Coconut cake with caramel berries

Cooking Time

45 minutes

Equipment

Angel food cake tin

Ingredients (serves 10)

6 eggs at room temperature, separated
1 1/2 cups (330g) caster sugar
100ml canola oil
Finely grated rind and juice of 2 limes
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
2 cups (300g) self-raising flour, sifted 3 times
2 tbs (15g) desiccated coconut
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups (200g) icing sugar, sifted
Caramel Berries
150g caster sugar
1/4 cup lime juice
2 x 250g punnets strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced widthways
120g punnet raspberries

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190°C. Using an electric mixer, beat egg yolks and 1/2 the caster sugar until very thick and pale. Combine oil, lime rind and 3/4 cup water in a jug. With mixer on low speed, gradually pour mixture in, beating until just combined.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat eggwhites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining caster sugar, 1 tbs at a time, continuing to beat until thick and glossy.
3. Sift flour, coconut and salt over yolk mixture and whisk until just combined. Using a large metal spoon, fold in eggwhite mixture in 2 batches. Spoon mixture into an ungreased 25cm tube (angel food) cake tin (from kitchenware stores). Level top then bake on lowest shelf in oven for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Immediately invert cake tin, supporting it on its legs. Cool, inverted in tin (cooling the cake suspended prevents it from sinking).
4. Using a palette knife, run knife around inner edge of cooled cake to release it from tin. Turn on to a plate. Combine icing sugar and enough lime juice to form a thick icing then spoon over cake, allowing it to drip down sides. Stand until set. Meanwhile, for caramel berries, combine sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves, then simmer without stirring until mixture forms a dark caramel. Remove from heat. Add lime juice and 1/4 cup water and stir well. Top cake with strawberries and raspberries, then place remaining berries in a heatproof bowl. Pour hot caramel mixture over and cool. Drizzle a little of the mixture over top of cake and serve with remaining berries.