the coconut bandwagon

Clearly coconut has become my latest thing.
Just let me go with it...you can't stop me with these sorts of things.

This coconut loaf cake is iiiiinnnsane. Adapted from one of my favourite blogs and cookbooks, the Sprouted Kitchen, it is dense, moist, slightly sweet and utterly satisfying. I'm going to put it out there - it's probably one of the best cakes I've ever had the pleasure of consuming. When the coconut bug bit me last year I stocked up on probably a few too many coconut items - coconut flour, coconut sugar, coconut oil, the list goes on, but you can use other easier to find substitutes for this recipe. Just make sure you use coconut cream because it gives it so much moisture it's pretty much dripping in coconut creamy heaven. 

Coconut Loaf Cake
Adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen

1/4 cup melted coconut oil
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup coconut sugar (or raw sugar)
3/4 cup coconut flour (or white flour)
1 cup wholemeal flour
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking powder
a pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 x 400ml can coconut cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
icing: icing sugar, lemon zest and a bit of water or lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Spread the shredded coconut on a lined baking tray and roast in the oven until golden and crunchy. Coconut burns really easily and quickly so this should only take a few minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.

In a bowl combine most of the shredded toasted coconut (leave a handful aside for the topping) and the coconut sugar. Sift in the flours, nutmeg, baking powder and salt and stir to combine. Whisk the eggs together and pour into the dry mixture, along with the coconut cream, melted coconut oil and vanilla extract. 

Stir through gently until combined. Pour into a lined and greased loaf tin and bake in the oven for about 50 minutes until cooked through the middle. Leave to cool.

To make the icing combine 1/2 a cup of icing sugar with the zest of a whole lemon. Pour in a few tablespoons of water and stir until thick but runny. Pour over the cake once it's completely cool, finish off with the leftover shredded coconut and serve.