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Coconut and Lime Cake

PamBakesCakes's picture
Asked on 27 Mar 2019 by PamBakesCakes

I have baked the coconut and lime cake from the summer collection 3 times now. The first time I didn't have coconut milk powder so I just left it out and the cake worked perfectly. The second two times I added the powder and the cake has been flat as a pancake. I notice other people have had a similar experience.

Can you advise what I may be doing wrong as at the moment I am convinced the coconut milk powder is the problem and the recipe is flawed?

Lindsey, Food Editor's picture
Lindsey, Food Editor replied

Hello,

I agree that because of the coconut this cake rises less, but I wouldn’t describe it as flat. 

There are a few reasons that the cakes could turn out flatter than intended…

  • Wrong size sponge tins – they should be 18cm / 7 inches

  • Eggs too small – When the recipe was first published 25 years ago large eggs were larger! Nowadays the eggs in a box of large eggs can weigh between 63 – 73g each but 25 years ago they weighed 73g or even more. I use 2 eggs that weigh at least 73g each or you can weigh out 130g of beaten egg. 

  • Using butter that isn’t soft.

  • Out of date self-raising flour.

  • Out if date baking powder. 

  • Over beating the sponge mix.

  • Being too heavy handed when folding in the soaked desiccated coconut.

I hope this is of some help.

Kind regards

Lindsey

PamBakesCakes's picture
PamBakesCakes replied

Thanks, possibly one of the last two. Great tip about the eggs. This cake tastes so good I am desperate to get it right. Thanks for your reply and the information.

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