What a celebratory cake she is!
I had the privilege to put a simple wedding dress on this girl and she absolutely wowed the crowd! I’ve always been a coconut fan, but this cake made me rediscover the beauty of white chocolate and the way it melts in your mouth. Don’t let this one to slide you by – bake her!
INGREDIENTS
CAKE ½ cup boiling water 100g white chocolate 185g butter 1 ½ cup castor sugar 4 large eggs, separated 1 tbsp vanilla essence 1 tbsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 2 ½ cup cake flour 1 cup coconut yogurt/cultured buttermilk 1 cup desiccated coconut, lightly toasted ICING 200g white chocolate, melted 100g butter, softened 400g icing sugar, sifted 1 tbsp vanilla essence 230g cream cheese
METHOD
CAKE 1. Prepare two cake tins (21-23cm) with baking paper and non-stick spray. 2. Preheat the oven to 180°C and place the oven rack in the middle. 3. In a medium glass bowl, add the boiling water and white chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool down. 4. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 5. Separate the eggs and place the egg whites in a separate glass bowl to whisk later. 6. Add the egg yolks one by one to the sugar and butter mixture while whisking. 7. Add the melted chocolate and the vanilla to the butter mixture as well. 8. In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and add to the butter mixture, alternating with the yogurt/buttermilk until everything is well combined. 9. Stir the coconut into the batter and mix until just combined. 10. Whisk the eggs whites with an electric whisk until soft peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter until just combined. 11. Divide the batter between the cake tins and bake them in the middle of the oven for 25-30 minutes (Tip 1). 12. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool down for 5 minutes before loosening the sides and demoulding the cakes onto cooling racks. 13. Once the cakes are completely cooled down, ice them and store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature (Tip 2). ICING 1. Melt the white chocolate in a small glass bowl in the microwave in bursts of 30 seconds. Stir after each burst to prevent the chocolate from burning. Heat the chocolate only until it has just melted. 2. In a medium bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer until light, fluffy and pale. This is the most important time-consuming step. 3. Add the icing sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until well combined and creamy (Tip 3). 4. Add the cream cheese, vanilla and white chocolate. Mix until just combined.
TIPS 1. Divide the batter between the cake tins by weight to ensure even layered and baked cakes. 2. Butter cakes should be enjoyed at room temperature. If the icing seems a bit runny, place the decorated cake into your fridge and take it out once the icing has set and then keep it at room temperature. 3. If the mixture is too dry to cream properly, add the vanilla essence and a tablespoon or two of the cream cheese to help the creaming process. Once the butter and sugar is then creamed to the desired texture, you can add the rest of the ingredients.