Leaving Tijuana - Coconut, Mescal and Citrus Cake

It must be that last gasp of holiday goodness that reminded me to post a recipe for a cake I have been working on - one of those Mexicana, hot summer type numbers. A coconut, mescal and citrus cake. Holidays on a plate. Now where is the Le Tan and a beach.

Photo by Danny Eastwood

Leaving Tijuana

Coconut, Mescal and Citrus Cake

Ingredients

250g butter

250g caster sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

zest of 2 limes

5 eggs

60ml mescal

250g plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Icing

190g caster sugar

4 eggwhites

1 tsp lime juice

1 teaspoon coconut essence

1 teaspoon mescal

Toasted coconut chips

Method

Preheat the oven to 160C.

Grease and line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper and set aside.  Beat the butter, vanilla and sugar in a mixer using the paddle attachment until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the zest and mescal. Sift in the flour and baking paper and gently stir to combine.

Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes or until it springs back to the touch and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

Prepare the meringue by combining the sugar and 50 ml water in a saucepan over high heat and stir gently until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and cook until syrup reaches 115C on a sugar thermometer. Once the temperature is reached, begin whisking the eggwhites and lime-juice in an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Once the sugar syrup reaches 121C remove from heat and pour gently into the eggwhites, whisking continuously. Continue whisking on high speed until the mixture appears thick and glossy and has cooled to room temperature, then stir in coconut essence and mescal.

Cut the cake in half and ice the top of one half then gently press the other half on top. Ice the rest of the cake and sprinkle over coconut chips just before serving.