Coconut Lime Cake With Rum Frosting
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I am not an icing person. That much you know about me. I deliberately seek out cakes that eliminate the need for icing or frosting of any kind. Cakes that are robust in their flavour and delicate in their aroma. Cakes that shine without a layer of sugar on top. Cakes that are fun to play with, concoting and marrying complimenting flavours as you whisk them gently like a potion mistress plotting her next spell. This is one such cake.
I first came across this cake in the beautiful new cookbook, Under The Walnut Tree. Tucked away under the Coconut section of the book, this cake simply said Coconut Cake For Susanne. Skimming through the recipe, I quickly came to the conclusion that Susanne, whoever she was; was a very lucky lady for someone to be baking her a treat so sweet.
Everything about the cake from the coconut to the lime, screamed Tropical! When the word tropical goes through my mind, I think rum, pineapple, frangipani. In that exact order. The mind is a funny thing. It has the uncanny ability of dredging up memories or bringing up totally wild associations. My mind does that. So I decided to make a more grown up cake, a boozy one that paired rum with all the tropical flavours that were already present. And this cake would have a rum frosting, I decided. I love this frosting because it has a cream cheese base and really scrimps on sugar. Just the way I like it. Plus it is kind to a novice froster like me. There are only so many frosting swirls I can attempt without spraining my wrist and making my cake look pretty.
COCONUT LIME CAKE WITH RUM FROSTING
Preparation Time – 15 minutes
Baking Time – 40 minutes
Serves – 8
Ingredients
for the cake
150g butter
1 large lime, zest grated and lime juiced
4 medium eggs
1 tablespoon white rum
150g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
120g desiccated coconut
140g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
for the icing
200g cream cheese
5 tablespoons pure icing sugar, sifted or crushed in a processor
juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons white rum
grated zest of 1 lime, to decorate
few thin lime slices, to decorate
Method
to make the cake
Preheat oven to 180C. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Use a teaspoon of melted butter to grease a 20cm round springform cake pan. Dust and coat the insides with flour. Set aside.
Whisk the eggs, sugar, rum and vanilla until fluffy. Stir in the lime juice, lime zest, coconut and butter. Add the flour and baking powder, mix gently. Pour mixture into the prepared tin. Bake for 40 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the tin. Remove from tin, when cooled and transfer to the serving plate.
to make the icing
Combine all ingredients for icing in a bowl. Whisk with a hand blender for 4 to 5 minutes until mixed and smooth. Scoop all of the frosting on top of the cooled cake and swirl it evenly or unevenly in any pattern or fashion you wish. Make it your own. Grate lime zest on top of the frosting or scatter already grated lime zest on top. Garnish with lime slices.
My Notes
This is not a very sweet cake and is beautiful even without the icing. Omit the rum and you have a kid-friendly cake perfect for tea.
The iced cake must be refrigerated especially in warm weather as the frosting may start getting a tad runny.
After half the cake was eaten, I ended up adding another tablespoon of lime zest on top of the frosting of the remaining cake. The extra zest ups the wow factor of the cake.
The flavour of the rum intensifies as the cake ages and is absolutely amazing eaten when it becomes a day or two old.
**Gluten Free Version Update**
I baked this again to take to a friend’s BBQ. I made a gluten free version by omitting the flour in the recipe with 120g almond meal and adding 1 tablespoon plain yogurt to the batter before mixing. This version was even more beautiful and tasted luscious and moist like a French teacake. If you make this recipe, do try the gluten-free version. I highly recommend it.
Note : Under The Walnut Tree by Anna Bergenstrom & Fanny Bergenstrom is published by Hardie Grant. A review copy of the cookbook was kindly sent to Cook Republic by Hardie Grant.
Beautifully done Sneh! love the pictures and the cake looks amazing!
najwa kronfel´s last [type] ..Strawberry-Orange Sorbet
Fab looking cake and what gorgeous pics!
Nash at Plateful´s last [type] ..Blueberry Banana and Cream
YUMMERS!! I love the styling and the touch of rum in frosting
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com´s last [type] ..Pistachio Birthday Cake
I am loving all these fresh warm weather recipes that are popping up everywhere. There is nothing like lime and rum combined!
Great timing for this cake Sneh! I have so many limes that need using and this would be the perfect cake for them. Plus I’m in a coconut phase too
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella´s last [type] ..Thai Basil, Chicken & Cashew Stir Fry With Coconut Rice (& a little book update)
Oh my! The frosting sounds to die for and the cake looks divine Sneh.
Baker Street´s last [type] ..Mascarpone Oreo Cookies
A little rum makes everything better! I love the way you styled the cake slice with the lime slice standing up on top.
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen´s last [type] ..Gluten Free and Grain Free Chocolate Granola | Chocolate for Breakfast
That looks so delightful! Love the idea of rum , lime and coconut together!
chinmayie @ love food eat´s last [type] ..My Favorite Bengali Aloor Dum
This cake looks absolutely delicious. I hate the way it’s become commonplace to absolutely slather cakes in inches of sickly sweet icing so this looks perfect. Love the lime slices standing in the frosting too, and the addition of rum.
thelittleloaf´s last [type] ..Blood Orange Sgroppino
I consider myself a lazy icer, so this cake is perfect for me – especially with such wonderful flavors.
Lynda – TasteFood´s last [type] ..Pizza Night: Arugula and Prosciutto Pizza
I love your blog! I have to make this tonight!
My husband loves rum incorporated into cake in any fashion, so I must make this for him! The flavors are so sunny it’s impossible to resist.
la domestique´s last [type] ..Cook in the Moment: Fennel Soup with a Green Swirl
A gorgeous looking cake and the flavours of coconut and lime are my favourite, probably ever! Your photos are stunning too!
Martyna @ WholesomeCook´s last [type] ..Salmon, radish and roasted tomato salad
I can’t decide if I like the cake more than the lighting as both are stunning. A very different combination that makes a change from the ordinary.
Jacqueline (CakeBoule)´s last [type] ..Lemon Meringue Roulade
Amazing photos! – and I got a bag of limes which are starting to go yellow, maybe I try your cake gluten-free? Thank you for sharing.
Mmm coconut, lime and rum, this sounds like one amazing cake Sneh! I’m loving the beautiful, and cheap limes we have available at the moment. This is definitely a great way to celebrate them. Love your beautiful photos and styling.
Jennifer (Delicieux)´s last [type] ..Pear Tart with Vanilla Bean & Pedro Ximinez Poached Pears
Your cake makes me want to sing “Put the lime in the coconut”
It looks stunning and even though I’m not one to add icing to cakes (much like you), you needn’t twist my arm to make this one!
My Little Expat Kitchen´s last [type] ..The crème brûlée
[...] Coconut Lime Cake With Rum Frosting via Cook Republic [...]
Love the styling .. the dark mood with that green lime standing proudly! Super gorgeous and boozy cake is always in my top list
kankana´s last [type] ..Artichoke and Tomato Salad Tarts – DHSP Challenge #7
I love the idea of adding rum… a perfect partner with the limes and the coconut. And I LOVE any cream cheese based frosting. Sounds like a winner. And gorgeous pics!
SarahKate (Mi Casa-Su Casa)´s last [type] ..These are the times to remember
I love that you added rum to make this a grown up cake. Beautiful!
Laura (Tutti Dolci)´s last [type] ..roasted carrot cake bars
Yes! The only thing that went through my mind after seeing this cake was that you needed a Piña colada to have along with a slice of this cake. It looks amazing Sneh, beautiful photography as always!
Gorgeous presentation. Loving the tropical falvours. May I have a cocktail to go with that? Oh and a pool with sun lounge – yep cake heaven
Sara (Belly Rumbles)´s last [type] ..Happy Easter
sneh, this is so unbelievably beautiful! i had to pin it, and i will definitely have to make it, because i love these flavors! mmm! great idea for the rum frosting!
marissa @ the boot´s last [type] ..very berry muffins
This ‘IS’ just as delicious as it looks and sounds – the flavours really complimented one another and were perfectly balanced, the texture was great too, a real treat – what an awesome find. Thank you for sharing it with us Sneh.
[...] resource and adapted some of the recipes in the cookbook. I have written about them in depth – Coconut And Lime Cake With Rum Frosting, Kachumber And Salad Bruschetta, Vanilla Rice Pudding With Wine Poached Plums. [...]