Coconut and Lime Bundt

During my university years, my flat mates and I decided that we'd make our own coconut water. All the trendy drinks in the shops were far too expensive, and being students, we decided to be frugal.

I'd seen someone crack open a coconut before, how hard could it be?

The three of us hovered over the first coconut for a while. We tried a bread knife, skewers, a hammer and a screwdriver to prize it open, all with no success. We even consulted Google, because that's what you do in any doubtful situation these days.

Naturally, the next step of action for any coconut fans who have exhausted all the tools that they own, is to drop it out of a window. So we tried exactly that.

After a thorough 'health and safety' assessment, Emma was assigned to coconut dropping duties whilst Reena and I secured the perimeter downstairs. Downstairs being a shop doorway on a busy high street in London. Once establishing that no passerby would receive concussion from a flying coconut a countdown commenced. Once completed, a coconut made its way out of the top floor window in true slow motion style. I remember it to be more epic than it probably was, but I'll just pretend that it deserved its own movie soundtrack for the purpose of this story.

Sadly, the stubborn coconut landed with a flop on the ground. Its shell still intact.

After a few more attempts, the stubborn coconut cracked and its innards exploded everywhere on the pavement. And it really was that underwhelming.

Reena and I cradled its broken limbs back upstairs and ordered a pizza instead to commiserate/celebrate our efforts.

Coconut and lime bundt

A recipe adapted from BBC Good Food, one of those classics that's always great to add to your repertoire. Made with creamed coconut, this super light cake is ideal in bundt form topped with a light drizzle of lime and a sprinkle of coconut.

Coconut and lime bundt cake

(Recipe adapted from BBC Good Food)

200g caster sugar

200g butter, softened

100g creamed coconut, grated

4 eggs, beaten

200g self raising flour

1tsp baking powder

2 tbsp milk

Icing

juice of 2 limes

200g icing sugar, sifted

1 tbsp Malibu (optional)

Topping

handful desiccated coconut

zest of 1 lime

Heat the oven to 190 degrees. Grease a bundt tin thoroughly and dust with a light coating of flour.

Cream together the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy in a large bowl. Add in the grated creamed coconut and mix well.

Add the eggs a spoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the flour and baking powder and mix until well incorporated. Stir in the milk to loosen the mixture.

Bake for 30 - 40 minutes, until golden and the edges start to come away from the bundt tin.

Once cool, run a narrow spatula or skewer around the edge of the bundt tin to loosen and upturn onto a plate.

To make the icing, slowly add the icing sugar to the lime juice (and Malibu is using) and mix well. 

To finish, drizzle the icing over the cooled bundt and sprinkle with the coconut and lime zest.