Helen Goh's recipe for coconut, vanilla and almond cake with strawberries

The Guardian

23-05-2025

This cake is inspired by the scent of the gorse bushes along the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall, where my family and I go walking on summer holidays. The scent can be elusive, but occasionally, on a warm, sunny day, the breeze catches those golden flowers and diffuses their distinct, sweet scent – a mingling of coconut, vanilla and almond. I've added lime to freshen things up, should those flavours prove a little heady or rich.
When strawberries aren't in season, chopped pineapple also works beautifully here. Once baked, the cake will keep, wrapped, for up to two days, but don't top it with the coconut icing until just before you want to serve.
Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr 15 min
Serves 6-8
For the cake200g plain flour
1¾ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
¼ tsp fine sea salt
50g ground almonds
200g room-temperature unsalted butter180g caster sugar
Finely grated zest and juice (30ml) of 1 lime3 large room-temperature eggs100ml coconut cream – I like the Kara one1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp almond extract
For the icing100ml coconut cream
100ml double cream
30g icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
To finish200g strawberries, washed and halved10g flaked coconut, lightly toasted1 lime
Line the base and sides of a round 20cm cake tin with baking paper, and heat the oven to 195C (175C fan)/380F/gas 5½.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl, then stir in the ground almonds.
Put the butter, sugar and lime zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high for about two minutes, until light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating in well after each addition; use a flexible spatula to scrape the base and sides of the bowl, to ensure even mixing.
Mix the coconut cream, lime juice and both extracts in a jug. Turn the mixer speed to low, then, working in three batches, add the sifted dry ingredients to the egg and butter mix alternately with the coconut cream, beating for a few seconds between each addition and scraping down the bowl as required.
Scrape the batter into the lined tin and bake for 45-50 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Transfer the cake in its tin to a rack, leave to cool completely, then unmould.
When you're almost ready to serve, make the coconut icing. Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high until the mix thickens to soft waves.
Spread the icing on top of the cooled cake, then arrange the strawberries on top. Scatter over the toasted coconut, grate the zest of the lime all over the top, then slice and serve.