Courgette and coconut layer cake
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- + cooling + chilling
- Easy
- Serves 8-10
Skip to ingredients
- 300ml sunflower oil
- 350g golden caster sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 300g plain floursifted
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 150g desiccated coconut
- 2 large, grated and squeezed dry to make 250g courgettes
- to decorate coconut shavings or flakes
BUTTERCREAM
- 75g unsalted buttersoftened
- 500g icing sugar
- 180g soft cheese
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal960
- fat57.4g
- saturates22.3g
- carbs98.6g
- sugars74.3g
- fibre4.2g
- protein9.7g
- salt0.9g
Method
step 1
Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and line 2 x 20cm round cake tins with baking paper. To make the cake, whisk together the sunflower oil and sugar until smooth and fully combined. Crack in the eggs, one by one, and mix between each addition until combined. Add in the vanilla extract.
step 2
Mix in the flour followed by the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Stir in the coconut and fold in the grated courgettes until just combined.
step 3
Divide the batter equally between the lined cake tins and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the middles comes out clean. Take out of the oven and leave to cool in the tins for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to fully cool.
step 4
Meanwhile, make the buttercream. Beat the butter and icing sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture is well combined. Add the soft cheese and beat until fully incorporated, spreadable and fluffy.
step 5
Cut both cakes in half so you have four round, evenly sized sponges.
step 6
Evenly spread the buttercream on top of each sponge, putting extra on what will be the top layer. Sandwich the cakes together, then leave to set in the fridge for at least 10 minutes. Finish by decorating with coconut shavings or flakes.
