On March 11th 2021 I started Sarah’s slice so I wanted to mark this day with what else but a cake.
A year ago when my husband helped to create my website and blog I never imagined how many people would be interested in reading and trying my recipes! Everyday I am pastounded that people all over the world read and bake my recipes. I am really proud of my achievements in a year and without my Husbands encouragement and support I would have never come this far. I am very lucky!
I have been trying to decide for quite a while what cake it should be and I decided in the end to base it around my favourite chocolates!!! So it had to be a Raffaello cake……
So my first birthday blog cake is an almond cake filled with coconut custard and covered with coconut butter icing and decorated of course with a lot of Raffaello chocolates!
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade (160 fan) then and grease 3 x 6” cake tins.
Whisk the sugar, eggs, oil and almond essence until light and fluffy.
Add flour, baking powder and ground almonds and fold until all the flour is combined.
Divide the mixture equally between the three tins.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean them leave to cool slightly in the tins before transferring to a wire rack.
Next to make the custard put 175g of the coconut milk and the vanilla extract in a medium sized pan. Stir over a high heat until it is hot but not boiling.
In a heatproof bowl put the remaining coconut milk, cornflour, sugar and egg yolk and whisk together.
Pour the hot milk into the bowl and whisk till combined.
Then transfer back into the pan and whisk until thickened.
Put the custard back into the heatproof bowl and cover the surface with cling film to stop a skin forming. Set aside to cool.
Next to make the buttercream put the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk until lighter in colour and fluffy.
Add the sieved icing sugar and whisk again until it is all incorporated. Then add the left over coconut milk slowly until you have a smooth buttercream that is soft enough to pipe.
Take 1/3 of the buttercream and put in an icing back with a Wilton 1M nozzle.
To assemble the cake take one of the cakes and place on a cake stand or plate and pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge of the cake.
Take 1/2 of the coconut custard and spread inside the buttercream ring.
Place the next cake on top and repeat with the remaining buttercream and custard.
Put the final cake on the top.
Then spread the remaining buttercream over the cake and put desiccated coconut all around the sides of the cake.
Finally pipe 8 stars of buttercream around the top of the cake and add the Raffaello chocolates.
Almond & Coconut Cake
Sarah's servings: 8
Sarah’s skill: Difficult
Baking time: 30 - 35 minutes
Ingredients:
Cake
225g Caster sugar
4 Large eggs
240ml Sunflower oil
1tsp Almond essence
240g Self Raising flour
1tsp Baking powder
50g Ground almonds
Coconut Custard
225g Coconut milk
1tsp Vanilla extract
30g Cornflour
45g Caster sugar
1 Large egg yolk
Coconut Buttercream
200g Soft unsalted butter
400g Sieved icing sugar
Coconut milk (remaining from the tin used for the custard)
Decoration
8 x Raffaello chocolates
Dessicated coconut
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade (160 fan)
Line and grease 3 x 6” cake tins.
Whisk the sugar, eggs, oil and almond essence until light and fluffy.
Add flour, baking powder and ground almonds and fold until all the flour is combined.
Divide the mixture equally between the three tins.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Leave to cool slightly in the tins then transfer to a wire rack.
Next to make the custard put 175g of the coconut milk and the vanilla extract in a medium sized pan. Stir over a high heat until it is hot but not boiling.
In a heatproof bowl put the remaining coconut milk, cornflour, sugar and egg yolk and whisk together.
Pour the hot milk into the bowl and whisk till combined then transfer back into the pan and heat until thickened.
Put the custard back into the heatproof bowl and cover the surface with cling film to stop a skin forming. Set aside to cool.
Next to make the buttercream put the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk until lighter in colour and fluffy.
Add the sieved icing sugar and whisk again until it is all incorporated.
Then add the left over coconut milk slowly until you have a smooth buttercream that is soft enough to pipe.
Take 1/3 of the buttercream and put in an icing back with a Wilton 1M nozzle.
To assemble the cake take one of the cakes and place on a cake stand or plate and pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge of the cake.
Take 1/2 of the coconut custard and spread inside the buttercream ring.
Place the next cake on top and repeat with the remaining buttercream and custard.
Put the final cake on the top and spread the remaining buttercream over the top and sides of the cake and put dessicated coconut all over the sides.
Finally pipe 8 stars of buttercream around the top of the cake and add the Raffaello chocolates.
Equipment Used
Sarah’s extra slice……
I used a Wilton 1M icing nozzle and PME 6" cake tins.
Wow! Happy blog birthday, Sarah! I love your recipes and the clear instructions. I can even bake lovely light scones now, all because of you.
I really hope you’ll write a book one day.