydrate the coconut.
Preheat the oven to 180c or gas mark 4 and line a 10x20cm loaf tin or 20cm round cake tin with baking parchment.
Sift the flour and cocoa into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and mix until evenly distributed, then add the butter and eggs. Using a handheld electric whisk beat the mixture for about a minute and a half until light and creamy. Carefully stir in the coconut along with any residual liquid, folding until combined.
Spoon the cake batter into the prepared tin and level the surface with the back of a spoon. Bake in the centre of the oven for 40 minutes if baking in a loaf tin or 25-30 minutes for a round cake.
Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Leave to cool completely.
To make the icing, melt the chocolate gently in a bain marie and leave to cool slightly. Once the chocolate has cooled, stir in the yogurt or creme fraiche until fully combined and the icing is glossy. Spoon over the cake and spread with a palette knife. Decorate with desiccated coconut or chocolate buttons.
The cake will keep for 5 days in an airtight tin.
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Ooh yes! Love anything “Bounty”!
It’s just a bit different from your average chocolate cake!
Coconut and chocolate?! Looks amazing and I really like the loaf shape!
It really hit the spot! And the loaf fitted in my convection microwave whilst i was between ovens.
Fabulous cake, Emma…..and I have a packet of desiccated coconut that has been waiting to be used. Very nice pic, too:)
Thank you Roger. It’s very quick and simple to knock together……..once you’ve waited for the coconut to rehydrate!